10 Years From Now
by Dinosaurs R Dead
Summary: When Kuki comes back from Japan for College- a lot of changes have been going on between members of Sector V that soon fuel into a whirlwind of heartache, serious lawbreaking, love and of course- DRAMA! Warning-Violence, Drugs, Adult Themes, OCs, etc
1. Chapter 1: Kuki's back

A random idea of mine

^.^

Please Read and REVIEWWW

* * *

A tall dark skinned girl chipped nervously at her nail polish. She'd been standing in the same dirty, lonesome hallway for almost an hour, but had made no move to go into the door next to her- labeled '406'. She was biting her bottom lip and shuffling her feet in the cold, but still made no move to go inside. She was about to turn and leave when she gasped in surprise.

_"Need some help Dear?"_

"Oh…No I'm fine." Abigail Lincoln said breathlessly to the elderly neighbor next to her. "I'm just uh…" She indicated to the door behind her with her hand. The woman nodded kindly and shuffled down the hall to the elevator. Abby sighed in relief.

She had no idea what she was so nervous about. She'd been here many times before and even had stayed the night, the week even. But today she couldn't help the guilt that washed over her like a stain that wouldn't come off. Now she had to face the truth, and so did he.

She took a deep breath and smoothed out the non-existent creases in her light washed jeans. She flicked her wavy long hair back in a pre-occupied way before gently rapping on the door. She waited, straining her ears for any sound that might prompt her to run back down the hall to the elevator to join the woman. Before she could decide, the door swung open.

"_Abby._" The inhabitant grinned at her in a cocky way. "Pleasure seeing you here again."

How she hated but yet loved his smooth talk.

He took a sip of the beer he was holding loosely in his hand and looked her up and down. "Where's my brother?" He asked her. Abby growled lowly in annoyance and he moved aside for her to come in. It was no surprise to her that the room was the same. Dimly lit, blinds covering the wide windows, modern lounges in the corner and a lonely flat-screen TV right next to it. A couple of metres out was a small kitchen but virtually nothing else. She had been to this apartment before, she had experienced it all. But today she had to focus on just one thing. She glared at the man in front of her with determination.

"Dingo." She said sternly. "We have to talk."

The relaxed expression on his handsome face didn't change. His green eyes were still half closed with sleepiness, and he still slouched in his composed, exhausted but casual sort of way. Abby couldn't resist peeking at his exposed toned chest, which was surprisingly tanned. His jeans lay crumpled and dirty on his legs in a loose way, the same way his dirty blonde hair lay loosely on his face.

"Shoot." He said simply, draining his beer in one go and strutting over to her.

She crossed her arms, her rehearsed speech coming to her head. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped short when he embraced her, his muscular arms closing in around her waist. She felt like melting into him, and crying about everything that was wrong and how she felt, before making love on the couch and staying the night, then leaving in the morning with an air of happiness around her.

She had to resist this time.

"Dingo." She said again. "We have to talk, it's about Wallabee."

He withdrew his arms and rolled his eyes. "Right, him, my brother." He scoffed and walked slowly to the kitchen. "How could I forget?"

Abby clasped her hands together and squeezed hard. She had to tell him, she had to let him know.

"You still with him?" Dingo asked her.

Abby was caught off guard. "W-what?"

Dingo narrowed his eyes in a suspicious way. "Are you and my brother still together?"

"Oh…" Abby wasn't expecting this, she flustered. "I- I guess so."

Dingo scoffed, looking away as though he didn't care. Abby knew better and saw the bitterness in his eyes. Ever since Wally had found out about his older brother he'd been desperate to meet him, where as Dingo had been less than enthusiastic. They attempted to bond, but yet it didn't really work. They rarely spoke even though they lived within 3 miles of each other.

Abby however, had an automatic chemistry with him. He returned it and it only took one drunken night for the two to really break the boundaries. No matter how much Abby told herself to stop, and that she had to choose, she couldn't. And she hated herself for it.

"Dingo!" She said, shaking her head. "We have to talk."

Dingo became stern, not losing his suspicious glare. "What about?"

"Well…" Abby faltered, losing her concentration at his gaze. She felt tears come to her eyes and she willed them to go away. If Dingo saw her crying he wouldn't let her leave until she came clean about everything. He narrowed his eyes and walked towards her. She sniffed.

"I'm pregnant."

A loud silence filled the room. The empty beer bottle dropped to the floor with a loud crash. Dingo didn't move. Abby let the tears fall. This time it took a while for Dingo to wrap his arms around her. But the fact he did made Abby want to just melt into him, hoping all her troubles would be left behind. She couldn't believe it when she saw the test a couple of days ago, so much that she had travelled to a specialist that confirmed the test, and that she was in fact 2 months pregnant.

She cried into his shoulder and he ran his fingers through her hair. She felt the fast paced thumps of his heart against her chest and she knew that he was as panicky as she was.

"Is it mine?" He murmured.

She sobbed and pushed him off, making her way to the couch. She knew that was coming, she just didn't think it would hurt so much. She collapsed on the couch and curled up into a ball, still tearing.

"Hey you can't blame me for asking." Dingo growled, making his way over to her. "You can't know either, or at least you can't be positive. I mean I love you Abby-"With this he looked at her with a sad expression. "But I can't lie to a kid saying I'm its father when I'm not."

"I wouldn't want you to" Abby sniffed into the sofa. "It wouldn't be your responsibility."

Dingo shuffled uncomfortably, letting his long fringe droop into his eyes. He looked more like his little brother than ever, except for that determined glint in his eye.

Abby sighed, wiping the tears away. "It's yours." She mumbled, looking down. "I'm positive."

Dingo walked over to her, staring her down. "How can you be so sure?"

Abby groaned. She didn't like to say the explanation out loud."Well, I'm 2 months and 3 days along…" She began, not being able to look up at him. "And it can't be Wally's… he went on that safari vacation with Hoagie 2 months ago for a week, we hadn't done anything after because he got that illness and…" She trailed off, looking at her feet.

Dingo ran a hand through his hair. "That was the week you stayed with me…"

Abby nodded, her eyes fogging up again. Dingo walked slowly over and embraced her. He knew, he knew it was too much for a 21 year old guy, let alone a 19 year old girl, his brother's girlfriend nonetheless. He knew in his heart what he was doing was wrong, but at the same time a nagging feeling told him that this was it, a part of him was inside her, showing everyone she was rightfully his.

"What are we gonna do Dingo?" She sobbed into his chest. "I don't think I can go through an abortion-"

"You're not having an abortion." Dingo said smoothly to her, stroking her hair. She sat up.

"What do you mean?"

Dingo frowned. "You're not gonna have one, are you?"

"I- I don't know." Abby sniffed. "It's an option, I mean it would save the pain-"

"You're not having one." Dingo retorted.

Abby looked confused. "But why?"

Dingo looked annoyed. "'Cause it's mine too! If you're right and it's mine I'm not gonna let anyone kill it."

"But-"

Dingo folded his arms. "I won't let you Abs, I can't let you do it. It's murder."

Abby looked down, feeling both ashamed and distraught. "But then what?" She said, "Everyone will want to know whose it is, nobody's supposed to know about us, and I can't lie to Wallaby and say it's his…"

Dingo growled. "No, you're not."

Abby sniffed. "I can't hide it forever."

Dingo sighed. He knew he should be feeling concerned and worried, but the feeling of excitement was growing on him and he couldn't control it. He didn't let it show, he just embraced her again, pulling her chin up towards his face.

"Baby…" He murmured. "Don't worry about my brother, don't worry about the kid. It'll all work out, we'll all end up happy in the end, I promise."

She knew he couldn't possibly guarantee that, but she didn't care. All she knew was she couldn't look into those eyes and deny him. She nodded, and closing in and kissed him.

* * *

"Where's Abby?"

Wallabee Beatles looked up suddenly from the table. "What?"

Hoagie folded his arms. "I said- where's Abby? Isn't she supposed to be here by now?"

"…Oh!" The blonde haired boy chuckled at himself and shrugged. "I dunno, she's been busy lately. I mean, with her job and all."

"…Right, of course." Hoagie folded his arms and frowned. He never thought Wally and Abby had been a good couple, maybe because he'd been crushing on her since he was 8, but lately he figured his friend Wallabee had other things on his mind other than his girlfriend.

"Are you guys…Okay?" He asked casually. Wallabee gave him a look.

"Of course we're okay, it's just…" He paused. "With all the drama that's been happening around here lately, I think it's taken a toll on her and she…Prefers to keep her eyes on work."

Hoagie digested this. It was true, Abby had been pretty lucky to get some job experience as a journalist when she was just a freshman in College, maybe because her sister was in the same career. He propped his head up on his hand and sighed. He hadn't changed much since Junior High, only that he'd finally grown up a bit, and grown his hair long. He felt relieved that he lost his puppy fat in high school and even gotten on the wrestling team with Wally, even though he could never beat him, not even now.

Wasn't Abigail meant to be his? Weren't they destined to be together?

"You okay?" Wally asked him, cocking his eyebrow in a joking way. He hadn't changed much either, still the same muscular blonde that he was when he was in the KND, except taller and seemingly brighter.

"Yeah" Hoagie muttered in annoyance. "It's just…" He felt embarrassed to be saying this to someone like Wally, who was meant to be his competition, but they were friends- right?

"It's just…what?" Wally pressed.

"Well, I'm 19 years old" Hoagie sighed. "And I haven't got a girlfriend, or a job, or-"

"Relax!" Wally shrugged. "You're in College, remember? You're going somewhere. Besides, there's a heap of chicks on campus that think you're hot, only you've never shown any interest." He gave him a look.

_Only because I love yours…_ Hoagie couldn't help thinking to himself. He shook himself from those thoughts and instead tried to think of something else. He smirked in triumph.

"I know something you don't know." He smirked. Wally narrowed his eyes.

"Enough with the child games, Hoagie. What is it?"

Hoagie chuckled and leaned back in his chair. Her didn't know what kind of effect this news would have on his friend, even though to him it made no real difference.

"Kuki's coming back." He said to him.

Wally froze, his heart now racing.

"Oh…" He managed to croak out.

_Kuki- _the first girl he ever fell for, the one who broke his heart when he had to move to Japan when she was 12, Kuki Sanban…

"I don't believe it." He muttered.

Hoagie raised his eyebrows. "What about Abby?"

"Huh?" Wally said defensively. "What about her?"

"Well…" Hoagie began. "Are you going to want to pick up where you left off with Kuki or stay with what you have?"

Wally should have taken defense to this question, but right now he was too shocked to even think about it. "That's slack, Hoagie, but-" He shook his head. "Just drop it."

Hoagie did, but he couldn't help but feel some kind of relief about the whole thing. If Wally does get too lovesick for his old flame, maybe Abby will take it to run back to _her _old flame for consolidation…naming him. He decided to change the subject.

"How's your brother?"

"Joey's fine." Wally said shortly, not looking up but instead looking at his cereal. His 10 year old brother was in fact his pride and joy, and was taking his place in the Kids Next Door happily.

"Oh, right." Hoagie muttered. "And…?"

Wally looked up, looking defensive. "What?"

"You and Dingo don't get along?"

Wally shifted. He knew he could only talk about the subject with either Hoagie or Abby, nobody else. In fact Abby seemed to stray away from the subject as much as she could, which Wally was grateful for. He didn't like to talk about it much.

"We…don't mix."

"Yeah." Hoagie smiled. "You're exactly the same, of course you'd clash."

He ignored this. "I mean, he's been my brother all my life, but I'd never heard of him since last year. What am I supposed to say to him? He doesn't seem to want to know me…" Wally trailed off, looking sad and irritated. "What I really want to do is ask him what made Mom and Dad send him off to live with my uncle, that's what I want to know."

Hoagie shrugged. "He's only 2 years older than you; maybe he failed pre school or something."

"I dunno…" Wallabee sighed, and then became serious. "I think he did something."

Hoagie raised his eyebrows. "Like what?"

"I dunno, like something bad." Wallabee shrugged. "I dunno; why else would Mom and Dad want him out of their lives so bad?"

"I honestly have no idea Dude."

Wallabee sighed, looking downcast as he dug into his cereal again.

* * *

Nigel looked nervously over the crowd of heads and sat back down again. He didn't even know what he was looking for, he was just here because of some mysterious email anyway.

He nervously touched a hand to his new, short bristled brown hair. All his life he'd been bald and it was only just starting to grow. He was relieved.

"Nigie..." Lizzie whined beside him. "Can't we go?"

"In a minute Lizzie." Nigel groaned. "You can go get an ice cream if you want."

She pouted and flipped one of her braids behind her shoulders. She held out a hand, at which he sighed and placed a $10 note in. She smiled and skipped off.

Nigel slouched, thinking about giving up. Here he was in a stupid airport with nothing to go by, he didn't even know what his past teammate even looked like.

"Guess Who?" A shrill voice yelled, before his eyes were covered. He smirked and turned around.

"Kuki!" He exclaimed. She smiled, showing her brilliant white teeth.

"I thought you'd be happy to see me." She giggled. "I got you something!"

Nigel smiled. "Please say it's a samurai sword."

Kuki laughed. "No, better!"

"Better?"

With a grin and a flourish Kuki pulled out a cute, stuffed, Japanese themed rainbow monkey. Nigel smiled wearily and attempted to be excited. _Same old Kuki…_

"Ok, Kuki." He said. "It's beautiful." He took the toy from her and she grinned wider.

"I Know!" She looked around the crowded airport, a frown appearing. "Where's the rest of the gang?" She asked him.

"Oh…" Nigel said to her. "Well, Abby had a doctor's appointment, Hoagie is at a class and Wally's… at home, babysitting."

Kuki nodded, but still felt disappointment creep over her.

"A lot's happened since you left." Nigel started, "Stuff has changed a lot around here. You're going to love it."

Kuki smiled, but it looked weary. She already knew about the Wally/Abby thing. She tried to face it with a smile, but she hoped it looked more realistic than she felt it did.

"Yeah I know, I'm just excited to finally be able to go to College in the States."

Nigel hugged her. "We're glad to see you again, Kuki. Everyone is."

Kuki's smile didn't disappear, but she couldn't help thinking that if everybody wanted to see her why did only Nigel come?

In the car ride home, Kuki looked anxiously out of the window at the passing city scenery. She had been stuck in Tokyo for almost 10 years and was anxious to get back out into her hometown.

"What else has changed?" She asked Nigel curiously. It had been nagging at her mind for a while. Lizzie sucked noisily at a lollypop in the front seat as Nigel drove carefully through traffic.

"Well…a lot really." Nigel shrugged. "We all go to the same University, Abby has a job with a newspaper, Hoagie takes all the advanced classes, and Wally already wants to drop out."

"Besides school, Uno." Kuki giggled. "What's changed on the other side of things?"

Nigel shrugged. "Not much, we all hang out together like usual, but I don't have much time to spend with the gang anymore. Abby's always out somewhere, and Hoagie always seems down, and Wally seems- well he has family issues I guess."

Kuki felt her stomach turn over. "What do you mean?"

Nigel sighed. "He found out last year he had a brother, which was, you know, exciting for him. But it turned out he'd been in jail most of his life and his parents did all they could to hide him. But he's come back, he doesn't live that far away."

"Whoa." Kuki muttered. "That's heavy."

Nigel nodded. "Also, Hoagie's been having issues with his brother too. I don't know the exact details, but he's taking it kinda rough."

Kuki was starting to regret coming back. She thought she would come back to the same happy, tight bond of friendship she left behind, but it never crossed her mind that her friends would change so much.

Nigel adjusted his sunglasses. He seemed to read her mind. "Don't worry too much Kuki." He said reassuringly into the revision mirror. "They haven't changed, they're still the same people."

Kuki nodded. "What about the rest?" She asked curiously with a smile. "What about Rachel? And Fanny? Chad? Cree?"

Nigel chuckled, but Lizzie sniffed irritably. "That Rachel chick is always hanging around, she really annoys me. Her and her blond hair, and her books, and her-"

"Lizzie" Nigel groaned. "She's my friend."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. Kuki had to stop herself from giggling. Lizzie hadn't changed at all since she's last seen her, only grown taller and so had her attitude. She still wore the same braids and glasses.

"This is our exit." Nigel observed. "You'll be home soon Kuki."

"I hope so…" Kuki muttered quietly.

* * *

What do you guys think? Too confusing? Too much detail? I need suggestions, I'm a first time writer. I didn't want it to be too dramatic but you know, I want it to be exciting too!

Please R&R!


	2. Chapter 2: Soul Mates

Yeah it's been about a year, and I've only just published chapter 2! But thanks to Laurie43 for reviewing, it got my butt into gear and got me to give this story another go :P I had a big think about this story and had no idea where to go with it, there were too many options! Anyway I hope it's not too confusing :) tips _mucho appreciato_

:D!

* * *

Kuki slowly opened her dormitory door to reveal the empty, deserted hallway. She never thought she'd be so nervous about college…but then again it wasn't College that was making her so nervous.

She chewed on her nails as she stepped out of her dorm, looking around nervously. She sighed and straightened her black pencil skirt and dark green tank top.

"_It'll be fine…"_ She muttered to herself as she slung her handbag over her shoulder. "It'll all be cool…just act calm, say hello…everyone will still remember you…no need to-"

"_KUKI?"_

She jumped as she heard a shrill voice behind her. The door next to her was opened, revealing a tall, slender girl with shoulder length blonde hair and a familiar smile.

"Oh my God!" She squealed, shutting her door and walking towards her. "Kuki! Is it really you? What are you doing here?"

Kuki grinned and wound a long strand of hair around her finger nervously. "I'm staying here- I- I'm living here." She barely had time to say much else before the former supreme leader grabbed her and pulled her into a backbreaking hug.

"It's so good to see you! It's been _sooo _long!" She released her, still grinning as Kuki took her in. She hadn't changed much, but she had grown a lot in 10 years. Instead of a strainer on her head, Kuki could see how sleek her natural blonde locks were, and they still sat in the same spot above her shoulders. She wore an orange tank top with a black sweater and a pair of light blue skinny jeans that highlighted her toned and tanned athletic figure. Her bright hazel eyes lit up with happiness and her smile glistened in the dark hallway. She still had a few cute freckles on her cheeks.

"You look great Rachel" Kuki told her truthfully. Rachel grinned at her, showing her brilliant white teeth.

"So you're staying here? For how long?" She took a hold of Kuki's arm and led her down the hallway. Kuki swallowed.

"Well, um, actually I'm here for-for a while." She chuckled nervously as Rachel led her down the stairs, still beaming. "I'm staying all through college-"

"Wow! That's great! Have you met up with the rest of the gang yet?"

"Um…" Kuki faltered, looking away as they reached the ground floor. Her eyes looked disheartened. "Not yet…"

Rachel stopped and faced her, looking confused. "You mean…you haven't seen anyone yet?"

"Oh...no..." Kuki stuttered, and mentally kicked herself for acting like such a nervous fool. When she boarded that plane she made a promise to herself that she would show her old friends just how much she hadn't changed, and that she was still the old Kuki. So far she had only showed them just how much of an outsider she was.

"I…Nigel picked me up." She nodded, attempting a calm smile. "He actually organized my dorm for me…though I haven't met my roommate yet."

Rachel smiled, sensing how nervous the young Japanese girl was. "Well…It's not like you have to meet all the gang straight away." She said reassuringly. They were now on the open grounds of the college. "We haven't changed much…still the same people."

Kuki's lips twitched. She had heard the same thing from Nigel, and the more she heard it the more difficult it was to believe. Rachel grabbed her arm again and nodded in the direction of a nearby building- The college café.

"Coffee?"

* * *

Abby bit her lip as she glanced at her sister's reaction over the table. Cree didn't say anything, only sat there with her latte inches from her lips, her mouth agape.

"_You're…WHAT!"_

"Cree-." Abby hissed silently, looking around the shop, "Keep it down."

"You're _what_?" Cree repeated, still fuming…but silently. She slammed down her mug, making the frothy brown liquid spill over the countertop. She didn't notice.

"And how long have you known _that _for?" Cree spluttered, looking at her younger sister wildly. She had always known her sister had a wild streak…but for _this _to happen…

"And your career!" She went on, her mouth still hanging open at every silent moment. "You've just started at the paper!"

"Cree-" Abby muttered, but to no avail.

"-And your education!" Her sister continued her dark eyes wide. "What's Dad going to say? You've just started College! You can't just-"

"…Cree!" Abby exclaimed, looking around the coffee shop, where many eyes were glued to their table. She blushed and frowned at her sister.

"It's no big deal. I'll take care of it." Abby shrugged, sighing. Cree gave her a pitying look and noticed how tired she seemed. Abby had changed recently, and not much, only in a way a sister would know. Cree and Abby had gotten closer as they had gotten older, especially when the times got tough, they always came together to figure it out…as a team.

"Abigail..." Cree sighed and leaned in closer. "You look terrible."

Abby frowned at the observation. It was true, even she knew it. She had tried to sleep last night, but was unsuccessful. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't eat…she could only push on. Her worrying was driving her insane. She barely had time to get dressed this morning, only time to throw on a pair of navy skinny jeans and a red tank top. Her hair was tied up in a loose ponytail and hung down her shoulder. She clearly inherited the looks of the family, and it was no wonder why every boy in the college lusted after her. Cree swallowed sheepishly.

"I mean…you never look terrible...But I can see just how hard this is on you."

Abby shrugged again, and gave her sister a small smile as her bottom lip trembled.

"I guess what goes around comes around."

Cree frowned and shook her head. "Don't say that." She put a hand over her sisters. "You'll be fine."

Abby glanced out of her window, frowning. "I never thought I'd be like this…" She muttered so only her sister could barely hear. "I never thought I'd have to-"

"You're being too hard on yourself." Cree said soothingly while gulping down the rest of her coffee. "There's no reason for making this even harder."

Abby turned to her. "It is my fault, Cree. You can't deny that."

Cree shrugged and bit her lip. "Have you thought about…" She trailed off, giving her a knowing look.

Abby frowned at her.

"… Maybe you should consider it."

Abby shook her head, her eyes narrowed. "It's not an option."

"You should at least consider it!" Cree hissed at her. "I mean, you have a job, a boyfriend, you're at college…I mean-" Her eyes widened again. "You can't afford it, nor do you have the time! Abby..." She dropped her voice. "It'll ruin everything."

Abby felt tears come to her eyes. "It's my fault…not the baby's."

"You can't tell me you haven't considered it." Cree growled.

Abby sighed. "I can't do it…I don't want to, nor would he let me."

Cree frowned. "Who wouldn't let you?"

Abby gave her sister a knowing look. Cree's mouth fell open.

"You _told_ him_?" _Her eyes widened. _"Abby-"_

Abby held up her hand, frowning towards the front door- which had just opened. A second later, Rachel came bouncing over to their table, her blonde hair flying behind her and a petite, nervous girl behind her. Abby froze.

"Hi, Abby!" Rachel greeted her friend with a wave and Abby smiled. Rachel looked at her closely.

"Are you okay? Did you get much sleep?"

"None at all." Abby smiled slightly, looking over to the girl next to her. Her stomach tightened.

It was Kuki.

"Oh!" Rachel giggled, "Silly me! You remember Kuki right?" She grabbed Kuki's arm and pulled her forward into view. Kuki winced and smiled at Abby.

This was the moment Kuki had been sort of dreading, to see the girl that had stolen the boy's heart that she loved. She felt the dread in her stomach rise as she stared at her old best friend. She was beautiful, even the circles under her eyes looked gorgeous on her. Her tanned skin perfectly accentuated her perfectly shaped body, and the jeans and shirt she wore would make any guy drool. She had a perfect heart shaped face, plump lips and deep chocolate eyes. Kuki grinned weakly.

"Hey Abby."

Abby swallowed, feeling a lump rise in her throat. She couldn't help it, she never had before, but she felt self conscious. Here was a girl that, even after 10 years, she could tell her boyfriend still loved. Her pale skin, her bright violet eyes, her silky raven hair that hung to her elbows…who wouldn't like that in a girl? She had a model's body-slim and slender- with a perfect graceful face that radiated her sweet innocence…and Abby knew she would be jealous for the look Kuki had that she could never achieve. She stood up and made an attempt at a smile.

"Hey Kuki." She stepped towards her and pulled her into an awkward hug. "How long have you been back for?"

Kuki shrugged her slim shoulders and ran a delicate hand through her hair. "Oh…only a couple of days…Nigel got me a dorm…I go here now." She smiled at her old best friend, as if waiting for a reaction.

Abby swallowed, a smile still plastered on her face. "That's great," She said eventually. "It's- It's really great." She turned to Kuki and grinned widely at her, but to Kuki her eyes seemed empty. "What room are you in?"

"Um… Number 308?"

Abby froze, her heart pounding anxiously against her ribcage. "Really? I guess we're roommates." She made another attempt at a warm smile.

"Oh" Kuki gave a weak sort of laugh. "I was wondering when I'd find out, nobody was there all night so-"

"I stayed over at a friend's place" Abby sort of smiled, biting her lip. "At least now I'm with someone I know in the dorm."

Cree stood, placing some bills on the table. "Well, we better go." She said briskly to Rachel, and giving Kuki a quick glance. Kuki froze, she couldn't help it, Cree's stare still felt like the gaze of an enemy.

"Early day at the office." Abby giggled quietly and gave Rachel a fleeting hug and Kuki a smile. "I'll see you in class Rachel."

Cree grabbed Abby's arm and they walked silently out the door and out into the car park. Kuki's fears resurfaced and Rachel placed an arm on her shoulder.

"She's been acting weird lately" She muttered as if she could read Kuki's thoughts. "I think work and school are getting to her, there have been family problems too."

"Family problems?" Kuki repeated, frowning.

Rachel shrugged. She hated gossiping, but she had real concern for her friend, who she shared class with. "Her sisters getting married to Maurice soon…"

Kuki bit her lip as Rachel dragged her to a free table in the corner. "C'mon, let's order."

* * *

Maurice growled in annoyance, his eyes searching the empty hallway with suspicion. He hated being dragged here, of all places…for all _people, _when he should be at the station, working on cases that could actually get him promoted. But no.

He kicked the ground moodily and dug his fists into his pockets. He jumped when he heard a voice behind him.

"_Heya piggy, did they run out of donuts at the precinct already?"_

Maurice gritted his teeth at the nickname and spun around.

"Shutup, Dingo. And don't call me that stupid name."

"Right, like it's much better than _Maurice." _Dingo smirked, the hood of his black hoodie was up and his long blonde fringe hung over his eyes, giving him a shady look. Maurice rolled his eyes.

"You should talk, Aussie-Boy, eat any babies recently?" Maurice growled back. He was already impatient, having to wait for him longer than expected.

"Is that a Dingo related joke?" Dingo asked cluelessly. Maurice rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Enough with the insults." he growled, eyeing him suspiciously. "What do you want?"

Dingo pulled down his hood, still smirking. His eyes gave this away, however. They looked almost troubled.

"I have a slight problem…"

"And what, you want _me_ to fix it?" Maurice spat, annoyed. "I'm not wasting any more time in getting you out of trouble; you just get yourself back into it in a matter of seconds."

Dingo frowned at him, sharing his annoyed look. "I just…feel I need to tell you!" He muttered angrily. "Besides, this concerns you too."

"Yeah right." Maurice sighed. "I'm out of the business, D. I am a cop now, you know." He pointed to his chest, where a badge usually rested. Dingo raised his eyebrows.

"Well _that's_ not it. It's about Abby."

Maurice frowned at the mention of his future sister-in-law. "What about her?"

Dingo sort of bit his lip, and Maurice felt a surge of distrust erupt through his chest. Dingo was shady; he knew that much and frankly, it was all he wanted to know.

"She's pregnant."

"Well that's fine!" Maurice sighed in relief. "I mean, I know it's a bit early but you really had me freaked out for a second. Abs can handle it you know, and Wallabee will be supportive and I think they'll have a great family and-"

He broke off, seeing Dingo's furious stare.

"What?"

"Maybe it's not my brother's!" Dingo snarled at him in anger. "Thought about _that?"_

"Calm down" Maurice muttered, rolling his eyes. He froze. "Wait…how do you know-"

Dingo rolled his eyes, looking careless. "I thought you were more on the ball with this, _officer."_

Maurice gaped. "You didn't-"

Dingo gave him a guilty look.

Maurice groaned. What had Abby gotten herself into?

* * *

"Joey!" Wallabee groaned as he leaned against the wall near the door, waiting for his little brother. "I'm leaving without you soon!"

"Okay! Okay!" Joey yelled back from the top of the stairs, irritated. "I just need like, 5 more minutes and-"

"You have 10 seconds!" Wally yelled over the top of him, rolling his eyes. "10-"

"Hold on!" Joey hollered. "Just let me-"

"9-"

"WALLY!"

"8-"

Joey growled, trudging down the stairs looking disheveled. He folded his arms at his brother.

"Happy?"

"Meh" Wally shrugged, gesturing towards the door. "You're gonna be late for school."

"Like I care" Joey muttered angrily to himself, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Where's Hoagie?"

"Right here!" Hoagie suddenly appeared from the living room, papers in hand. "I'm done!"

"Done what?" Wally asked him, cocking his eyebrow.

Hoagie grinned. "Done writing my resume…" he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Duh!"

Wally rolled his eyes and opened the door. "Just get in the car…_both _of you."

"What job are you applying for, Hoagie?" Joey asked curiously as they got in the car, Joey in the backseat.

Hoagie shrugged. "Dunno."

"Wait." Wallabee paused as he started the car. "You just wrote a random resume just to get _any _job?"

"Well yeah…" Hoagie said, frowning. "What's the problem with that?"

"You have to write down the qualifications you fulfill for a particular job." Wally said, scoffing. "How are you going to know what qualifications you fulfill if you're just applying for any job you see?"

Hoagie shrugged, smirking. "I just put down- 'fast learner'- that'll sell, right?"

Wallabee rolled his eyes. Sometimes he thought his best friend hadn't changed one bit in the last 10 years.

* * *

"Are you okay, Kuki?"

Kuki jumped as her friend addressed her, giving her a worried look over the top of her cappuccino. "You look kinda…worried."

"Oh." Kuki shrugged. "I guess it's just nerves…starting a new school and all."

"Is that all?" Rachel asked, stirring her coffee. They were sitting in a booth near the window, away from the crowd. Nevertheless Rachel had lowered her voice.

Kuki sighed. Maybe it was better if she talked to someone about her worries.

"It's just…coming back." She muttered, frowning at her smoothie in front of her. "The people I thought were my friends…it's as if they've forgotten about me."

"Don't be silly, Kooks." Rachel told her, frowning. "Nobody's forgotten about you…I mean all of us were lucky enough to stay friends for so long…"

"But that's the thing" Kuki muttered, looking sad. "When we were younger, 10 years ago…we had such a fear of forgetting who we really were. We were terrified in changing into teenagers, forgetting childhood. But I left, and now I come back and everyone's changed, and I've missed out on all of it…none of us have forgotten our past…but at the same time it's like…they have. You know what I mean?"

Rachel shrugged. "Not really."

Kuki sighed and shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

"We haven't really changed that much" Rachel frowned, now worried. "Have we?"

Kuki shrugged again. "Everyone forgot about me."

Rachel felt a lump rise in her throat as she looked at the sad girl in front of her. She still reminded her of the innocent little girl she befriended 10 years ago. That was more than she could say for the rest of the group- they had developed their own sense of purpose, and they had grown into completely different young adults.

She reached over and put her hand over Kuki's.

"Nobody's forgotten about you Kooks." She reassured her gently. "It'll be just like old times soon enough."

Kuki sniffed, feeling suddenly stupid and sulky. Her cheeks burned as she took a sip of her smoothie.

"I hope so."

Rachel tapped her fingers on the table, gnawing on her bottom lip.

"Do you wanna take that to go?" She asked her friend. "It's starting to get really busy in here."

Kuki shrugged. "Sure."

"You know, we should have a party." Rachel muttered while getting up and walking out the door. Kuki followed her, frowning.

"A...party?"

"Yeah!" Rachel grinned excitedly. "Not like a big bash, or anything. But a party, to celebrate, you know...you coming back!"

Kuki felt her cheeks flush as they made their way to the college grounds. "Oh, no Rachel I don't want...you don't have to make a fuss-"

"I want to." She put her arm around Kuki's shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. She still felt the responsibility of a leader rest on her shoulders. "You have to see the rest of the gang! And we can have a small get-together at my house or something, just the group! Won't that be fun?"

She gave Kuki a happy, excited look. Her deep hazel eyes blinked with excitement.

"I...I guess." Kuki murmured, shrugging.

"Then it's settled!" Rachel grinned happily, clapping her hands. "Tomorrow night! My house! I'll spread the word. You better be there, Kooks." She winked at the girl, who blushed. "You're the star of the party!"

She glanced at her watch as Kuki digested this, feeling nervous and clammy. _All those people...party? Hoagie...Nigel...Abby...WALLY?_

"I better go." Rachel sighed and rolled her eyes. "I have class in an hour, and I have to finish my essay." She grinned at her happily. "I'll go shopping tonight and pass around the word. Any dip favourites? You can pass the word to me! I'm just down the hall!" She waved her fingers at her and walked away, leaving Kuki by herself. "I'll see you soon!"

"Uh…" Kuki gripped her smoothie tightly, feeling the nerves flood back. "Okay...See you Rachel."

She bit her lip. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Fanny tapped her pencil against her notes, sighing to herself. She heard the door open and looked up as her roommate entered.

"Hey Rach." She greeted, shutting the book gratefully. "Where have you been?"

Rachel was grinning as she skipped over to the table and opened her laptop. "Just out for coffee before class. You'll never guess who our neighbour is."

Fanny rolled her eyes. She never did possess the same enthusiasm her friend had in the morning. "Who?"

"Kuki Sanban!"

Fanny looked up, alarmed. "Really? She's back!"

"Yep!" Rachel's smile didn't falter. "And I'm going to throw her a party. So she can...you know, get re-acquainted with the gang. Catch up on old times."

Fanny fidgeted as her roommate clicked away at the keypad on her laptop, immersed in finishing her essay for her class.

"Am I invited?"

Rachel looked up, surprised.

"Of course you are! Why wouldn't you be?"

Fanny shrugged, looking embarrassed. "I don't know."

She bit her lip, looking away. Rachel smirked and looked back down at her essay.

"I'm inviting Hoagie too."

Her friend looked up, scowling. "So?"

"So..." Rachel grinned impishly. "You can finally break the ice. Everyone knows you like him."

She blushed. "Everyone?"

Rachel groaned, looking towards the ceiling. "Except him."

"Yeah well..." Fanny stood up and took her breakfast plate to the sink. "Well he has eyes for somebody else."

Rachel frowned. "Who?"

Fanny looked downcast. "Abby."

Rachel bit her lip. She knew how much her roommate and best friend Fanny liked Hoagie, ever since middle school, but she never had the guts to tell him, or do anything about it. Hoagie didn't seem to notice- but then again you could walk up to him and pluck his eyebrows and he may not notice either.

He wasn't always 'on the ball'.

"Don't worry about it, Fanny." Rachel sighed at her, smiling in encouragement. "If Hoagie isn't the one, you'll find someone else...everyone has their soul mate."

Fanny groaned, rolling her eyes. "As long as there's more than one out there."


	3. Chapter 3: The Party

_Thank you so much to the people who reviewed! I'm really getting into this story, as you can see by my looooooooong chapter! Seriously, it's like 3 times as long as the rest :| I hope you guys can get through it!_

_Anyway, a message from our sponsors. Our beautiful, wonderful sponsors! Reviews are the caffeine to my coffee :)_

_farefare__ : __Naw! *blushes* thank you! I hope you like this chapter, I always appreciate tips :D_

_Laurie43: Most definitely, begging does help! It also makes me feel bad =D thank you for getting me off my toosh and get to writing! I hope you like this chapter -nervous eyes- and yeah, Cree knows it's Dingo's baby, why she's so freaked out about the whole thing. Maurice and Dingo's link? In due time ;) (I'll give you a hint, they were not boys scouts together)_

_sstoons3425: Naw, Thanks :D Kuki really is the driving force of my story, I find. I love writing about her! She has such a cute, angelic personality :) well at least that's how I see it._

_hellopandaluver AH! Please don't kill me! *cowers* hehe. Nah, I understand what you mean. Personally I think Kuki and Wally were made for each other, and I am a big supporter of them. It's actually really hard to write Abby and Wally together... And don't worry, your high hopes shall be rewarded...in due time...with much drama! -laughs evilly-_

Nidsslamgirl-KND: _Hehe. TY :) Much appreciated. I hope I'm not overdoing the whole Abby thing, but if you ask me I'd be feeling a bit nervous around the girl that could steal my boyfriend's heart! :P_

_

* * *

_

Kuki chewed on her bottom lip, her tongue tingling at the taste of her pink cotton candy lip gloss. As she looked into the mirror before her, all she could see was a little kid. A girl that never grew up. She shook her head, looking at the dress she had on with disapproval. It wouldn't do- she had to find something else to wear.

She searched through her chest of drawers, where she had emptied the contents of her suitcase the day before. She silently cursed to herself.

"Aw…" She muttered, pulling out a cute pink dress and pouting. "Nothing to wear."

She glanced at the clock, and sucked in a breath. "And only 5 hours to go until the party!" She began to panic, throwing her clothes around her room. She began to chew on her manicured nails, which she had painted that morning. She was so nervous, and knew why. Tonight she'd be face to face with them- her supposed friends she left a number of years ago.

Every outfit she pulled out made her look _cute_. She wrinkled her nose in distaste, pulling out a frilly white dress and chucking it aside. She didn't want to be cute, she wanted to be sensual, grown up…_sexy…_

She sighed, holding a pair of jeans against her body hopefully, looking in the mirror. She shook her head, dropping them to the floor. Who was she kidding? She couldn't be sexy. She didn't have the curves, the body…who was she trying to be anyway?

She swallowed, her eyes suddenly trailing to the door that lead into the hallway. Her roommate, Abby. Her past best friend- roommates in college, yet they had barely spoken more than 5 words to each other. She couldn't help but think Abby was avoiding her, in fact Kuki doubted she even came home last night. Tonight was the party, and she didn't even know if Abby was coming. And she knew Rachel invited her.

Kuki groaned in defeat, sinking to her bed and sitting on it, her chin resting on her hand. She looked at herself in the mirror.

"_Face it, Kuki."_ She mumbled to her reflection. "You're just not an Abby…"

She thought about her roommate. She was beautiful, but everyone knew that. She was especially reminded when she saw her yesterday. Those curves, that light tan, long flowing natural brown hair…all looks Kuki couldn't achieve. She felt tears scratch at her eyes.

_No wonder she's with Wally and I'm not..._

She shook those thoughts out of her head, her eyes set.

"No Kuki." She told herself, looking at the clothes on the floor. "Stop it. You don't need a guy to have fun. Now you're going to go to the party, and you're going to have a _good time!"_

She smirked to herself then. Like her mother always said- talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.

Faintly, she heard a knock at the door. She jumped up and, dodging the jungle of clothing, ran out the door to answer it.

"Rachel!" She grinned widely, greeting her friend at the door. "Hey."

"Hey!" The blonde haired girl greeted her, giving her a small wave. "How are you going? How was your first class?" She asked, referring to Kuki's first college class that morning.

Kuki shrugged. She had to admit, Business Management wasn't her first choice of a subject, but her mother insisted on it. "It was okay…" She mumbled, raising a finger to wind around her hair. "A bit boring, but aren't all classes?"

Rachel chuckled sweetly. "True that." She gave her a cheerful look. "You all ready for the party tonight? Everyone's coming."

Kuki found herself gulping. "Everyone?"

"Yeah…" Rachel nodded eagerly. "Nigel, Hoagie, Fanny, Wally, Abby, Lizzie-" Kuki noticed how her mouth wrinkled with distaste as she said this- "And a bunch of other college friends we like to hang with." Rachel suddenly winked one of those big hazel eyes at her. "A lot of _cute _guys too."

Kuki suddenly felt a lump in her throat. "Oh"

"Yeah" Rachel giggled, biting her lip. "So you all cool? I was just wondering if you wanted anything specific there. It's only small, but we're hoping for a bit of a bash, we always seem to have fun when we're together."

"Oh" Kuki said again, wincing at how stupid she probably sounded. Rachel noticed this, and gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah" Kuki said eagerly, nodding. "I just-"

"Come on Kuki!" Rachel said, giving her a friendly smile. "I'm your friend, you can tell me anything you know."

Kuki sighed, looking into those deep, trusting hazel eyes. She grinned, feeling a blush crawl up to her cheeks. "I just…don't really have anything to wear-"

"Oh Kooks!" Rachel giggled, smiling at her and grabbing her hand. "Well why didn't you say so? Come on, there's probably something in that closet of yours!"

"No, I really don't have anything." Kuki admitted, sighing. "Everything I have makes me look…girly and childish."

Rachel laughed, giving her old/new friend an understanding look. "Do I smell a shopping spree?"

Kuki smiled at her new/old friend, suddenly feeling lighter, and much more relaxed.

* * *

"_What do you think? Lavender or Lilac? I know they may look similar but it all comes down to the tone for place settings, and the table cloth is very important, or maybe a darker style? Have you got one in violet? Abby? Do you think pink with violet? Will it be too dramatic or will it bring off the roses? What dressing should I choose with desert for that matter? Because if it's anything but pink it will not go with the centerpieces and Abby….Abby!"_

Abby jolted her head upward and looked around, alarmed. She had been sitting in the same overstuffed chair for the past two hours, watching Cree try on dress after dress, in every shade of pink and purple imaginable. Her personal secretary, Shana, was taking down everything she said on a pad. They were discussing colors. It was no wonder Abby was almost asleep.

"Abby." Cree said crossly folding her arms over the pale pink wedding dress she was wearing, "Are you even listening to me?"

Abby rubbed her tired eyes, smearing her makeup slightly. "I'm sorry Cree…" She apologized, "I've been so tired lately…and sick-"

"I know." Cree growled. "You've left to throw up about six times already."

"Sorry…" Abby muttered.

Her stomach churned and she grimaced. She hated being sick, especially at a time like this. It always came up at the worst time.

_"I thought this was supposed to be __morning__ sickness." _She growled to herself and looked thoughtfully at her sister, who was now pondering over crimson colored bridesmaid dresses.

"It's not that I'm…_not _happy for you, Cree," She explained, "But shouldn't Maurice be helping with this? I mean after all he is the groom."

Cree rolled her eyes. "You know it's unlucky for the groom to see the dresses before the wedding, Abby." She then smiled, "Besides, he's very busy at work. They love him down at the station, he's solved so many cases and now he's even up for a promotion-"

Abby brought a hand to her throbbing head, wishing she could be anywhere…_anywhere_ but here. She suddenly jumped as she heard the sudden ringing of her cell phone, _If I Were a Boy _by Beyonce. She glanced at the caller ID and stuffed it back into her bag again. Dingo. _Again._

"Who keeps calling you?" Cree complained loudly. "Honestly Abby, if I had a dollar for every time that phone rang, I wouldn't have to worry about how much the ice sculpture cost."

Abby ignored this and silently prayed he would give it a rest. "Cree…" She suddenly thought. "Have you even…decided on the date?"

Cree rolled her eyes again. "Abby, I've only told you like 6 times." She sighed loudly. "October 25th."

Abby suddenly gulped. "October?"

"Yeah, almost four months from now…" Cree suddenly picked up a deep lavender dress. Her face broke into a wide smile.

"I've found it Abby! Your Maid of Honor Dress! It's perfect! Try it on!"

Abby's eyes widened. Not only was the dress hideous, which she could get over, but _four months_? She'd be almost seven months pregnant, she'd never fit into a dress that small! Cree obviously didn't put 2 and 2 together.

"Cree" Abby croaked out, "I don't think I can be Maid of Honor."

Cree's eyes darkened dangerously and Abby winced as she waited for the explosion.

"- Unless you can move the wedding."

Cree frowned, her face filled with worry. She walked towards her sister, the frilly dress she was wearing gliding behind her.

"Abs," She muttered, putting a gloved arm around her sisters shoulders. "You're still not considering…"

"I told you Cree!" Abby muttered, irritated. "I'm keeping it."

Cree's mouth wrinkled. She knew her sister would be a fantastic mother, but at the same time she was so young and had so much potential. Why did she have to be dragged down by some dropkick guy?

Her phone began to ring again and Abby ignored it.

"Look Cree…" She mumbled over the ringing. "I won't force you to change your date, this is your day…but I just don't want your wedding to be brought down by some fat knocked up chick standing next to you." She gave her sister a sad look. "I'll understand if you give someone else the Maid of Honor title, and I won't feel the least bit sad."

"Abs" Cree tutted, her hands on her hips. "I want you there no matter what, and I can't imagine a better Maid of Honor than you. Fat or not, You. Are. _Coming_!"

Abby smiled weakly, trying not to think of what her dress will look like. She wanted her sister to be happy, and she wanted to be at her wedding no matter what. But at the same time, she dreaded what will happen in 5 months time.

"Don't worry" Cree said, smiling reassuringly. "I'll pick a very flattering dress for you, I promise."

* * *

Nigel groaned as he stood at the front of the store, checking his watch. For 20 minutes Lizzie had been in that clothing store, and still no sign of her. He folded his arms defiantly across his chest. But he wasn't going in after her- no way. If he did he'd end up paying for whatever it was she had on.

"_Nigie…" _She heard him coo and he turned around at her voice reluctantly. She was squeezed in between two clothing racks and was twirling in a baby blue cocktail dress that reached mid-thigh. "What do you think? I need something for the party tonight."

"You have plenty of clothes, Lizzie." Nigel muttered, rolling his eyes. "And it doesn't matter what you wear tonight, it's just a party-"

Lizzie pouted, frowning at him. To _him_ maybe it was just a party, but to Lizzie it was much more. A chance to hang off Nigel's arm, show him off to his friends- remind them who he was with. She thought he spent WAY too much time with that Rachel chick, and Lizzie also thought her boyfriend was getting a little too close for comfort with the slender blonde as well.

_Sure _Lizzie thought to herself. _He says they're just 'friends' but being 'friends' is how it all starts!_

"Nigie" She mumbled moodily and folded her arms. "I need to look special tonight."

Nigel rolled his eyes and faked a smile. "Well, in that case, it looks wonderful Lizzie." Lizzie grinned widely and blew him a kiss, feeling lifted by the compliment. She walked back to the changing room, feeling slightly better as she glanced at herself in the mirror. She'd show that Rachel chick who Nigel _really _belonged to.

Nigel slumped against the wall, feeling deflated. His girlfriend never seemed to care if he was truthful or not, as long as she was paid a compliment. He rolled his eyes again. He was really getting sick of this- going shopping when he could be hanging with his friends.

He suddenly looked up as a familiar voice reached his ears and he looked over, seeing a pretty blonde scoot out of a store busily, a Japanese girl gripping her arm tightly and swinging a shopping bag.

"Kuki" The blonde was muttering to the raven haired girl beside her. "Really, you can look good in anything! You have the hair, the figure, the face…"

Kuki seemed to blush, a pink circle appearing on each cheek. "I wouldn't say that…"

"No, Kuki." Rachel told her sternly, grinning. "The first step towards being sexy, self confidence!"

She looked up and saw a familiar figure slouching against one of her favourite clothing stores. She grinned, continuing as she eyed him closely.

"Take Nigel for example," She grinned, winking at him. "Totally full of himself."

"Oh, Haha" He muttered, smirking. He walked over to the two girls. "Fancy seeing you here."

Rachel shrugged her slim shoulders, grinning at him. Nigel gave her a quick look, just to take her in. She looked fantastic, as per usual. She was wearing her favourite ripped skinny jeans and a plain lacy orange singlet, which set off her natural tan and blonde hair beautifully. On her neck she wore a thin gold chain with a small golden heart at the end, and it sat in the middle of her breasts perfectly. Nigel knew that chain. He gave it to her for her 16th birthday.

"Could say the same to you." She cooed back teasingly, punching his arm. As she did, she felt the hard bicep under his tee and she caught a breath in her throat, swallowing suddenly. She loved the feel of his body.

"So, what are you doing here?" Kuki asked him, and this brought Rachel back to reality with a thud. Nigel groaned.

"Lizzie" He muttered. "Apparently she needs a new outfit for this party tonight."

"Same with Kuki!" Rachel said eagerly. She suddenly looked towards the shop Lizzie was in. "Definitely try in here, Kooks." She gave Nigel a fleeting wink. "C'mon! See you tonight, Nigel!" With that, she dragged Kuki inside and automatically looked through the clothing racks.

"I've found it Kooks!" She declared, 20 minutes later. "The perfect dress!"

* * *

Wally turned the page of his book, not really taking in the words he was reading. He couldn't help it, he was too pre-occupied to worry about study. He looked up at Hoagie, who was sitting opposite him. They were sitting in their favourite diner, trying to study for a test that was next week. Hoagie didn't appear to be interested; he was re-reading his resume that was laid out in front of him. Wally frowned.

"Where are you even applying, anyway?" Wally asked him, frowning. "I mean, have you even decided?"

"Nah…" Hoagie muttered, shrugging "No idea, I just want to go somewhere that'll give me independence, you know?"

Wally rolled his eyes. "You have enough independence, you just don't take advantage of it." He took a large slurp of his milkshake beside him as Hoagie sighed, looking defeated. He put his chin to his palm and put his elbows to the table, looking moody.

_"Hey guys"_

The two boys looked up to find their casual friend Fanny looking at them, waving in a shy way. Both were surprised, usually the redhead went out of her way to ignore them. Her hair was slicked back into a straight ponytail and she carried a bag on her shoulder.

"Hey Fanny" Wally mumbled to her, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

She rolled her light jade green eyes at him and gave him an obvious look. "Duh" She muttered. The old side of Fanny was suddenly showing, "I work here, stupid."

Wally raised his eyebrows and returned to his milkshake, wishing he hadn't asked. Hoagie however, perked up and looked interested.

"_You are not becoming a waitress"_ Wally muttered to him darkly under his breath. Hoagie gave him a swift kick under the table.

"I'm looking for a job." Hoagie stated simply, looking up at the girl. "Anywhere around here who's hiring?"

Fanny frowned and shrugged. She felt her knees shake slightly as she stared at the boy in front of her. She hated how he made her feel like this, so weak, so helpless, like she felt she should swoon. His shaggy brown hair, his warm eyes, clear skin-

"Fanny?"

"Uh, yeah" She mumbled, shaking her head. "Um. The pet store across the street might be looking for some people…"

Hoagie furrowed his brow. "I'm allergic to canaries."

"Um" Fanny bit her lip as she thought. "On the corner there's a retail outlet who could do with a checkout operator…"

"Checkout chick?" Hoagie scoffed. "Not likely."

Fanny frowned. "Next door there's a convenience store who-"

"I dunno, Wal." Hoagie muttered, pointing to his face. "Me? Convenience store? Does it suit?"

Wally shrugged, uncaring. Fanny seemed to swell with anger.

"Cruddy Boys!" She suddenly snarled, grinding her teeth. "Why'd I even try to help you in the first place!" She rolled her eyes, glaring at them. "So _sorry _my suggestions don't SUIT you!"

With that, she walked off in a huff, her nose in the air. Hoagie blinked as Wally snorted into the remains of his milkshake.

"Some people never change, huh?"

"Yeah…" Hoagie muttered. He felt slightly guilty then, he'd gone out of his way to try and get a job and now he was turning suggestions down at the spur of the moment. He made a mental note to apologise to Fanny later. Rising, he slid out of the booth and putting his half of the tip on the table. His best friend frowned at him.

"Where are you going?"

Hoagie grinned as he pulled his bag over his shoulder. "I'm going to check the convenience store out. Can't hurt to try right?"

Wally rolled his eyes at his best friend as he dug into his pocket for his spare change. "Fine" He mumbled, drowning the rest of his milkshake in one gulp. "But I'm coming with you, who knows what kind of psychos they have working around here."

_"I HEARD THAT!"_ They heard Fanny wail from the other side of the store.

"Point taken" Hoagie muttered to his friend as they walked out. "But hey, you don't find _many _psychos working in a convenience store, right?"

* * *

"GODDAMMIT!"

A young man suddenly frowned and looked up from the Volkswagen beetle he was working on to stare at his fellow employee with interest.

"You okay Dingo? Or do you want me to ring your mother for you?"

Dingo looked up at him, his eyes practically murderous. Surprisingly, he didn't have anything dangerous in his hands, just a mobile phone.

"Shut it, Dodge." He snarled at his best friend, who smirked back. "I didn't injure myself…this time."

_"Well you know the rules!"_ They heard a bark from the other end of the garage, where their boss was sitting in his chair, taking calls. He was pretty overweight, with balding grey hair and a cigar in his mouth. He gave them both a beady look. He didn't trust them- they were nothing but young hoods, hoodlums. He growled at them. "You can only swear when you hurt yourself!"

Dingo rolled his eyes at his boss. "It wasn't a swear, it was a _curse."_

Dodge sniggered and his boss gave them both a look.

"Same difference" He spat at Dingo, who growled at him. "What are you even doing anyway, Kid? Texting your girlfriend?"

"No!" Dingo said defensively, snarling as he dialed her number again. Dodge spoke up.

"Nah, he's just calling her."

"Shutup." Dingo snapped as he got her voicemail. He swore again. "Dammit."

"Well get back to work!" Their boss snapped at them, looking furious. "I've had enough of your time wasting! These cars are not going to fix themselves, you know!"

Dingo rolled his eyes and shuffled over to Dodge, who was doing some readjustments to the car's engine. He grinned up at his friend, who he had known for over 10 years.

"She still not picking up?"

"Nup" Dingo growled, his Australian accent really showing when he was angry. "You think after she dropped a bomb like that she would talk to me, but _no_."

"Chicks are weird." Dodge dismissed, slamming the boot of the car shut. "You should know that by now. Just move on and find another."

"This one's different" Dingo mumbled, his emerald eyes looked deep in thought. "This one I don't just want, I need her."

"Right, man." Dodge scoffed, wiping his hands on a nearby rag. "You seem whipped to me."

Dingo shoved him playfully, sending him into one of the toolboxes. Dodge retaliated by punching him fiercely in the chest. He coughed violently as Dodge smirked at him triumphantly.

"I give" He choked, coughing. "You win."

"Damn right" Dodge snarled, picking up a spanner threateningly. They looked up as they heard a small _ding _echo around the garage and they frowned.

"Hey Mack!" Dingo yelled out to his boss as Dodge walked off to get a can of coke out of the fridge. "Someone's _ding_ing from the front counter."

Mack rolled his eyes as he looked up from his paperwork. _Stupid punk kid._

"THEN GO ANSWER IT, MORON!" He hollered from his office. Dingo scoffed.

"Yeah, right."

"DO IT OR CONSIDOR YOURSELF FIRED!" He yelled, slamming the office door. Dodge smirked, cracking open a can of coke.

"Guess you've got a customer" He grinned widely. "You go and enjoy that."

"Idiot" Dingo snarled in annoyance. "The jackass who owns this stupid convenience store should be at his stupid counter, not me."

"Guess you're the lucky one..." Dodge muttered, walking off. "Better get out there."

Dingo groaned loudly, pulling at the buttons of his coveralls. Stupid Job.

* * *

"This place is practically deserted," Wally dismissed, looking around the store with a blank look. "I mean, we could have robbed the entire store by now."

Hoagie rolled his eyes, leaning against the counter. "That only makes me want the position more. Nothing to do but _look_ like you're doing something."

Wally scoffed at his best friend. Both were so busy checking out the store that they didn't notice a rough voice behind them.

"You _rang?"_

Both jumped in surprise as they turned and saw the guy standing behind them, but Wally definitely jumped the highest. His heart thumped in his chest as he realised he was face to face with his older brother.

Dingo didn't look that happy to see either of them. In fact his emerald eyes were cold and daring, and he was smirking. His dirty blonde hair was messy and unkempt, and his buff body was highlighted by his grease stained navy coveralls, which were opened to reveal the gray t-shirt underneath. The sleeves were rolled up, so they could both see his muscular arms, which seemed to stand out in a threatening way as he folded his arms expectantly.

"Uh-" Hoagie somehow lost his voice. "I- Uh- We-"

Wally shook his head, frowning. Why the hell should he be intimidated by _him, _his _brother?_

He gave Hoagie a hard slap on the back, pushing him forward.

"He'd like to apply for a job" Wally told him clearly, his emerald eyes matching his exact glare. Dingo gave him a hard look.

"A job?"

"Y-yeah" Hoagie managed to croak out, winded by Wally's hard hit. "If-If that's possible."

"Riiiiiight." Dingo mumbled, biting his lip and glaring at them both. Wally felt the anger ripple inside him. His brother's glances made him feel like a little kid. He suddenly growled involuntarily.

"So can we speak to your manager, or something?" He spat out, raising his eyebrows. Dingo shot him a challenging look.

"Fine" He said in a surprisingly sing-song voice. "MACK!"

Both jumped at the shout. They heard a far off reply.

_"DAMMIT!_ WHAT THE HELL IS IT YOU-"

"POTENTIAL EMPLOYEEEEEEEEE" Dingo sang out to him, a smirk appearing on his face. They heard a slight crash, followed by a lot of cursing, before a burly, slightly overweight man showed up, a frown on his face and a cigarette stuck in his mouth. He shot a look of pure venom at Dingo, a vein pulsing in his head. Dingo smirked back and nodded to his little brother and his friend.

"So" He snarled, leaning over the counter at them. "Which one of you is applying for a job?"

"He is" Wally jabbed a finger towards Hoagie, who snarled at him.

_Thanks a lot, Wally _Hoagie thought as the huge man turned to him, his black, beady eyes narrowed in annoyance as he looked him up and down. He growled.

"You got any mechanic experience?"

"I, uh-" Hoagie was taken aback by the question. "No, but-"

"Well that's okay" He interrupted gruffly, shooting a dangerous look at Dingo. "You've probably got more brains than _him."_

"Aw, Mack" Dingo grinned. "Yah 'luv me."

He snarled with distaste, looking as if he'd tasted laundry detergent, and turned back to Hoagie.

"Fine." He snapped at him, looking moody. "You have to get yourself a pair of good shoes, and make sure you arrive here on time- next Monday at 9am. You look like a college boy so we'll sort your shifts out later on. But make sure you're on time! If you're not I have permission to throw any tool I want at your head." With that, he exhaled, a plume of smoke escaping from his nose and mouth and disappearing into the air. He turned, walking back to his office.

_"MONDAY MORNING! 9 SHARP!"_

Hoagie gaped, not sure of what just happened.

Wally frowned, confused. "I thought you wanted a convenience store job, not mechanic."

Dingo's face broke into a large grin. "Aw, well you should have been more specific."

Wally shot him a furious, annoyed look. He couldn't help it, his own brother made him so angry.

"I didn't know you were a mechanic."

Dingo's eyes narrowed as his grin turned into a snarl. He looked pissed.

"I am _not_ a mechanic" He growled. "I'm a _panel beater."_

With that he stomped off, now even _more_ furious than before.

Hoagie frowned, turning to Wally in confusion. "What's a panel beater?"

* * *

"Oh, Kuki!" Rachel grinned widely as she fluffed up her friend's hair. "You look SO beautiful!"

She held out the sides of her friend's dress, a dress they had both agreed was perfect for her. "I mean, you have to agree, right? Your legs are a killer"

Kuki smiled, a genuine smile that showed her glowing white teeth. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she genuinely felt…relaxed and happy. And strangely…

_Beautiful._

Rachel had a right to yell across the store when she found this dress, and as soon as Kuki set her eyes on it she wanted it. It was short, and the thought made Kuki nervous. It was a mid-thigh black party dress, but it was still cute and innocent, making Kuki look like an elegant ballerina rather than a trashy skank.

It had small spaghetti straps and a straight cut top, shaping her shoulders and neck perfectly. It was tight around her waist and stomach- exposing her petite figure. At her hips the fabric flared out at odd angles, mixing with the glitzy glitter fabric that conflicted perfectly with the black. The silver and purple fabric at the bottom brought our her eyes perfectly too. Kuki smiled, shuffling her high heeled shoes nervously. They were gorgeous too- a borrowed pair from Rachel. Violet satin peeptoes.

"This dress was made for you!" Rachel grinned, clapping her hands in glee. "You're going to be the centre of attention tonight, Kuks!"

Kuki managed another smile, though she was still contemplating on whether that was a good or bad thing. It was one hour to the party, and the two girls had giggled and chatted to each other as they got ready. Kuki really felt that she could talk to Rachel, the girl had changed over the years.

Rachel pulled out a tube of mascara and dabbed at her eyes. She was wearing her own dress- a tight yellow sundress that complimented her hourglass figure. She blinked her long lashes at the mirror and fluffed out her hair.

"Where's Abby?" She asked Kuki, frowning. "Does she even _live_ here?"

Kuki shrugged. She was sitting on the bed, checking her purse for her phone. "I'm not sure, I've only really seen her here once."

"That's weird" Rachel mumbled, shaking her head. "That girl takes on too much responsibility."

Kuki grinned, thinking back to when they were younger and it would have been _Rachel _with too much responsibility, but she nodded all the same.

"So" Rachel chirped, replacing the lid of her mascara and grinning at her friend. "Ready to go set up for the party? Word's gotten out, and I have a feeling my house is going to get trashed."

* * *

Wally sat on the edge of his bed in his dorm, deep in thought. Hoagie bustled around the room, babbling about stupid things like what to wear for the party. Wally suddenly looked up at him, a perplexed look in his jade green eyes.

"You're not going to that job next Monday, are you?"

Hoagie frowned, pulling a t-shirt over his head. "Yeah I am, why?"

"I don't know" Wally mumbled, crossing his arms and glaring at the floor. "I don't trust it."

Hoagie rolled his eyes, smirking. "Dude, you sound like my mother! Always paranoid-"

"Not the _job." _Wally interrupted, irritated. "_Him. _Dingo. I don't trust him."

"Oh come on, Wal." Hoagie scoffed, sitting next to his friend. "He doesn't mean any harm, he's probably an alright guy."

"He's hostile" Wally scowled. "Did you see the way he was looking at me? He hates me, he loathes me." His eyes rose to look at his friend with concern. "I'd watch for him Hoagie."

Hoagie rolled his eyes again, smirking. Wally narrowed his eyes at him.

"I mean it, Hoagie. Seriously. This guy has been my brother ever since I was born and I only heard about him now. Why would my parents keep him a secret from me? I kept thinking that, but now I think I know why. He's dangerous."

Hoagie shot his friend a look. "Dude, I think you're overreacting. Maybe Dingo does hate you, or maybe he's just shy. But either way you two are going to keep loathing each other until one of you makes a move. If you're going to have that attitude, I don't blame Dingo for keeping away."

Wally rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever Hoagie."

He looked over at the clock on the wall and frowned, looking down at his watch.

"Crud!" He hissed, jumping up. "We're gonna be late!" He quickly grabbed a shirt from the floor and tugged it over his head.

"Nervous?" Hoagie teased, grinning. "Why? Anxious to meet _Kuki?"_

"Shutup" Wally snapped at him, turning around so his friend couldn't see the blush on his cheeks.

* * *

Abby rang the doorbell as she hurriedly fixed her hair. She had to rush over here quickly, only throwing the first thing she could find on. She straightened her dress, which was rather tight, and ran a cautious finger over her eye, clearing up the makeup she'd smeared on quickly. Hardly anybody was here yet, so at least she wasn't the last person to arrive.

Kuki bounded down the hallway happily to get the door. As she opened it she almost struggled to keep the smile on her face. Abby was standing on the porch, looking as beautiful as always. She reminded Kuki of Beyonce- with those curves and that smile. Kuki felt almost juvenile next to her as Abby stood like a movie star, her cleavage perfect and her legs looking long and sensual. Abby gave her a dazzling smile.

"Hey Kuki" She swallowed as she saw her. She hated how she always felt at competition with this girl. "You look…fantastic." She cursed herself when she thought of how much time she could have spent working on her appearance. Kuki smiled and muttered a word of thanks.

"So do you" She said, letting her walk through. The house seemed quiet and sleepy. Kuki hoped the party would liven up later into the night.

_One hour later..._

The party DID liven up later into the night. Soon Kuki could barely see across the crowds of heads in Rachel's house, there were so many people. She frowned. She didn't even know this many people- what the hell?

"Kuki!" Rachel called out to her, stumbling out of the crowd with a drink in her hand. She grinned widely. "Isn't this great? Are you having fun?"

"Uh-" Kuki tried to grin over the laughter and shouts of the strangers around her. Music started to play from the stereo and everyone started to jump around her. She nodded. "Yeah, it's great!"

Kuki frowned as she heard a familiar beat begin to blast out of the stereo.

_What's going on on the floor?  
I love this record baby but I can't see straight anymore  
Keep it cool, what's the name of this club?  
I can't remember but it's alright, a-alright_

Kuki yelped as she felt a hand grab her. A bunch of rowdy guys behind her were trying to drag her into their circle. She bit her lip as she crowds of people around her started to dance and jump up and down, dangerously close to hitting her.

Maybe she better get out of the living room.

Abby was in the middle of the room, letting the beats of Lady Gaga fill her ears and her mind. She was laughing and drinking (only coke, which was surprising to everyone) with Rachel and a couple of other friends. Rachel was giggling like mad, she was a little tipsy after all.

_Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm  
Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm  
Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance  
Dance, dance, just, j-j-just dance_

Abby moved her hips sensually to the music, attracting a lot of attention (especially from the guys), but she didn't seem to notice. Rachel, however, noticed a boy from across the room and quickly ran over to greet him.

"Nigel!" She greeted, wrapping her arms around his neck. Nigel had to grin- sure, she was a little tipsy, but she was getting a little closer than she usually would. She took another sip of her drink and grabbed his hand. "Come on, come and dance."

Despite his feeble excuses, she dragged him to the middle of the living room and danced with him, moving her body with the music. He smirked at her and Abby gave him a nudge of encouragement. He grinned as Rachel moved closer, flashing her hazel eyes in a mischievous way. Abby grinned. It was about time those guys broke some boundaries.

Kuki, however, was staying far away from the partying in the living room. She cursed herself silently for being so shy as she hung around the kitchen, near the snacks. She bit her lip sadly as she tried the punch, only to spit it out directly back into the paper cup in her hand.

"Ew…" She coughed, wiping her mouth. What is that..._burning _taste?

"Vodka"

She jumped as she heard a familiar voice behind her. She broke out into a smile.

"Hoagie!" She greeted, giving him a hug. Hoagie had definitely changed, his puppy fat had turned into muscle and he was taller than she was, by a couple of inches. She grinned at him and he flashed her a smile back, his shaggy brown bangs hanging into his eyes.

"Hey Kuki" He greeted her. "How are you?"

She shrugged, her eyes looking downcast. "I'm fine" She lied to him, looking into his eyes. "How are you?"

He shrugged too, looking moody. "About the same, a little bored though." He thought about Wally in the living room with Abby and wondered if Kuki had seen them yet.

"Truthfully…" She mumbled. "Me too."

He grinned at her. "Have you met up with the rest of the gang yet?"

"Um…" Kuki felt her cheeks blush. "No"

"Aw…" Hoagie pouted at her in sympathy. "What a shame."

"Yeah" Kuki mumbled, sighing. She felt like such a loser, such a wallflower. She never used to be like this, so what was the problem?

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom." She mumbled, waving at him. "Nice talking to you"

"Yeah" He grinned at her. "I better go find the rest of my buddies. I'll see you later, eh?"

She nodded, grateful for someone to talk to. "Definitely."

As she walked to the hall, she bumped into someone. She crashed into the wall, they guy's body was so strong and quick, it was like running into a moving brick wall. "Sorry" She mumbled, frowning. He looked back at her, and Kuki felt her bottom lip drop.

His blonde hair, harsh green eyes and handsome face just hit her like a ton of cement. Was…it _him_? She shook her head, looking at him up and down. It couldn't be him, but it looked so much like him. Everything from the face, his buff body, loose jeans and black hoodie. The only thing that was different was his eyes, which were a hard, demanding green- not Wally's deep emerald orbs. He looked older, much more fierce and rugged.

"Sorry" She mumbled again, turning away. Her stomach hardened with nerves. Whoever that guy was, it wasn't Wally.

* * *

"She was cute" Dodge remarked casually to his friend as they searched the crowd. He looked around the house with interest. It had been so long since he was at a house party, and he was looking forward to making some trouble.

"Oh shut up" Dingo snapped at him, trying to shake him off. He searched the sea of faces for his girl, but was unable to see any sign of her. "Dammit" He muttered coldly. "I thought she'd be here."

Dodge eagerly picked up one of the beers from the cooler and cracked it open. "What made you think that?"

Dingo scowled, folding his arms over his chest. "Because my idiotic brother's here."

"Ahhh…." Dodge muttered, taking a long gulp. "I see."

_"Hey sexy"_ A husky voice cooed to them, and two tipsy looking college blondes stumbled over, looking at the both of them with interest. "Which one of you feels like getting lucky tonight?" Her friend giggled, clutching her for support.

"Bite me" Dingo growled at them both before walking away, fuming. Dodge, however, grinned at them with interest.

"_Hello ladies…."_

_

* * *

_

Abby stopped dancing and escaped the crowd, holding her head. The headaches and hot flushes were starting to annoy her. She excused herself from her boyfriend and friends and ran off to the bathroom, eager to get out of the crowds of people.

She stumbled down the hallway and up the stairs, trying to dodge the couples making out on the stairwell. Dingo looked up, knowing those slender tanned legs anywhere. He smirked.

Abby swallowed, a hand over her mouth as she found her way to the bathroom. She quickly found it and squeezed in, taking a good look at herself in the mirror over the sink.

She looked a mess, a graceful mess. Luckily she hadn't messed up her makeup or hair, but if you looked deep into her eyes one might see confusion, heartbreak and sadness. Her big brown eyes blinked at her reflection, and the thought entered her mind that her boyfriend could have his eyes on Kuki at that very second.

She sniffed. She knew it was stupid, but she did love Wally, even though she'd cheated on him. She leaned against the counter, dabbing cold water on her face. Maybe she should just give up, maybe Kuki and Wally were meant to be together, and Abby was just warming the seat for her. Abby scolded herself.

Why'd she have to be so stupid? Now she'd screwed everyone over with this pregnancy…

"_You're not avoiding me, are you baby?"_

She jumped and looked into the mirror, where Dingo was slumped against the door, locking it behind him. He scowled at her, his deep green eyes fierce. She swallowed as he strode towards her, trapping her against the sink. She held her head up, trying to be strong.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you" He growled at her, coming up behind her and running his palms down her forearms. "I've been trying to call you all day." He gazed at her longingly. She looked so hot, he wanted her then and there. He ran a hand up her leg. "Why didn't you pick up?"

She frowned at her reflection, with him standing behind her. She grabbed his hand as he threatened to go higher up her leg. "I've been busy."

"Doing what?" Dingo slurred in her ear, making her shiver. "Not with _him, _I suppose?"

Abby felt herself blush. "If you mean Wally" She growled protectively. "Then no." She turned sharply and he shoved her back onto the bench, planting her butt on the counter. She snarled at him.

"Get off me."

"No" He said simply, his green eyes flashing. "I like you here."

His forehead connected with hers and he gave her a glare, his green eyes narrowed. She looked up at him with her big innocent brown eyes, trying to be strong.

"You haven't been drinking…" He growled at her. "Have you?"

She scoffed at him, trying to push him away. "No, I haven't. What? You don't trust me?"

His grip tightened on her butt and she bit her lip. "I trust you" He said silkily, planting a kiss on her neck. She froze, unable to move. "It's those other guys I don't trust."

She gaped as his kisses up and down her neck quickened her breath. She tried to move, but it was as if his touch had paralyzed her. "Stop" She mumbled weakly, trying to think of her boyfriend downstairs. "This isn't right…you don't own me…"

He looked up, his green eyes looking deep into her face. She gazed back, becoming lost in those eyes she'd fallen in love with. He attacked her lips, crushing his mouth against hers. He bent her head back, deepening the kiss. After a while he released her, both gasping for breath. He smirked at her.

"Oh, Baby. How wrong you are" He cooed into her ear, panting. "You're _mine."_

A knock on the door caused both lovers to jump. "Hello?" A meek voice muttered through the wood. "Is…anyone in there?"

Abby's eyes widened. Kuki.

Dingo frowned at the shocked, scared expression on his girl's face. His girl didn't get scared…she usually didn't look so helpless. He growled audibly before Abby got the chance to reply.

"Yeah" He snarled loudly. "This room's taken."

"Oh, okay" Kuki jumped away from the door, now feeling more lost. She couldn't even escape to the bathroom, of all places. She sighed and walked away from the room, down the hall and past all of the couples sucking-face on the steps. As she walked down the hallway, she felt more and more alone.

She looked into the living room, where now a much softer song was playing. She grinned when she heard it. This song was long forgotten to some people, but for her it still stayed fresh in her mind.

_Well, my girl's in the next room  
Sometimes I wish she was you_

"Lips of an angel". One of her favourite songs when she was in Japan. She sighed longingly and walked into the room, trying to search for her friends.

_I guess we never really moved on  
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name  
It sounds so sweet_

Wally sighed, leaning against the wall. He smirked slightly at Rachel and Nigel dancing together, slowly getting closer. They were both pretty drunk, but those looks in their eyes weren't caused by alcohol. Rachel sidled up to him, swaying to the easy acoustic guitar. Nigel's eyes widened, as so did his smile as he tentatively wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. Rachel smiled, placing both hands on his chest as they danced.

He looked over, his mind wondering. He wasn't really into parties, nothing really exciting happened. Abby tried to drag him off to some sometimes, and he rarely was in the mood. Where was Abby anyway? She was feeling sick, maybe he should go look for her…

He stopped, staring.

_Coming from the lips of an angel  
Hearing those words it makes me weak_

It was her.

Her slim, pale body seemed to glow in the dim lighting, like an angel. Her bright, violet eyes looked around in a lost, helpless sort of way. She was biting down on her beautiful lip, her eyes searching for any sign of her friends. She was all the way over in the other side of the room, but to him she stood out as though they were the only ones in the entire house. He felt himself sweat at the sight of her, it had been so long since he was nervous over a girl- and she was the only girl that seemed to cause him so much anxiety. Her beautiful body was encased in a dainty, black dress that fanned out, adding to her elegance and grace. She walked so smoothly, it was like she was gliding rather than walking. Her hair fell to her elbows, silky and straight….so….perfect.

He pushed himself off the wall, his eyes glued to her.

_And I never wanna say goodbye  
But girl you make it hard to be faithful  
With the lips of an angel_

Kuki gulped, looking over at the boy at the far side of the room. Her stomach turned to ice as she stared at him. He was gorgeous. He made Brad Pitt look like a hobbit. His long, blonde hair shaped his face beautifully, his long blonde bangs hanging in his eyes sexily. His buff, athletic body showed against his white t-shirt and light blue jeans, which he wore on his hips. His eyes locked with hers, and she felt a lump rise to her throat. She knew those eyes, they were _his_ eyes- and they hadn't changed since they were kids. They were pools of emotion, depth, and love. He gazed at her with them, searching her face. She gazed at those jade green eyes, becoming lost in them. He started to walk over to her.

* * *

Lizzie stomped through the crowds of couples, her piercing eyes searching for any sign of her boyfriend. She was fuming. She'd been here for half an hour and already she was despising the entire thing. Someone had spilled punch all over her dress, nobody seemed interested in her and she'd lost her boyfriend. She pouted, her hands on her hips and glaring.

She suddenly spotted him, on the far end of the living room. Her eyes narrowed. With _her._

_Well my girl's in the next room  
Sometimes I wish she was you  
I guess we never really moved on_

Rachel closed her eyes in composure, her beautiful blonde hair over his shoulders as rested her head against his body, holding him close. They swayed backwards and forwards to the music peacefully. Nigel grinned at the girl in his arms. His best friend, they felt so right together, her body seemed to morph with his. He breathed her in. She smelt so good, like vanilla.

_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name  
It sounds so sweet  
Coming from the lips of an angel  
Hearing those words it makes me weak_

Wally took a deep breath and gazed at the girl in front of him, taking in her radiance. She smiled at him and he felt his knees go weak.

"Kuki" He managed to croak. "Is…that really you?" Her name felt so smooth and familiar on his lips.

"Yeah" She let out a small, nervous laugh that made his heart pound. He loved that cute, girlish innocence of hers. She always managed to be happy about something. Her violet eyes looked up at him admirably. "Is that really you, Wally?" She was relieved she could actually say his name again.

"Yeah" He grinned sheepishly. He couldn't believe he was really face to face with his old girlfriend again. It made his heart ache to think that she wasn't his. But he tried to ignore this as he thought of his girlfriend. He felt his cheeks glow red. Kuki knew about them…

They both heard a scream from the other side of the room and the music ended in an abrupt stop. They looked over to see Nigel holding back his estranged girlfriend, who was panting like a wounded hippo, her eyes livid.

Rachel was on the floor, clutching at her eye. A small cut above her eyebrow caused blood to flow down her face, blinding her. She touched it tentatively, wincing. She had come out of nowhere…

"Rach!" She heard a gasp, and saw Abby run over to her. She looked flustered, and her brown eyes were wide. She dropped to her friend's side and took a look at her face. "Let me see…"

"YOU BITCH!" Lizzie screamed at her, struggling in her boyfriend's grasp. "HOW DARE YOU! YOU HOMEWRECKER! I SHOULD-"

"LIZZIE!" Nigel managed to shout over her, dragging her back. "CALM DOWN!"

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN NIGEL UNO!" Lizzie tried to hit him, looking furious. "I SAW YOU CHEATING ON ME!"

Abby took a long look at the cut on her friend's face. It wasn't too serious, but her friend was really cut. Her eyes narrowed. Lizzie must have hit her with a diamond ring, or something. Totally dirty fighting.

She glared up at her as Lizzie tried to make another attempt at hurting Rachel, who was getting up off the floor and glaring at her.

"YOU STUPID SLUT!" Lizzie snarled, breaking free and coming right up to Rachel's face. Abby stepped protectively in front of her, unsure of what she was doing. "MARK MY WORDS, I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS! I WILL-"

She tried to push her, but Nigel held her back and Abby pushed Rachel out of harm's way. Rachel was still slightly dazed from that blow to the head. They were just dancing quietly when out of nowhere Lizzie's fist had connected with her forehead, the ring on her middle finger creating a deep cut above her eye. Kuki ran forward too, trying to support her friend. Abby glared at Lizzie, her brown eyes furious. She'd already had enough stress for that night, any more and she felt like she'd explode.

"Get lost Lizzie" Abby said gravely, fiercely. She'd picked up a thing or two from hanging out with Dingo. "Get out of here. Nobody wants you here."

Lizzie's mouth fell open in complete shock. "Wh- WHAT?"

"I said" Abby repeated, as clearly as she could. "Get. Out."

Lizzie turned to her boyfriend for support. He just glared at her. He'd seen a side of her he never wanted to see, her hurting people over him. He didn't want to cause that, especially to Rachel. His eyes wondered over to her as blood ran down her face, Kuki trying to press some napkins to it. He'd hurt her…she'd hurt her…

"Get lost Lizzie' Abby snarled at her. The room was now deadly silent. "Or I will _make _you leave."

Lizzie growled at the girl before her, her head held high. "I'm not leaving" She growled. "Until she gets what she deserves." She pointed a chubby finger at Rachel. Abby sneered.

"You have until the count of three to leave, Lizzie"

"I'm not LEAVING!" Lizzie squawked, staring daggers at Abby. "SHE'S THE ONE WHO CHEATED! SHE'S THE ONE WHO'S THE BITCH! SHE'S THE STUPID, NO GOOD-"

Lizzie fell to the floor, her nose bleeding. She hadn't even noticed that Abby had raised a fist, much less when Abby smashed it into her nose.

Abby blew on her fist, shaking it to relieve the pain. It had been a while since she'd hit someone.

"Three." She grinned, flexing her fist. "Do you know how long…" She asked Lizzie, who was still on the floor. "I've wanted to do that?"

* * *

_Hehe, for those of you who aren't from Australia, New Zealand, or UK, 'Panel Beater' in American, is 'auto body man'. Personally, I think panel beater sounds…tougher._

_REVIEW! _

_(please?)_


	4. Chapter 4: Choices

_Hiiii Guys! I'm back! I don't know about this chapter, it hasn't got any party scenes like my last one, and it is a bit confusing...but I have to explain some stuff before we can get to the good stuff! like the good ol' 3/4 romances! :D:D:D:D_

_A word from our sponsors! (with some input from various characters)_

_TheMindandSoul : Hehe, thank you! I've actually heard from my friend it's (and I quote) " it's oh so One Tree Hill/O.C"...which I'm not sure is a good thing (?)_

_hellopandaluver : Uhuh...well...eh... -sweats slightly- um...well you see... YAY WALLY LOVES KUKI! *dances around question and Kuki glares angrily*...you find out soon :D if you review...that is... -nervous eyes-_

_sstoons3425 : Hmm, must have been the image of Hoagie in a waitress outfit, huh? Must admit, what a sight that would be! *gets ideas* (sighs) everyone's in hot water in my series, __Nobody__ is safe! *Hoagie smirks proudly* SHH you! You'll get yours..._

_farefare :_ _I love long chapters too! It's come a long way from my measly 2,000 words in the first one, huh? :S Now 11,000! AH! I just hope I can keep going after the holidays end :( *sad face*_

_Laurie43_ : _Hehe, Dingo, creepy! What would give you that idea? -nervous eyes- And um, oh yes! Questions! YAY I LOVE QUESTIONS! they make me feel smart :D. Kuki bumped into Dingo, because Dingo looks remarkably like Wally (Though in this chapter it's revealed blonde aint his natural hair color). Dodge has brown hair. Kuki and Wally sort of dated, but they were only like 9, so not very serious right? hehe. I just like Wally being Kuki's *First real love* (sniffs emotionally). And yeah, Dingo's 21. Two years older than Wallabee. :D_

_Ponderer of ponderings: Hehe, I love Lips of an Angel too! It's one of my FAVORITE SONGS! And it will never die! Never... Ahem, yes. I thought it fits in nicely with the Wally/Kuki, Rachel/Nigel theme, and to an extent Abby/Dingo, though their romance doesn't look that romantic, ay?_

_Thank you for your kind reviews! *sniffs* they give me the feeling of...accomplishment! :D_

_

* * *

_

Rachel sighed, stirring her coffee and smiling to herself. She kept thinking back to last night, and the events that had occurred at her party (from what she could remember). Thanks to simple aspirin, the cut on her head had stopped throbbing, and she was just left with the itching feeling of a Band-Aid across her eyebrow. She still smiled all the same. Last night had been one of the best nights of her young adult life so far. Being in Nigel's arms felt so right, so warm…and now there was even a flickering hope that he was single.

She sucked on her warm spoon thoughtfully. _Maybe…just maybe…_

There was a knock on the door and Rachel went to answer it, thinking it was Fanny forgetting her keys again. She didn't even hear her redhead roommate come home last night, so who knows where she was. The last she saw of her, she had been gulping down shots of tequila with the guys.

The smile on her face widened as she opened her door and saw Nigel Uno staring back at her. He gave her one of his trademark winning smiles.

"Hey you." He said to her, his hands travelling to his pockets. He frowned as his eyes scanned over the small wound on her forehead. "Are you okay?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I think I'll live" She mumbled back, folding her arms and stepping aside. "Do you wanna come in?"

Nigel grinned. Yes, yes he did. He tried not to stare at her too much, but how could he not? He couldn't deny his feelings for the girl in front of him…he couldn't. He'd spent all night wide awake and thinking about it, and decided he could deny it no longer.

He loved Rachel.

"Do you want a coffee?" Rachel was asking him, walking back into the kitchen. He followed her. "I just made some."

"Uh...no, no thanks. I actually have to tell you something…" He fidgeted, trying to get the words straight in his mind. He'd had it all worked out last night, he was just going to blurt it out and admit it. _Rachel I love you…or was it…I love you Rachel?_

He bit his lip. Now he was confused.

Rachel turned, blinking those hazel eyes at him innocently. "Oh…" She mumbled, pulling her cardigan around her pajama top. "What is it?"

"Well…" Nigel began, gnawing on his bottom lip. "You see…I…er…I-"

He broke off as he heard a stumbling out in the hall, followed by a groan. Rachel frowned. Was that a…._boy's_ groan?

Her mouth opened slightly as her unasked question was answered. A few seconds later a tall, tanned, buff, _shirtless _guy appeared from the hall, yawning and groaning sleepily. His dark chestnut hair was messy, his light blue eyes were squinting in the light and he was stretching and cracking his neck, stumbling around the room towards the kitchen. Rachel gaped at him. Who the hell was he?

"Um…excuse me…" She mumbled, looking over his athletic figure with slight apprehension. His torso was covered in black scrawling and drawings- tattoos, including one that was scrawled across his hips, (Reading '_Joker_') over the top of his jeans. He ran into the fridge with a loud _thud._

"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my dorm?" Rachel asked, her eyebrows rising to disappear into her blonde bangs.

The guy opened the fridge sleepily and pulled out a carton of milk, taking a large gulp. He turned to Rachel, a look of confusion and slight pain on his face.

"_Ugh_…Name's Dodge." He mumbled slumping onto the counter. "Got any painkillers? I have one killer of a hangover coming on."

"No!" Rachel spat, now shocked. "How the hell did you get in here?"

Dodge took another sip, gesturing weakly to the bedroom he'd just appeared out of.

"Woke up…friend…naked…redhead…" He shook his head, frowning and squinting. "That chick…" He groaned again. "_Uhnn_. Screw it… I'm going back to bed."

He shuffled off, looking practically dead as he ran into the wall on the way out. Rachel and Nigel exchanged looks as they heard Fanny's bedroom door close.

"That…doesn't usually happen." Rachel said weakly, biting her lip. She thought about her roommate, and wandered what a kind of night _she'd _had. She shook her head, trying to get those images out of her mind. "Anyway…." She was trying to forget about the random hungover stranger that was in her friend's bedroom. "Um…what is it you wanted to say?"

"Uh…" Nigel was, too, trying to get the random tattooed guy out of his mind. He didn't know whether to laugh or not. "Uh…Yeah…"

He looked guiltily at the blonde girl in front of him. "I forgot."

Rachel smirked. "I see."

"Yeah…"

Nigel smiled at her, taking in her radiant beauty. She looked great, despite just waking up. Her face was smooth, heart-shaped and glowing. Her hazel eyes were wide and twinkling, looking up at him with interest. She had a perfect, slender athletic body, with killer legs and a beautiful waist. Her cute plaid PJ bottoms and simple white singlet shaped her perfectly.

"I've decided to dump Lizzie."

Rachel swallowed. "Oh…"

Nigel watched her for a reaction. "Yeah…"

There was an awkward silence, broken by Rachel's bare feet shuffling against the hardwood floor.

Nigel looked up at her. "It's not because of you, Rach."

Rachel bit her lip. "Are you sure?" Her face suddenly felt hot. "I never meant to cause…I was drinking and-"

Nigel shook his head strongly. "No, I've been wanting to break up with her for a while…it's been so long and I've been so unhappy…"

Rachel felt her heart lift. Could it really be happening….?

Nigel gave her a small smile. "In fact the only time I've really ever felt happy was when I was with you."

Rachel smiled, so much she felt her face would tear in half if she grinned any wider.

"Really?"

Nigel nodded eagerly. "Yeah Rach. It's always been you."

Her cheeks reddened as she looked at him, still grinning. Her arms suddenly wrapped around his neck and he wrapped his own around her back and they leaned towards each other- their nose touching.

They heard a scream.

"_AHHHHHHHHH! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!"_

Rachel smirked. "Fanny."

Nigel rubbed his nose against hers, gazing into her hazel irises. "I figured."

Rachel hesitated, thinking of going in there and "rescuing" her friend, then shrugged.

"She can handle it." She mumbled, grazing her lips against his.

* * *

The redheaded Irish girl frowned in her sleep. She'd just had the weirdest dream- she was at a party, with a bunch of guys and girls from college. She'd felt really bad, awful, as she'd seen Hoagie talking to another girl. She'd drunk a lot…a lot of alcohol…she could hardly remember the quantity. And this guy…that guy…did she kiss him? He tasted so metallic. She swallowed. What a weird dream, she could still taste metal in her mouth.

Her frown deepened and she shuffled away. She could feel something rubbing against her back. Wait…her back? Why did it feel so cold? Why did her head hurt so much? She reached a hand over and felt it, groaning as her headache pounded around in her skull. Was she…_hungover?_ Was she…NAKED?

She groaned, rolling over. She froze as she hit something. A body.

Her eyes opened.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She found herself screaming, sitting up in bed and looking at the guy next to her. He jumped wildly, looking around in a dazed way.

"_Wha-"_

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" She screamed, her eyes widening at him. She'd never seen him before, she could barely remember him! And yet here he was, some random stranger in her bed!

He groaned, reaching over and stealing one of her pillows. He was pretty cute, with a tanned, muscular body with tattoos scrawled over his arms and back. He frowned, running a hand through his dark chestnut hair.

"Take it easy, Babe." He mumbled roughly, laying back down and yawning. "You'll remember me soon enough."

"I-" Her mouth fell open as she realised he was almost naked. Her mouth fell open even wider when she realised she was completely naked. She pulled a sheet up to her chin, gazing at him. "I- You- Did we- What- The- You- HELL-"

He groaned loudly, falling back to sleep. _Pillow so comfy…_

"Shhhhh Babe!" He snarled moodily, waving his hand lazily as he snuggled into his pillow. "Hangovers are a bitch."

She reached a hand up and held a hand to her head. "I…Did I…."

"Yep"

"And you-"

"Yep"

"We-"

"Yep"

Fanny's eyes were now as wide as dinner plates. She felt slightly faint. She didn't do this, this wasn't her…she loved Hoagie…didn't she?

_Oh please _She felt her sore brain snarl. _He barely knows you exist anyway_

Fanny sighed, sinking her head back into the pillow. She curled up into a ball, her eyes still on the half snoozing boy beside her. What happened last night?

The stranger sighed deeply and wrapped a muscular arm around her. She frowned.

"I don't even know your name."

"Dunno yours either" he mumbled carelessly.

Fanny's eyebrows rose. _Fair point. I bet if he did he wouldn't have gone through with it._

"Does this mean we're a couple now?" She asked him. She tried not to grin as she thought of her father's reaction if she brought _this _guy home.

"Nup" The guy muttered, rubbing his cold nose into her back. "Sorry, babes. I don't do relationships."

Fanny frowned, there was something familiar about this guy's accent. Australian or something. She eventually closed her eyes. Her brain was much too sore to be able to think clearly.

Dodge turned out to be right- Hangovers _are _a bitch.

* * *

Wally bit his lip, staring blankly at the fridge in front of him. He couldn't help it, everything he did he thought of _her_, when he shouldn't be.

He heard Hoagie enter the kitchen, yawning and stretching.

"Mornin'" He grunted, laying back onto the sofa they had in their dorm. Wally mumbled some kind of reply.

He felt guilty for what happened last night, the way he was so overtaken with Kuki. He probably would have kissed her if the whole punch up with Lizzie hadn't have happened. But he had a girlfriend, a girlfriend he'd been with for almost 3 years! What was wrong with him?

"You okay?" Hoagie asked him, frowning with concern. He knew his roommate wasn't a morning person, but usually he was much livelier than this.

"Yeah…" Wally mumbled, walking over and flopping onto the couch with him. "I'm just thinking."

Abby was his girlfriend, but he felt as though they were drifting apart. With jobs and school there was hardly any time for them anymore, and when there was she wasn't there anyway. He constantly wondered what was going on with Abby. Something was bothering her and he was worried, but like a friend would be worried about a friend. They didn't feel like boyfriend and girlfriend anymore…at least Wally thought so.

He sighed, suddenly getting up and throwing a jacket on.

"Where are you going?" Hoagie asked him, frowning.

"Going to see Abby" Wally muttered, thinking hard. He needed to talk to her, to find out where they stood. He loved her, but did he love Kuki more? Was Abby giving up on their relationship?

"Okay" Hoagie said, shrugging. He wondered if he knew that Kuki was Abby's roommate. "Have…fun."

He heard the door close, and he sighed deeply.

_If only…_

_

* * *

Kuki gazed curiously at the cereal box in front of her as she crunched in glee. In Japan she was horrified to see that she couldn't get her favourite cereal- Rainbow Munchies. And now, they tasted pretty good after being without them for 10 years._

She kept thinking back to the party last night- her and Wally together. She couldn't believe how he looked- he'd barely changed one bit. She sighed as she felt the guilt echo in her stomach. She couldn't have him though, he wasn't hers…

There was a knock at the door and she rose, walking across the kitchen to answer it. She practically felt her Rainbow Munchies crawl up her throat when she saw who was standing there.

It was Wally, looking as cute as ever. His unkempt hair and sleepy, glazed eyes told her he'd just gotten up. He wore a simple white t-shirt under a brown hoodie and his baggy blue jeans. He gazed at her with his jade green irises and Kuki felt as though sparklers were sizzling and sparkling in her heart, making her lightheaded and almost giddy.

"Hey Wally."

Wally gulped. What the hell was she doing there? He was trying to get her _out_ of his mind! He gazed at her, pondering over how remarkable it was that she looked so beautiful first thing in the morning. Her hair was tangled, her bright eyes shone and her slender, sexy figure was still clad in her pajamas (a long rainbow monkey t-shirt) but to Wally, she looked as though she could compete for Miss Universe…and win.

"Oh…Hey Kuki."

Kuki smiled. Here he was, just the man she was thinking of. Maybe her dreams would morph into reality; maybe coming back wasn't so bad. Looking at him gave her hope, just his presence made everything better.

"Um…Is Abby here?"

Kuki felt her heart drop to the floor. "Oh…" She swallowed. "I don't know, I think I heard her leave this morning."

Wally gazed at her, unable to take his eyes off her_. No- you're here for Abby. Abby remember? Your girlfriend?_

"Ah…" He sighed, defeated. "Right."

"You could call her?" Kuki offered, shrugging. "She can't be far."

"I guess so." Wally mumbled, feeling awkward. Kuki looked up at him hopefully.

"You can come in…if you want."

* * *

Abby shifted on one of the plastic chairs at the hospital, feeling herself shake as she tried to sit quietly, trying to appear casual. She was here for her appointment, which Cree had forced her to make. She had to make sure the baby was okay.

The baby…just thinking about it made her head and heart ache. What was she going to do? She couldn't hide her growing bump forever, and once the baby was born what would happen then? What would she do and where would she go? What would Wally think?

She shook her head, running through the options. Abortion? No…she couldn't. She was always against it, so was her family and besides, she couldn't imagine she'd be able to go through with it, much less cope with the aftermath. Not to mention Dingo's reaction to the suggestion…

Adoption? Maybe…could she really give her child away? And even then she'd have to hide it from everyone…especially Wally.

She could keep it…

But then what?

"Abigail Lincoln…" The nurse called and Abby stood, still shaking. She felt extremely awkward then. At the maternity ward there were many happy couples, sitting together and hugging, soon-to-be fathers stroking their wives and fiancés stomachs lovingly, and Abby had stood up by herself.

She was all alone.

She bit her lip and walked in, trying not to look at the curious eyes that followed her.

"Hello Abigail" The doctor greeted her with a toothy smile. She was a thirtyish, blonde doctor with a lot of freckles and kind blue eyes. She patted the flat bed next to her. "Let's take a look at you, shall we?"

About 10 minutes later, Abby grimaced with discomfort. The substance on her stomach was sticky and cold. She sighed deeply, wondering how much longer this would take. Dr. Makin had pretty much done every test under the moon, checked her stomach, blood pressure, diet…everything. She'd purposely made an appointment early in the morning so nobody would suspect…but it was taking longer than suspected.

"There it is." The blonde doctor said sweetly, grinning at her. Abby frowned.

"What?"

"On the screen, dear." She answered, nodding at the screen above her. "The baby."

Abby frowned and turned, seeing the faint blob of a shape on the screen. Her mouth dropped open. Her stomach had barely changed, if anything gotten only a tiny bit bigger, but the thing on the screen…it was real…it was alive…it was hers.

"It's approximately 8cm long." The doctor was saying to her sweetly. "Very normal for the 12th week of development. It is your 12th week, isn't it? That's what we determined last time?"

Abby nodded, unable to speak.

"The facial features are beginning to form…" The doctor continued, looking at the screen. "Your baby already has a face, of course. Its eyelids form at this stage as well, brain still developing, lungs developed, red blood cells appearing, ears form at this stage as well." She was listing off the things the baby had already and Abby was listening intently. Her baby…this was her baby. She felt tears scratch at her eyes and wasn't sure why.

"Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" She asked with interest. The doctor smiled but shook her head.

"Maybe...But it's hard to tell" She said sweetly. "This is your first ultrasound, isn't it?"

Abby nodded again. "Yeah…"

"Well we'll take a picture, and it can be your baby's first photo." She grinned widely. "Would you like that?"

Abby found herself smiling back, unable to take her eyes off the screen. "Y-yeah…I would."

* * *

Joey Beatles bounded down the stairs eagerly, relieved it was the weekend. Free to run, free to play, free to fight against adult power-

"Joey Beatles!"

He stopped on the last step, standing as still as he could. Maybe if he was quiet, he could sneak down the hall and out of the door. His hopes shattered as his mother stepped out into the hall, blocking the door from view. He gulped as she gave him a glare with her bright green eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Uh" He bit his lip, trying to appear innocent. "I was…going out?"

"Oh really?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "Have you done all of your chores?"

"Oh yeah…" He mumbled convincingly, flashing a smile. "They're all done."

She nodded, and for a second there Joey thought he'd gotten off scott-free. Then her hand reached out and opened the hall closet, and about a million toys, games, DVDs and just plain junk spilled out of it onto the floor.

"Even the cleaning out the closet?"

Joey groaned, gaping at his mother. "Mom you cannot be serious! It's Saturday!"

"You've had all week to do it…"

"But Mo-om!"

"No buts. Cleaning. Now."

With that she smirked and returned to the kitchen. Joey mumbled angrily under his breath.

"_Stupid closet…"_

Allison Beatles smirked to herself as she heard her son curse silently, trying to walk through the mass of toys and junk that was now scattered along the hall. She loved Joey, he was growing up exactly like his older brother was- carefree and happy.

She put a pile of plates in the cupboard. Not that it was a bad thing…but her boys needed an extra push if they were going to learn responsibility.

The phone in the kitchen rang and she sighed, going to answer it. Probably one of Joey's friends, or her husband's work colleagues…or a telemarketer. Who else would spend their time ringing on a Saturday morning?

She picked it up and leaned on the bench, answering "Hello?"

"_Allie…"_

She dropped the phone onto the bench, gasping in surprise. Joey looked up eagerly, thinking it was one of his fellow KND members.

"Mom who is it?"

"Uh…" She bit her lip. "Nobody, just a wrong number."

She felt her heart race in her chest. Nobody ever called her Allie, except one person…

She picked up the receiver and held it to her chest, walking outside into the warm sunlight. She sat down on one of the chairs and took a deep breath, putting the phone back to her ear.

"Jake…is that you?"

She heard him chuckle. "Who else would it be?"

She sighed deeply, trying to still her thumping heart. "Why are you calling? Derek isn't here-" She muttered, referring to her husband. "-So if you wanna talk to him…"

"You know my older brother despises me, of all people you should know that."

She took another breath. "You didn't answer my question, Jake."

Jake sighed deeply, taking another drag of his cigarette. He frowned. "You should know, Allie. Have you seen my son there, anywhere?"

Allison swallowed, knowing the answer. "Why?"

"You just answered my question." Jake muttered darkly. "He's there, isn't he?"

"Not here." Allison mumbled sadly. "He'd never come here, he hates me."

"Good reason to" Jake snarled, but then softened. He never could be hard on his sister-in-law, even though he despised the idea of calling her that. He'd always love her. He sighed. "I'm sorry, but…"

"You haven't talked to me in so long" Allison mumbled, now feeling tears rush down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry for what I did."

"Yeah well" Jake snarled, tapping his knee. He was sitting on the bench of his kitchen, legs crossed. "It's a bit late for that now, Allie."

"Why didn't you tell Dingo about me?" She asked him, sniffing. "I sent him to you because Derek didn't want him here, I still loved him, you didn't have to move to Australia."

"I did" Jake said. "He was only 2, Allie. He had no idea why his mother abandoned him. He had no idea why his supposed 'father' didn't love him."

Allie sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "You can't blame Derek for what he did."

"Actually I can" Jake muttered darkly. "And I will. Dingo's my kid, Allie."

"He's mine too."

"Yeah well…" Jake gritted his teeth. "He doesn't see you that way."

"I know" Allie said sadly. "He refuses to talk to me, he doesn't even come anywhere near the house."

Jake narrowed his eyes. "But he's there? In your country? The States?"

"Yeah" Allie sighed. "He's living about 3 miles away, towards the city."

Jake cursed under his breath. Dingo had disobeyed him, he'd fled the country. Illegally.

"Why?" Allie's concerned voice came through the receiver. "Is there a problem? What's going on?"

"Nuthin'" Jake mumbled. "Don't tell Derek I called."

Allie sighed, thinking of her husband. "He's your brother."

"Hardly"

With that he hung up, snarling to himself and lighting another cigarette. He pushed his black hair out of his eyes and sighed, thinking.

Jake and Derek- once they were labeled brothers, but they never acted like it. Derek hated his background, their father had never really been on the 'right side' of the law. Jake embraced it, loving the idea of running around causing trouble and nobody really caring. Derek had studied hard, wanting to go to University and live in the States, where as Jake never really wanted to leave. Nevertheless Derek left for university, in California. Jake had missed his older brother and gone after him, planning to live a free life in the USA. Derek had told him to back off, that he had a new, better life and a fiancé- Allison. Jake did, and instead hitchhiked all over the country, selling illegal substances and making quite a living.

One day, a stranger picked him up on the side of the road. Allison, or Allie he called her. She was heartbroken, her fiancé had cheated on her and she needed someone to keep her company. The two bonded with alcohol which ended in a night that, in Allie's terms _"should never have happened_". When she found out Derek and Jake were brothers she called it off, saying she chose Derek. Jake, hurt but understanding, said he'd leave, and left the country. But Allie always loved him, just not as much as Derek, so she tried to forget him. But 9 months later proved she could never forget Jake. Dingo was born, and instead of Derek's blonde locks he had Jake's raven black hair.

Jake shook his head, trying to forget the ancient history that seemed to run through his head. His brother was a tool anyway. But no matter how hard he tried he could never forget Allie, the mother of his child. He tried to tell himself he hated her, but he couldn't.

"Hey Jake"

He looked up at the two police officers standing before him. He blew out a puff of smoke.

"Sorry" He muttered, jumping off the counter. "I forgot you were here."

"That's okay" One shrugged. Both of them knew Jake pretty well. At 37, he was the (pretty) young father of Dingo, who was 21. "Did you get any information regarding your son?"

Jake hesitated, then shook his head. "No" He lied. "His mother has absolutely no idea."

"Well that's okay" The other constable sighed. "We just want him for questioning, but it is our understanding that he is the so-called 'leader' of this gang rivalry in Sydney Central."

"Yeah" Jake nodded, his face clear and calm. "Don't worry, I understand. But I doubt he could go to America, of all places. Don't they check them pretty well over there?"

"Yeh" The other policeman nodded. "They do, they go over them pretty well if they have a criminal record, but sometimes they can slip through the cracks, especially if they have connections over there."

"Yeah…" Jake mumbled, thinking. "Well Dingo don't have a close relationship with his mother, so I doubt he'd go to her."

"Aw…kay." One of them nodded. "Anywhere else in particular he may be? We've been searching for a number of weeks now."

Jake shook his head. "Nup."

"Well…thanks for your time." Both policemen put their hats back on their heads. "Sorry about this, Jake. You know we don't mean to be a nuisance, you're just-"

"Yeah I know" Jake sighed. "I love my kid, but he can be a real jackass when he wants to be."

"Sorry to call in so late" The men apologized. "Well…early."

Jake smirked. "That's alright, mates. You have a good day, ay?"

"Will do"

* * *

"Wow" Tommy gazed up at his brother with awe. "So you're really working as a mechanic?"

Hoagie frowned, chewing on his bacon. "Tommy, I've done that sort of work before." He was hinting to his work in the KND. "It's no big deal."

"Yeah but this is a real job." Tommy said excitedly, grinning. At 15, he had grown into almost a 'mini' Hoagie, although he hadn't lost all of his puppy fat yet, but yet he still managed to attract the attention of a lot of girls at his junior high. "I mean, you could build me a car!"

"Don't count on it" Hoagie scoffed. He'd grown sick of staying in his dorm all by himself, so he'd decided he'd travel over to his mother's for breakfast. His mother was always paranoid about him being away in college anyway. She couldn't monitor his eating.

"I don't know about this Hoagie" She lectured, pouring a stack of bacon and 4 eggs onto his plate. "I mean, I let you go to college, but a job? In that neighbourhood? I don't know-"

"Mom, relax." Hoagie muttered, rolling his eyes. "It's fine, really."

"But I've heard a lot of bad things there." She argued, narrowing her eyes. "Especially in that shop. I've even heard recently there are suspicions of drug dealings there, and gang meetings and fights and violence-"

"Mom" Hoagie rolled his eyes. "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Lizzie sniffed into her lemonade, wincing as she put a hand to her nose, which had a bandage across it. Abby had come very close to breaking it for her.

"You okay?"

Lizzie looked up at her friend, who had asked the question. He gave her a look of concern through his glasses.

"No I'm not okay!" She snarled at him. She sniffed again. "I have a feeling Nigel might break up with me."

He raised his eyebrows. "Well…that's okay, right? I mean he cheated on you anyway didn't he?"

"That's not the point Wilson!" She argued, crying. "I can't let Nigel break up with me, it'll ruin everything."

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Well…do you love him?"

"Of course I do!" She growled, blubbering.

"Well just convince him not to" He offered weakly. "If he loves you he'll listen, right?"

Lizzie nodded. "You're right. He should be here any minute, he wanted to see me for lunch."

Wilson sighed and looked around the crowded restaurant. "I better go then-"

"No!" She reached out an arm and yanked him back onto the booth. "You have to pretend you're flirting with me."

"What?" Wilson wrinkled his nose. He liked Lizzie, but only as a friend! "I don't-"

"To make Nigel jealous!" She snapped, rolling her eyes. "Duh. If he sees me with you he'll realise other guys are after me, and he should be much nicer to me if he wants to keep me as a girlfriend."

Wilson looked at her, confused. "What?"

Lizzie growled at him, checking her makeup in a portable mirror she kept in her pocket. "Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen."

Wilson groaned inwardly. Suddenly he felt much more grateful he was single- if_ this_ is what girlfriends were like.

"Here he comes!" Lizzie's eyes widened and she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Pretend you're flirting with me!"

She suddenly gave a high, fake laugh. "Oh, Wilson! You're _soooooo_ funny!"

Nigel rolled his eyes as he made his way over to the booth his girlfriend was saving. He was so sick of this, her fakeness, her harshness against him.

"Hey Lizzie" He said dully, coming over. He glanced over at Lizzie's friend. "Hey Wilson."

"Oh, hey Nigel." He said, getting up quickly. "Here, I better go and um-"

"Bye" Lizzie said flirtatiously, waving her fingers at him. She suddenly gaped at Nigel in surprise, as if just realizing he was there. "Oh, hi Nigie."

"Lizzie" He said clearly to her, leaning across the table. "We have to talk."

"Oh my god there is nothing going on between me and Wilson!" She said loudly, flipping her hair and sighing. "Could you be more paranoid? Anyway, you and that Rachel girl, that's who we need to talk about, I don't know where you get off in-"

"Lizzie" He frowned at her. "This isn't about Rachel."

She blinked up at him, her wide eyes confused. "What?"

"It's about us." He said, sighing. "It's not working."

"W-what?" Lizzie felt the colour drain from her face as she realised her fears had come true. "What are you talking about? It's worked for 10 years! How can you say that-"

"Lizzie" He heaved a deep sigh as his eyes connected with hers. "It's over."

Lizzie sat opposite him, her body stiff and still. Her eyes showed no emotion, but he could see tears forming. "You don't mean that."

"I do Lizzie" He slid out of his chair. He'd said all he needed to. "It's over. We're done."

"You don't mean that!" She repeated, grabbing his harm. "Nigie, you don't mean it!"

"I do" He growled, yanking his arm out of her grip. "I'm sick of this relationship. I'm done. Please let me go."

"Please say you're kidding!" She begged him as his arm fell out of her grasp. "Nigel!"

He walked out of the cafe, Lizzie still screaming after him.

"NIGEL UNO!"

* * *

"_Hi you've reached Abby's voicemail. Please leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can…BEEP! Ha ha, I'm just kidding!" _

_*BEEP*_

Wally hung up the phone angrily, fuming. That was the third time in 5 minutes he'd gotten Abby's voicemail. Where the hell was she?

Kuki silently chewed on the last of her Rainbow Munchies, trying not to look over at the frustrated Wally, who was pacing up and down dialing and redialing. She swallowed as she saw him hang up again, looking angry. She hated seeing him angry, his flawless face looked distressed and worried, his green eyes darkened and his muscles tensed. He folded his arms and sighed, trying to calm himself.

"Do you want some cereal?" Kuki's small voice penetrated his racing mind and he turned, frowning.

"Huh?"

"Do you want some cereal?" She repeated, her cheeks flushing. "Um, they always cheer me up and I haven't had them in a while and I thought you might like some….they have a new flavor…um it's….purple." She paused, realizing she was rambling. "You don't have to…if you don't want."

Wally frowned at her, uncrossing his arms and his face relaxing.

"Are those…Rainbow Munchies?"

Kuki smiled guiltily. "Yeah….I know they're kinda lame, but I couldn't get them in Japan and I thought-" She broke off again, feeling embarrassed at Wally's troubled face.

Wally suddenly grinned, his eyes brightening. "I haven't had them in ages!"

Kuki grinned back, shaking the box at him. "Plenty to go around!"

-x-

Abby turned on her phone, leaning against the wall of the hospital. She bit her lip hard as she looked at all the missed calls that came up. She ignored all the others and dialed Wally's number nervously.

"This is my all time favourite cereal" Kuki said brightly, reading the box. Wally smirked back, sitting opposite her.

"It's my second favorite. My first favorite would have to be Captain Crunch."

"Captain Crunch?" Kuki smirked. "I thought you were a 'Trix' kind of guy"

"Hardly" He snarled. "Those stupid kids annoy me. I think they should just let the poor rabbit have some cereal."

Kuki laughed. That was something she always said. "Agreed! Same with the 'Lucky Charms' kids, they should just let Lucky have his stupid cereal!"

"Exactly" Wally remarked, rolling his eyes. "Don't they have anything better to do?"

Kuki grinned, then frowned upon hearing a strong acoustic guitar beat. "Second Chance" by Shinedown. _(A/N: I Love that song! GAH!)_

Wally frowned. "Sorry" He pulled out his phone and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Wally."

He sighed. Abby.

"Sorry" He mumbled to Kuki and got up, walking into the hallway. "Hey Abs."

Abby bit her lip, a wave of guilt rushing over her. "You were…looking for me?"

"Yeah I was" He muttered darkly. "I'm always looking for you Abby, but you're never there are you?"

"Look I'm sorry" She said sadly. "Something came up."

"What came up?"

"Just…something." She looked up at the hospital behind her guiltily. "I'm really sorry, Wally."

"You never tell me anything anymore." Wally sighed darkly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" She muttered. She felt angry then. The only reason she found herself in Dingo's arms was because she felt Wally never loved her. He never spent any time with her and never let her in on anything. She always felt second best…and she knew who he loved more. Now suddenly she was out doing her own thing and he wanted to know everything she was doing. "I'm fine."

Just then, a nurse ran to her. "Miss Lincoln! Miss Lincoln!"

Abby turned, her face white. The nurse gave her a kind look and passed her an envelope.

"The doctor says you forgot these files."

"Uhn-" Abby felt her stomach drop as she grabbed the envelope. "Th-thank you."

"Doctor?" Wally frowned. "You're at the_ Doctors_? Abby what the Hell is going on? What's wrong with you?"

"I have to go" She mumbled, feeling tears come to her eyes. "I love you"

"Abby-"

She hung up before he could say anything. She began to cry, holding the envelope against her for support. She loved Wally with all of her heart, but she couldn't have him for herself. That was clear. It was him or her baby.

She walked back to her car, wiping at her eyes. As she slid behind the steering wheel she threw the envelope into the passenger seat- furious at the situation she had gotten herself into. She suddenly frowned. The contents had spilled out everywhere, files, pamphlets and her sonogram picture. She sniffed and picked up one pamphlet- _'So you're having a baby'_

On the front was a cute, pudgy baby, smiling at her. He had big blue eyes that seemed to shine. She found herself smiling back at the baby on the front cover.

At least she wasn't alone in this fight.

* * *

Fanny frowned to herself, sitting up in bed. It was 2'o'clock in the afternoon, so it was about time she was up. She glanced over curiously at the guy standing at the other side of the bed, tugging his jeans back on.

"So what is your name?" She asked him curiously.

"Do you want what my mates call me, or what my father called me?" He asked her, grinning widely. She raised her eyebrows.

"My friends call me Dodge." He mumbled to her, sliding his socks on. "My family calls me Dodge, and my mates call me Joker."

She frowned. "Joker?"

"That's only for inner circles and acquaintances, Sweetie." He remarked to her, straightening. "It's not to be repeated."

She rolled her eyes. "You're kind of giving it away by that tatt, you know." She gestured to his jeans, where the writing of 'Joker' was still visible over his belt.

"Heh. Yeah" He grinned. "Part of the job."

"What job?" She asked, frowning. He smirked at her.

"I've said too much." He slid a shirt over his shoulders and crinked his neck, groaning. He looked at her over the other side of the bed. Dodge never got into relationships, as they were too…messy. But if he ever wanted to get into one, she'd be it. She was hot. He crawled over to her and she gave him a suspicious look.

"Chill Honey" He sniggered at her. "We've already spent the whole night together, you know me better than most people do."

She sighed. He had a point. He'd seen her naked too so what was the use covering from him?

He passed her a ripped piece of paper. "Here's my number. Do not pass it on."

She frowned, looking at it. "Why would I want this for?"

"In case you ever need my services again." He smirked and kissed her on the neck.

"I thought you didn't do relationships."

"Let's just say…" He bit his lip and grinned, his tongue between his teeth. She noticed he had his tongue pierced. "We're…friends with privileges?"

"Right" She muttered, rolling her eyes. "I get it. No strings attached, right?"

"Yeah" He said. "Just in case, yeah? Good stress relief."

"Well…" She sighed sadly. "I've got my eye on someone."

He gave her a look. "Lucky guy."

She shook her head. "He barely knows I exist."

"If you ever showed him what you showed me." Dodge cackled at her. "He'll definitely know you exist."

"Ha ha" Fanny snarled at him. "But really, I'm not usually like this. I'm not a slut, I never meant to-"

"Alcohol's all you need, Babe." He grinned at her. "It can do strange things, trust me."

With that he gave her another kiss on the neck and jumped off the bed, grabbing his jacket from atop of the dresser. "I gotta go, I'm late for work."

When the door closed Fanny sighed deeply, pulling her knees to her chest. She couldn't believe what just happened. Strong, boy-fearing Fanny had a one night stand with a total stranger. She bit her lip and wondered what her child self would say if she saw her now.

* * *

"You okay?"

Kuki bit her lip in concern as she stared at her friend, who had returned to the table looking moody and deep in thought. He looked up when he heard her voice.

"Yeah." He muttered, trying to shake his worries about Abby off. Abby was an independent girl, she was off doing her own thing…it was probably nothing.

But if it was nothing, why didn't she tell him about it?

"Was that Abby?" Kuki asked, her violet eyes wide with concern and worry. Wally sighed, looking into her face.

He felt he should lie, like he should protect Abby and her problems. But he couldn't lie to Kuki. "Yeah…It was." He mumbled, now not feeling very hungry. Kuki smiled in reassurance. She wanted to get his mind off what was bothering him.

"So, what are you up to today?" She asked, changing the subject. "I'm all by myself here, not really any plans."

"Same" Wally shrugged. He felt his stomach churn. "Do you want to…hang out?"

He felt a pang of guilt as Kuki looked up at him happily. He missed his friend, but he had ignored her for many years, trying to pretend she didn't exist. Now she was back and he was hanging out with her when he should be concerned about his girlfriend. Was it really right?

"Sure" Kuki said, grinning. "What do you want to do?"

He swallowed. _Something innocent…_

"We can go to my house" He offered, smiling. "It's only a five minute drive, and we can play video games."

Kuki grinned widely. She suddenly felt so happy that her friend had let her back into his life- Just being around him made her heart lift with happiness. She'll just try to ignore the fact that he was somebody else's. She liked to pretend he was her best friend again. "Sounds brilliant!"

* * *

"I'll get it!" Joey yelled, running to the door in excitement. _Finally, a distraction from the hours of cleaning that still lay before him!_

He opened the door and grinned at the girl who was perched on their porch. She smiled back.

"Hey Abby."

"Hey Joey." She sighed back. "Is your brother home?"

"No" He shrugged. "He's not here."

"Oh"

Abby looked crestfallen. She thought her boyfriend would be here, he usually was on the weekends to hang out with Joey. Allison, who was cautiously walking down the hallway, looked up in surprise at her.

"Abby" She grinned. She liked her son's girlfriend, she was always polite, smiling and helpful around the house whenever she visited. She frowned at the girl's expression. Even though it was one of the best fakest smiles she had ever seen, she still saw through it.

"Hey" Abby said as brightly as she could. "I was just looking for Wally, but I guess he's not here, so I won't bother you for much longer-"

"No" Mrs. Beatles said, pulling the girl inside. "Come in and have a cup of tea, really it's no trouble."

Abby frowned. "I don't want to be a bother-"

"Really!" Allison grinned. "It's my pleasure! I insist!"

"Oh" Abby swallowed, still trying to withhold her fake grin. "Then I suppose I can stay for a while."

Joey in the hallway rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Girls" He muttered to himself, throwing his hands in the air. "I don't get them!"

After 5 minutes, Allison sat opposite Abby, presenting her with a warm cup of tea. She sighed and looked at the girl in front of her.

"What's wrong Abby?" The woman asked her, frowning in concern. Abby looked up from the warm tea in front of her, her bottom lip shaking.

"Nothing" She smiled reassuringly. "Really."

"Abby" The woman put a hand on hers. "You can tell me."

Abby looked at her, feeling the tears come back to her again. How many times a day can she cry, anyway? She always looked at Wally's mother as a second Mom, as her own mother seemed to always be busy or away for work. She'd spent her entire childhood at Wally's house, and she could trust Allison with almost anything.

But how can you tell someone you cheated their own son for another?

"I can't" She whispered, shaking her head. She bit down on her chapped bottom lip. "I can't"

"Are you in some sort of trouble?" Mrs. Beatles asked, looking worried. "Do you need any help? You can tell me, I won't tell Wally or-"

"No" Abby shook her head sadly. "It's something I need to figure out for myself."

"Has Wally done something?" Allison asked suddenly, her face darkening. "You can tell me."

"No" Abby said strongly, sipping her tea. "It's really nothing." She looked up at the woman with a gracious look on her face. "But…I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support."

"I'll always support you, Abby." The woman said sympathetically, really feeling for the girl in front of her. "No matter what."

Abby began to cry, the full weight of her decision suddenly falling on top of her like a ton of bricks. Who else was there to let down? She'd already let Wally down, herself down, Cree down, her family down…and now Wally's family too?

"I'm sorry" Abby choked out before bursting into tears. The woman next to her jumped up and hugged her shaking shoulders, her brow furrowed with worry.

"Abby…Abby…There's nothing to be sorry about. You haven't done anything wrong…what's the matter honey?"

Abby shook her head, finally pushing her chair back. "Thank you for the tea" She managed to whisper before walking quickly out, wiping at her eyes. She was such a mess. How much more of this could she take?

* * *

Fanny pocketed her tip, mentally counting up how much money she had gained that day. It was hard, her hangover still clouded her brain. She groaned inwardly as she returned to the counter, sighing.

"Easy girl" Irma, the head waitress, grinned at her. "You've been looking like a turkey before Thanksgiving all day. What's up your bunions?"

Fanny frowned. Sometimes she didn't understand a word Irma said.

"I'm fine Irma" She muttered to her, refilling the coffee pot. "Just a headache, that's all."

"Bless my soul, Child. You're as young as a flea! You aint got no time to be having no headknockers! Now head over to the far booth, that blubberin' missy over there is giving my eardrums a bashin!"

She walked off, whistling a tune. Fanny shook her head. She definitely did not grasp her boss's way of speaking, but looked over to the far booth nonetheless. She frowned as she saw a familiar figure slumped in the corner, sobbing. She frowned and walked over.

"Can I…get you anything?" She asked the girl, frowning. The girl took her head out of her hands and looked at her. Her face was a bright, blotchy red and her hair was messy and tangled. She only looked about 15 or 16.

"Mushi?" Fanny suddenly gaped, recognizing her. "What are you doing here?"

Mushi gaped back, before stuttering out a reply. "Please don't tell Kuki I'm here."

"I-" Fanny's frown deepened. "Why not?"

"Just please don't" Mushi stuttered. Her frail hands clasped together as she pleaded with her. "Please, my parents don't know I'm here. It's okay though I'm staying with a friend. I just couldn't handle it in Japan. Please don't tell her, I'll do anything just don't-"

"Okay Okay" Fanny muttered, shaking her head. She didn't want to stress the young girl out. "Just…Please eat something."

She gestured to the young girl's figure, which Fanny could see was fading. Even though Mushi wore her trademark oversized sweater Fanny could see the girl was definitely underweight. Mushi sniffed.

"I only came for the complimentary coffee, I don't have any money."

"It's on me" Fanny snarled at the girl, looking at her in concern. "You'll be having a hamburger with the lot." She scribbled it down on the pad and walked to the opposite end of the diner, Mushi stammering her with apologies and thank yous. Fanny frowned to herself as she passed the chef the order and wiped her hands on her uniform.

What the hell was happening with Mushi?

* * *

"There" Joey slid the last of his games into the shelf and stepped back to admire his work, sighing in exhaustion. "It almost killed me, but it's all done. All my Xbox games in alphabetical order, all my toys neatly stacked away and all the games on the top shelf. And all the junk thrown out."

"Good" his mother scolded him, but smiled at his work admirably. "Let's hope it stays that way."

Just then they heard laughter, and a second later Wally bounced through the front door and into the hallway, a young black haired girl behind him.

"HI MUM!" He greeted happily. "Me and Kooks here have arrived to play a friendly competition on the Xbox!"

"What?" Joey asked incredulously, and stepped in front of the closet protectively. "Oh no you don't!"

"We just need to borrow a couple of games-" His brother snuck forward in a foreboding way and grabbed some, the whole pile of games and DVDs falling over. –"Thanks Joey!"

They both ran into the living room. Joey stood, wide eyed and open mouthed, at his now ruined closet. Allison bit her lip, frowning.

"OH WHAT A WORLD!" Joey collapsed face down on the carpet, growling and hitting it with his fists. Allison stepped over him in a preoccupied way, watching her other son closely. The way they laughed together, joked together and the way that girl watched him…it couldn't be young Kuki Sanban could it?

That's what Abby was so stressed about.

"Wally" She asked him quietly, feigning a grin. "Could you help me for a second?"

Wally sighed, throwing his controller to Kuki. "Yeah sure, Be R Be."

Kuki smiled and nodded. Wally went out into the hall and followed his mother to the kitchen.

"What did you need?" He asked her, hands in his pockets. She faced him, a serious look etched in her face. Wally bit his lip- _uh oh. Not good._

"I saw Abby today."

_That_ took him by surprise. "You did?"

"Yes" She scratched her chin thoughtfully. "She seemed upset, and was looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Wally frowned. "Why?"

"She didn't say" Allison growled darkly. "She was way too upset."

Wally frowned, suddenly getting the idea of what his mother was getting at. "Mom, you're not suggesting that-"

"I'm not suggesting anything" She muttered. "I'm just telling you."

"I don't know why she's upset!" Wally growled. "And I don't know why she's keeping things from me! I asked her and she just keeps being secretive!"

"Wally" His mother narrowed her eyes. "Who is that in the living room?"

Wally frowned protectively. "Kuki, Mom. You remember her, she's back from Japan and-"

"Is she your girlfriend?"

Wally's cheeks flushed. "No, but-"

"Well, Wallabee Beatles." His mother said silkily. "I believe you're trying very hard to take care of your girlfriend, by taking out another girl."

Wally gave her a look. "Mom, you know I would never do that to Abby-"

"I'm not saying you would." She sighed at her son. "But…it's not helping, Wally."

"Abby knows I would never do that" Wally said strongly.

"Women think a different way than men do" His mother said, raising her eyebrows. "Abby knows she's being rejected, I can just see it in her."

"I wouldn't purposely-"

"But you are"

Wally sighed, looking glum. "So I shouldn't hang out with Kuki?"

"I'm not saying that." Allison said quietly. "Just…never string a girl along, Wal."

Wally frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Never string a girl along. Abby's a smart girl, she doesn't need to be told twice and she can take the hint when she's not needed."

"Mom, I never said that-"

"I know you never said it, but what message are you sending when you take out another girl and she's left sobbing by herself at home?"

Wally swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat. "So what should I do?"

His mother sighed and put an arm around her son's shoulders. "Be straight with her." She gave him a look. "We know you love Kuki, we know how upset you were when she left and we know what effect she has on you." Wally blushed.

Allison sighed, thinking back a long time ago when she was pregnant with her first child and her own mother had said this to her.

"_You need to make a choice, Allison" Her mother had scolded her. "You've dragged these brothers along as far as they can go and they need answers. Who do you choose, the father of your child or your own loving husband? Jake or Derek?"_

Allison gave her boy a sad look, knowing what an awful thing it was to hear, but she said it anyway because she knew she had to.

"You have to make a choice, Wallabee."

* * *

"Hi stranger"

Rachel looked up at the familiar voice of her friend pouring her coffee. She grinned, putting her elbows on the counter of the diner and smirking at her.

"Rough night, Fanny?"

Fanny's cheeks flushed to the same color as her hair. "Shutup, Rachel."

Rachel smirked, sipping her coffee.

"Anyway, what about you?" Fanny asked, raising an eyebrow. "I heard about the catfight."

Rachel shook her head and rolled her hazel eyes.

Fanny smirked triumphantly. "I thought so. So...You and Uno, hey?"

Rachel blushed guiltily. "_Maybe."_

Fanny rolled her eyes. "I always thought you two would end up together."

"What about you?" Rachel asked, blinking. "You and your tattooed friend, together or not?"

"Hardly" Fanny growled. "He isn't 'into' relationships."

"Ah" Rachel nodded. "One of those types."

"Yeah" Fanny shrugged, refilling her coffee. "But it's okay, it was just to blow off some steam anyway."

"Best way to do it." Rachel commented, giving her friend a sneaky look. "What a bod!"

Fanny shook her head, rolling her eyes at her friend. "Shutup." She looked over at the front door, which had just opened. "Speaking of bods..." She gave her friend a look and walked off, seeing Nigel Uno approach. Rachel looked up at him with a smile.

"Hey"

"Hey"

He sat next to her, sighing deeply.

"So...I did it."

Rachel raised her eyebrows. "And...how did it go?"

"She didn't take it too well."

"Ah"

"Yeah..."

Rachel smirked. "Can I buy you the number 3 special? It always cheers me up."

Nigel smirked back. He wasn't used ot being treated, usually he was shouting Lizzie 3 course dinners at expensive restraunts, not being offered good, greasy food at a diner.

"Can you recommend it?"

"I can" Rachel grinned. She clicked her fingers in an annoying way. "_OH WAIIIIIIITRESSSSSS!"_

_

* * *

_

_Hehe :) well there it is, another installment! Sorry if the next couple of chapters are a bit slow, I'm going off my school holidays tomorrow :( *sad face*_

_Don't worry too much if you get confused with the Allie/Jake/Derek love triange, you just need to know it ended up in Dingo being born illigitimately, and that's the reason he doesn't live with Wally. So in reality, he's Wally's half cousin, half brother! Confusing, huh? it seemed like a good idea at the time :D_

_Please Review :( *If you don't review, I don't have the confidence to write* -puppy dog eyes- which means I won't be able to do any more love scenes! *WAHHH*_

_;)_


	5. Chapter 5: Under the Surface

_I'm baaaaaaaack!_

_*Evil Giggles*_

_So miss me much? I've missed you! I began this chapter a while ago once I realised people actually liked this story :D I was so happy (i Just hope I don't screw it up)_

_A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS! *fanfare*_

_(Anonymous): OMG I hope you didn't really die, I don't have insurance -looks around nervously- hehe, I like your style. What's this about a spear?_

_sstoons3425:_ _yeah I feel for Abs too. Sometimes I wonder if I'm being too hard on her...then I go make myself a milo and everything seems to be a-okay. Milo is the Australian drink of all drinks, btw. I love using my Aussie lingo :)_

_blue-eyed-blonde12: Aw, thank you for your kind words :) I appreciate the compliment, really i do! I'm nervous though, I might let you all down as I continue on...usually that's the way it is with me. And don't worry...Dingo scares me too. -nervous look- _

_Kameko-Lullaby: YAY New Reviewer! *Picks up special occasion party blower and blows it ceremoniously* Hehe, well thank you! *blushes* Your compliments made me smile. I'm glad you see Kuki as cute, I was trying to make her cute, but not so much as a ditz...4/5 is weird, it's hard to write about. :D And I LOVE long reviews ...Much appreciato!_

_Laurie43 : Another long review! *happy dance* sorry, I'm a little hyped up on peanut butter. Beatles family is complicated huh? When I made this up I did not expect it to get this confusing XP it seemed like a great idea at the time. And it does seem heriditary for brothers to take their hearts over their heads (to put it in the nicest way) in this family. Cah-razy. I tried to romance it up! Maybe in more ways than one :D but rest be assured, lots more romance coming (oh I do love delicious romance)...almost as much as I love writing these EXTRA long comments :D_

_TheMindandSoul : It's unjustful in my opinion, animal cruelty! Poor rabbit, those kids are brats. I hope you like this chapter, filled with drama and a tad violence and...did I mention drama? MUHAHAHA...drugs too ...*DRAMA!*_

_-nervous glance- _

_On with the show! (Let me know what you think)_

_

* * *

Chapter 5- Under the Surface_

"Well?"

Dr Walsh looked up from his notes and instead looked carefully at the slightly pudgy young girl in front of him. She gave him an expectant look through her thick glasses, her eyebrows raised.

He sighed and closed her folder. "I'm sorry Ms Devine, you're not pregnant."

"I'm aware of that!" Lizzie snapped, feeling irritated. "I was referring to whether or not you could…you know, pretend I am." She gave him a glowing look. "Just for, you know…relationship purposes."

The middle aged doctor sighed and rubbed his temples. "Ms Devine, I'm a trained doctor, I can't 'fake' a diagnosis just for social problems. It's against everything I'm trained for."

Lizzie scoffed, looking at him closely. "How much will it take?" Her family was very well off, and she carried a few notes in her purse just in case.

"Ms Devine…" The Doctor said again tiredly. "It's against pretty much every code known to a doctor. I'm afraid I can't, morally and lawfully, fake the diagnosis that you're pregnant."

Lizzie stood, fuming. "Fine!" She snapped, sighing. "I guess a girl has to do everything herself these days!"

With that, she walked off, leaving Dr Walsh shaking his head at his patient.

Lizzie walked through the hallway of her local health clinic, her mind racing for any new inspiration. She couldn't do it- she couldn't face being single when she'd had the company of the same boyfriend for almost 10 years. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't think- she wanted Nigel back.

And she was willing to do anything to get him back.

* * *

Cree's eyes narrowed at her family that sat before her. This was a serious,_ serious_ issue and she knew it had to be discussed as a family. She just hoped they gave her the support she needed. She sighed deeply and held up two pictures.

"Mother, Father, Abby, Maurice…the red roses, or the white ones?"

Abby sighed, running her hand through her long wavy hair. Maurice bit his lip and scratched his chin, looking out of the window. Mrs. Lincoln raised her eyebrows, where as Mr. Lincoln looked moody.

"In my day, weddings were just about the simple things!" He complained loudly to his eldest daughter. "…With the love, and the church and the man and the woman…none of this dressy-up, expensive flora nonsense!"

"Daddy!" Cree muttered darkly, growling at him. "This is very important! It can change the outlook of the entire wedding! I've decided I was being too girly and sweet with the wedding, so I've decided to go for a much more royal, silk look with purples, magentas and creams. So, this is the final touch that could change the entire design- _Red or White roses?"_

She held up the pictures again, giving her family a pleading look. Maurice sighed.

"Babe…" He muttered to her. "It really doesn't matter."

"Ah, dear…" her mother gave her daughter a look. "Why don't we just hire a planner? It will be so much less stressful and I know a brilliant man- Pierre is a genius and 'zee ideal wedding planner-"

"Mother!" Cree snapped at her. "I can handle it! All I want is a little support from my family!"

She gave an emotional sniff and pushed her chair back, running out of the room. Her parents both sighed and simultaneously went after her, leaving Maurice and Abby alone in the Lincoln family kitchen.

Abby sighed. She had the strangest craving- French fries with gravy. What a food to be craving… her stomach growled hungrily even though she ate only an hour ago.

"So how are you Abs?" Maurice asked her. He felt like he hadn't spoken to her in ages, ever since Dingo had dropped the bomb she was pregnant. Truthfully Maurice worried about Abby. Here he was trying to feign interest in centerpieces for his wedding with Cree, when all along his real worry was Abby, and if she knew the father of her child was nothing more than a hardened criminal (and who knows what else).

"I'm fine." She gave Maurice a smile. "How have you been?"

"Okay…" He muttered. "Not a day goes by where I'm not presented with another brand of Tux. I think she's gone through the entire Armani range."

Abby laughed, knowing how overboard her sister was going with the wedding. She had to admit though; it was the only positive future event that was happening to her at the moment. What else has she got to look forward to? Giving birth? Making excuses for growing fatter? Facing another one of Dingo's pressure talks to dump Wally?

"Listen Abs." Maurice suddenly sighed, lowering his voice. "I know you're pregnant."

Abby spat out the water she had been drinking and gave him an incredulous look, wiping her chin with the back of her hand.

"What?" She stuttered, coughing. "What…I don't know what you mean-"

"Abs" Maurice sighed, looking cautiously towards the door. He knew Abby hadn't told her parents yet. "I know Dingo. He told me himself."

Abby cursed fluently under her breath, looking up at her future brother-in-law with apprehension. So he knew… She felt a lump in her throat as she wondered what he thought of her…what a horrible, skanky, bitch she was.

"I'm worried about you."

"Yeah well I'm fine" Abby snapped, turning back to the magazine in front of her. She frowned to herself. "I'm taking care of it."

"You're getting rid of it?" Maurice asked, raising his eyebrows. Abby shook her head.

"Nope."

"So you're keeping it huh?"

"Yeah" Abby suddenly looked up, blinking at Maurice expectantly. She had to admit, it was a relief to finally talk to someone who she knew wouldn't judge her like Cree would. She loved her sister, but sometimes she thought she was too hard on her. "Why? You don't think I should?"

Maurice sighed, issuing her a small smile. "Abs, you would be a great mother."

Abby gave him a smile, but she bit her lip as he suddenly frowned at her.

"It's Dingo I'm worried about."

Abby frowned at his tone of voice. "What do you mean?"

Maurice sighed. He didn't want to admit this. In fact he'd been trying to stay as far away from the Aussie as possible. "I know Dingo.'

"You do?" Abby frowned. That was a surprise to her, it was her understanding Dingo had only moved to North America only a couple of months ago. "How?"

"Just…though a friend." He mumbled, not wanting to get into it. "I know enough, Abs. And let's just say he's not _father material."_

Abby swallowed. Maurice was one of her good friends, even after all these years had passed. She thought back to how eager Dingo was when he heard she was pregnant. But, really…she didn't know Dingo that well, did she?

"I just don't want you to get hurt…" Maurice told her strongly, his dark eyes boring into hers. "The last thing I want is you, or your baby, in danger."

Abby gaped at that and she swallowed. "What do you mean by that? Dingo would never put me in danger."

Maurice sighed at her, feeling ashamed. He never thought that one mistake he made would come back to bite him this bad. Chad had only said- one job and that's it. All they had to do was tick off that these guys were all clear on their criminal records and give them free visas, and in return they live in the USA with no strings attached and Chad and Maurice walk away with 5 grand a piece.

…Though now one of them had impregnated one of his best friends. He didn't feel like telling her that it was his fault they were in the country in the first place.

"Just trust me on this Abby." Maurice sighed. "He wouldn't put you in danger… on purpose."

* * *

Hoagie wrinkled his nose as a wave of cigarette smoke washed over him. He tried to hide the fact his eyes were watering as he looked up at the muscular, tanned guy in front of him. He was rambling on about how the room they were standing in was the staffroom.

"This is the staffroom" Dodge rambled, blowing a puff of cigarette smoke in the new kid's face. He had at first cracked up with laughter upon seeing the newest employee, but he had gotten over it as fast as Mack had hit him upside the skull.

"_SHOW HIM AROUND!"_ He had simply barked at Dodge before returning to his office.

"It's where you eat, and other junk." Dodge mumbled, shrugging. "Whatever you wanna do, do it here."

Hoagie looked around at the plain sofa, bar fridge, counter, TV, vending machine and posters of naked girls that coated the walls. There wasn't much_ to_ do. Dodge continued on to the next room, pulling on his shirt as he did so.

"This is the workshop" He told him, waving a hand at it carelessly. "Where the work's done. We don't have many rules, per se. Beware of flammable liquids, naked flame and toxic chemicals. Also, you shouldn't smoke in here." He paused as he took a drag from the cigarette in his hand. "Any questions so far?"

"Uh…" Hoagie felt his stomach rumble in discomfort, but the look Dodge had on his face didn't look like one of understanding. "No."

"Good." Dodge praised, "Moving on…"

_(A couple of feet away)_

"You think he's gonna survive here?" Trent asked with interest as he looked up at Dingo. They were both watching intently from the office as their fellow mate Dodge showed the new kid around. Dingo shrugged, smirking.

"Doubt it, what you reckon?"

Trent smirked. He was a stocky, muscular kid at 20 with a fierce personality. He and Dingo had been mates for a while, and both were very loyal to each other. He had tanned skin and cold gray eyes which glistened maliciously under his shaggy rust coloured hair. He had a scar across his cheek and a couple of tattoos over his arms and shoulders. He was 'jokingly' called "The Pyscho" of the group. He sniggered eagerly.

"I reckon- _fresh meat."_

Mack, who was sitting at his desk, scoffed at the two boys.

"You three better go easy on him" he glanced at the third boy who was sitting opposite him, intently reading a car magazine. This was Bandit, Dingo's third (and final) close friend of 20, the youngest in the group. He wore a red bandana around his head that kept his long shaggy black hair out of his face. Mack glared at them. "He may be new, but if you four-"

"Why's he even here anyway?" Trent snarled. "We had a deal, Mack."

"We need new blood" Mack explained, sucking on his cigar and looking troubled. "You guys have caused too much trouble around here and suspicions arising from it. With the kid in, we give out a better image of _innocent activity."_

"Innocent?" Trent laughed at the word. "HA! 'sif"

Mack looked up at him. "You watch it. The cops, I know one especially, has been watching the place."

"Cops?" Bandit looked up, frowning. "Thought we took care of them."

"We did" Dingo snarled, running a hand through his hair. "Trust me on that one."

"Aiight" Mack muttered to him. "Another thing" He glared at them all individually. "No more dealings here."

"Aw" Bandit groaned. "C'mon Mack"

Mack shook his head. "Can't risk it, not with new kid around."

"What's his name anyway?" Trent glared at him through the window with distaste.

"Hoagie" Mack mumbled. "But that aint the point-"

He paused and groaned, the three boys falling about with laughter.

"Maybe we oughta order him a subway!" Trent choked out, holding his ribs. "What an-"

"Shut it" Mack snarled and the laughter ceased. "The word's out okay? Plain and simple. We're cleaning up the place to avoid suspicion, the kid stays. You guys will pretty up your damn act and you-" he pointed at Dingo with his cigar. "-Try not to devour him, at least give him a week."

Trent gave him a playful smile.

* * *

Mushi stared into the depths of her black coffee, trying to sort out her thoughts. Her heart felt heavy in her chest and her head ached. The coffee rippled beneath her as a tear slipped off her cheek and into her beverage. She sniffed.

"Back again?"

She looked up with alarm, but all she saw was the redhead waitress she had met before. She had a smooth, unemotional face with a bunch of freckles over each cheek, and her red hair was done up loosely in a bun. She seemed pretty hard and straight, but to Mushi she appeared nothing less than almost angel like.

But she couldn't tell her that, how weird would that sound? She didn't even know her name.

"Oh!" She hurriedly wiped at her eyes with a napkin. "It's you, um. I just wanted to say how sorry I was for the other day, and how I will pay you back, I just-"

Fanny held up her hand, looking at Mushi with a concerned look. She couldn't help but think the girl needed help in some way. She whipped out her pad and pen. She could start with a greasy breakfast.

"What'll it be?"

Mushi looked back down at her complimentary coffee. She always came for this diner, they never asked questions and the atmosphere was clear and calm, old 70s and 80s hits blaring from the old, non-updated stereo in the corner. She hated letting them down, but all she was a lonely corner in the pocket of her jeans.

"I haven't got any money' she mumbled guiltily to the waitress. Fanny scoffed and scribbled something down on her pad.

"Number 6 breakfast it is." With that she whipped around and returned to the kitchen before Mushi could yell a thank you after her. She sighed. Why was she such a loser?

She heard the front door open and close and suddenly a shadow loomed over her. She frowned and looked up, her eyes widening.

"Sandy!" She jumped up and embraced her boyfriend, sniffing into his shoulder. He smiled weakly back at her, just amazed she could recognize him. His face was badly bashed and bruised, both eyes purple and swelling and his lip swollen and cut. The rest of his body was covered in big, purple bruises. He winced as she pressed her frail body to his and he sat gingerly down at the seat opposite her. Mushi sat down too, her mouth agape.

"What-"

"Shh' he mumbled, embracing her hands. He ran a shaking hand through his light orange hair. "It's fine, Mushi, really. No need to worry-"

Mushi sniffed. She was only young, but she knew she loved Sandy. That's why she had flown over straight away (despite her parent's warning) when she realised he was in deep trouble.

"I can't not worry' she mumbled fearfully. "What happened?"

"I'm taking care of it" He mumbled, biting his nails. He felt jumpy and weak. "Don't you worry about a thing, Mushi."

"Go to the police!" She urged tearfully, gripping his hand. "Please, Sandy. For me?"

He shook his head. "They'll get off. I think they have inside people. Besides, they'll get others on me. And I'll get in hot water too. Please, Mushi, just let me handle it."

She shook her head. "I can't keep standing by and watching you get hurt."

He sighed, his swollen bruised eyes giving her a pleading look. His faded blue pupils gazed at her lovingly, but at the same time he was overwhelmed with guilt at getting her involved.

"I'm taking care of it, Mushi." He told her strongly. "Don't you trust me?"

* * *

Wally sat in the corner of the coffee shop, reading the same page of his study book over and over again. He couldn't help it. Usually he came here to think and to clear his head, but his mind was overflowing with doubts and worries. His mother's words still rung through his head.

A choice? How could he make a choice? Either way he went it was both the wrong and the right way. A double edged sword.

Abby- his girlfriend for a couple of years. They had no worries, no problems at all. There was only that nagging feeling in the back of his head every time he saw her- maybe wishing her chocolate eyes were violet. Who was he kidding? Abby was one of the hottest girls in the entire college. He should be thankful to have her in his life, but did he really love her back?

Kuki- she had been the last thought in his mind maybe every single day since she left. She was that last thought before he fell asleep, she seemed to always play on his mind. How could a girl do that? She had that way with him that no other girl could achieve, she could make him smile even when he was at his most pissed off. Her laugh was the best music, her touch could cure any pain, her heart was big enough to-

He shook his head. No, wait. This was as plain as could be. He couldn't cheat on his girlfriend; he couldn't dump her just because something better had come along. He wasn't like that. He promised himself he'd never be one of those guys.

He buried his face in his hands. What's a guy to do?

"Sup Wal?"

Wally looked up, blinking. Rachel was hovering above him, giving him a kind smile. "Mind if we share your table?"

"Sure" Wally shut his book with a snap and rubbed his eyes as Rachel sat in front of him, smiling and flipping her shoulder-length hair over her shoulder.

"Thanks, everywhere else is taken."

Wally looked over the crowded coffee shop to where Nigel was ordering his and Rachel's drinks. A smile spread across his face.

"So you and Nigel are officially together?"

"We're thinking about it." She shrugged, looking happy nonetheless. "He's just broken up with Lizzie, so we've decided to take things slow."

Wally bit his lip. He thought talking to his friend would take his mind OFF his problems, not remind him of them. "Oh…' he managed to nod. "Good for you guys."

"How are you and Abby?" She asked with interest. Wally shrugged.

"Ok, I guess."

Rachel bit her lip. She felt like she hadn't seen Abby in so long, and every time she did her friend seemed more jumpy and distant. Truthfully she was getting really concerned.

"Hey Wally" Nigel greeted tiredly as he passed Rachel her drink and sat down beside her. "Long line, how's the study going, dude?"

Wally rolled his eyes. "It's going nowhere, as per usual. I'm gonna flunk this test for sure."

"As if" Nigel almost laughed. "You're top in the class, the Professor always says so."

Wally shrugged. "Yeah, but I dunno how I'll go in this one."

Nigel rolled his eyes. He wasn't sure how, but Wally seemed to pass every test he tried, and seemed to always be interested in class. He didn't know where this sudden burst of intelligence came from in his friend, but he was happy for him.

"Is Hoagie at his new job?" Nigel asked Wally, one eyebrow raised.

Wally rolled his eyes. "Yeah. That Shop downtown near the diner.'

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "I've heard bad things about that place."

Wally swallowed. "Bad things?"

"Yeah" Rachel sipped at her milkshake and licked her lips. "Like, you know... Shouldn't go there after dark and by yourself, bad sort of neighbourhood…you know. Fanny's boss always walks her to her car when she works late. She says sometimes she gets some rowdy guys after dark and she has to lock up earlier than usual."

Nigel raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure it's nothing. Anyway, Hoagie's not stupid."

"Yeah" Wally frowned, troubled about the whole thing. He shook his head.

"Ooo! Kuki!"

Wally jumped, coming back to reality. "Wha- wha- where?"

"Over there" She smirked and waved to someone behind him. "Kuks! Over here!"

Kuki blushed and walked over through the crowds shyly. "Hey Rachel, hey Nigel." She swallowed as she saw the guy sitting opposite the couple. "Hey Wally."

"Hey Kuki" He bit his lip. He wasn't ready to see her; he already had so much to think about. Gazing into her eyes might make him breathless again; it might cloud his thoughts and stop him from making a decision that was the right one. There was a pause, where all 4 of the friends sat in silence. Wally suddenly stood up, his jade green eyes avoiding Kuki's bright violet ones.

"I gotta go" He mumbled to Rachel and Nigel. "I'll uh-"He quickly glanced at Kuki. "See you guys later."

With that he turned and walked out of the shop. Kuki stared after him wide eyed, wondering what she did wrong. Nigel took a swig of his coffee and sighed.

"That kid's getting weirder" He joked to Rachel, who frowned at him and punched his arm playfully. Kuki mumbled something half-heartedly about the library and walked quickly after them, leaving the couple alone.

"Those guys" Nigel muttered under his breath as he was sure Kuki was out of earshot. "I always thought they'd end up together."

Rachel frowned, glaring at him with her deep hazel eyes. "What makes you say that?"

Nigel shrugged, stealing a sip of her milkshake. "I dunno. They just always seem like one of those couples, ya know? Wally never really got angry at her, and she always saw the good side of him…You know they just…clicked."

He caught his girlfriend's furious glare and gulped. "But you know, Wally and Abby…have a lot of…chemistry."

"Is that why Abby's so upset at the moment?" Rachel hissed at him. "Because she thinks Wally likes Kuki? Or she feels threatened by Kuki, or-" She suddenly gasped. "Or he's already cheated on her with Kuki!"

"Rachel" Nigel sighed deeply. "Wally isn't like that. He wouldn't do that to Abs."

"Well" Rachel huffed. "If they _click _so much why wouldn't he? What's holding him back?"

Nigel groaned at his blonde friend next to him.

"You worry too much."

* * *

"_This_ is a fan belt" Dodge remarked, pointing to a fan belt. "And _this _is the oil tank." He pointed to the oil tank. "And _this_ is the battery, and _this_ is the where the power-steering fluid goes, see, in this little cap thing here? And _here_, are you listening? This is the air filter, and _here_-"

"-Is the window washer fluid" Hoagie scowled, getting sick of the intimidating tone his so-called "mentor" was using with him. He was explaining the basic information of a car as if he was talking to a 6 year old. Dodge raised his eyebrows at him, smirking.

"And here I thought you were a beginner." He chuckled. "How much do you know about mechanics anyway?"

Hoagie shrugged. "The basic stuff."

"You know how to change a tyre?" Dodge asked, cocking an eyebrow. Hoagie nodded.

"Yeah"

"Awesome." He slammed the hood of the car down. "This one needs the front left done. After you do it you can clean the windscreen." With that he walked off. Hoagie frowned, blinking.

"Uh, sorry" Hoagie muttered to him.

Dodge turned.

"…Windscreen?"

"Wind_shield." _Dodge smirked, rolling his eyes and walking towards the staffroom. "Duh."

"Right" Hoagie muttered under his breath, now feeling very alone in the middle of the garage. "Right." He knelt down on the hard cement ground and jacked up the car, his mind wondering.

Sure, he'd wanted a job, but he never imagined doing this sort of work again. He had to admit he kind of missed it- fixing, repairing and making things. Faint memories clouded his mind as he thought back to his days in his father's garage- conducting experiments, creating new inventions, doing some adjustments on vehicles…he also thought back to a sweet girl with a red hat on her head, her long brown braid always seemed to swing majestically as she helped him with some inventions. He missed those times…they seemed so far away. They used to have a lot of fun together, laughing, joking-

"_Hey Rookie."_

The wheel brace he was holding in his hand dropped to the floor with a clang. He heard a dark chuckle behind him as he turned, seeing the forbidding image of a muscular, smirking guy hovering over him, clutching a spanner threateningly.

He smirked down at the youth before him. "You're in my way."

Hoagie held in a scoff and shifted forward. "Sorry"

Trent stomped off, smirking to himself as he ran the heavy spanner along the wall. He couldn't help it, he loved teasing the new kids, anyone who was considerably smaller than him. His 3 friends joked how he had 'issues'. But hey, that's what made him, him.

Hoagie snarled under his breath as soon as he was out of earshot. "Jerk"

"Don't worry about him." Another guy suddenly appeared, checking under the hood of the car. He shook his black hair out of his face as he checked the oil levels of the car. "Trent doesn't bite…_too _much."

"Uh…good." Hoagie mumbled, loosening the wheel nuts. "I think."

"You look kinda bored." He said conversationally, tilted his head curiously, his wide blue eyes blinking with interest. "You really wanna do this for the rest of your life?"

Hoagie swallowed. "No…I'm in college."

"College, huh?" He grinned sweetly. "What's your name?"

Hoagie mumbled it to him and braced himself for the laugh that usually followed. He frowned.

"Cute" Bandit muttered, screwing on the oil cap. "Almost as bad as mine."

'Why, what's yours?" Hoagie asked with interest. It was rare he ever found someone with a more…original…name than his (except maybe Fanny).

"Bandit" He snickered, retying his plain red bandana around his skull. Hoagie noticed his eyes were a dark navy. "Bogan, huh?"

"Bogan?" Hoagie asked, frowning.

"Means white trash in Australia" Bandit explained, going through the spanner kit in front of him. "My Dad thought he'd be original and name me after his dog."

"Cooler than Hoagie" Hoagie observed, "Named after a food."

Bandit smirked. "Do you live up to your name?"

"I like Subway, if that's what you mean" Hoagie lined up the wheel on the car. "Why? Do you live up to yours?"

"Sometimes" Bandit sniggered and walked away before Hoagie had even realised what he'd even said.

* * *

_Sydney, Australia-_

"You're lying."

The kid in front of him scoffed, his pale eyes darting around his eye sockets, as if searching for a way out. Jake could almost smell a lie, thanks to the difficult task of raising Dingo for almost 20 years. The 22 year old in front of him didn't fool him for one second. Jake grinned at him, flashing his eyes in a trusting way.

"Now Danny…" Jake said sweetly to him, grinning. "Let's not play games here. You're forgetting I'm the father of the one and only Dingo Bealtes, I taught him everything he knows. You're lying."

"But I swear I'm not" He managed to squeak, beads of sweat appearing at his forehead. Jake raised his eyebrows. "You gotta believe me, Jake. I don't know where Dingo is. He didn't even tell me he was leaving!"

Jake rolled his eyes. "You're a horrible liar."

Daniel swallowed, looking wistfully at the doors that lead back to the club. "I'm telling you the truth."

"Dingo made you the head of his little gang when he left." Jake snarled. "That's why you're the ringleader now, huh? The main four bailed and now you're head of the pack."

"No" Daniel stuttered, feeling his ears grow hot. He tried not to look at the man who seemed to tower over him, although they were the same height. Even though Jake was long out of the scene he was well known as being almost legendary around the city. He didn't want to disappoint and lie to a 'legend' but at the same time Dingo's threats still rang in his ears.

Jake lit a cigarette, blowing a stream of smoke into the night air. They could still hear the faint thumping of the club music from the building next to them. Daniel sighed hopefully. Maybe he was giving up.

"Daniel" Jake said, giving him a long, hard look. "We can do this the easy way…or the hard way."

Daniel bit his lip.

"What'll it be?"

"Look" Daniel said quickly, swallowing. "He…did leave me in charge."

"I bet he did."

"But I swear I don't know where he went."

"He fled the country."

"Yea-no, I mean-" Daniel snarled to himself. Jake's fast interrogating was really getting him tongue tied and irritated. "Look Dingo bailed alright? But it wasn't just for that. It was getting a little fired up around here and the deals have been kind of dodgy, so he thought it would be a good chance to stay away for a bit and make some deals somewhere else."

"Somewhere else huh?" Jake snarled. "So it wouldn't have anything to do with the cops interviewing me every week or so?"

"No" Daniel muttered moodily. "Look Jake, I don't know anything!"

"You know plenty" Jake grinned eagerly. "You just won't tell me."

Daniel swallowed hard.

"I don't think you quite get what I'm saying." Jake said, still smiling. "You're going to tell me where exactly Dingo is, and how he got there, and what he's doing there. Voluntarily or not."

* * *

"WALLY!"

Wallabee cringed, trying to ignore the voice chasing after him across the quad. He reached the carpark before he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He heaved a sigh and turned.

"I'm sorry" She blurted before he had a chance to explain things. He frowned.

"What for?"

Kuki looked down at her violet converse sneakers, studying the laces instead of looking up into his face. She couldn't help but feel she was guilty for how troubled his expression was. "Just…for whatever it is that you're upset about."

Wally groaned, now feeling guilty at making her feel guilty. Never ending battle, love, isn't it?

"It's not you, Kooks." He mumbled, stepping closer to her to try and look into those violet eyes he loves so much. "Don't worry…I just have some stuff to think about."

"But you're avoiding me" She whispered sadly, looking up slowly. Her silky black bangs fell into her eyes. "It's really been a week since you spoke to me. Did I do something wrong?"

Wally shook his head, despite himself grinning. "No, Kuks. You've done nothing wrong."

"Oh" She bit her lip. "Does that mean we're…friends?"

"Yeah" He said, relaxing. "Friends." _For now _He had to add to himself.

Kuki smiled, but inside her stomach seemed to be doing front flips. _All he wants is to be friends… _She had to admit sadly to herself. It made her want to run up to her dorm, crawl into her bed and stay there for the rest of the week.

"So…" He said brightly to her. It had been a while since he'd really hung out with a friend. He'd been trying to hang out with Abby the past few days and the two had watched many movie marathons together- resulting in them falling asleep against each other. "Do you wanna…do something?"

"Yeah" She said brightly, her face lightening up. "Your choice!"

"Well I'm sick of study" He snarled to himself, looking at the book in his hands with disgust.

"You know what usually helps with that?" Kuki asked him, issuing a bright, cheerful smile. "Ice cream."

* * *

Mushi walked through the main door of the garage, knowing this was the place. She felt herself shake, but she kept her face still and determined. She was convinced that this was all it took, she just needed to ask them to leave her boyfriend alone and they should. I mean he hadn't done anything wrong, so what was the point in bashing him to a pulp?

Bandit was sprawled underneath a car, shouting every now and then for Dodge to pass him something. The only problem being, Dodge wasn't a very alert person, especially when there was a girl in the vicinity.

"Dodge pass the spanner…DODGE! Tiny spanner…right near your foot…Dodge!"

Dodge looked over curiously at the tiny, Japanese looking girl that had just come through the door. She seemed to make a beeline for him, dodging the parked cars and toolboxes that were scattered everywhere.

_"King"_ He mumbled Bandit's nickname to his friend to give him the hint and kicked his leg. "King."

Bandit slid out from under the camaro and looked up, confused. Mushi looked at the both of them, swallowing her nerves and clearing her throat.

"Um…hi."

"Can I help you?" Dodge asked her, folding his arms across his muscular chest and leaning towards her in a threatening way. Bandit pushed himself off the ground.

"Uh…yeah." Mushi mumbled, swallowing. "Is Ace around?"

Bandit and Dodge exchanged glances, knowing this was a business deal. Like Dodge said, only acquaintances and close friends knew their codenames (gang names) because they only used them when dealing with a "Client". They didn't recognize this girl as one of their customers, but if she knew Dingo by his codename then it was a pretty serious matter.

"Who's asking?" Dodge said protectively, raising his eyebrows. Mushi faltered.

"My name's…Mushi." She muttered, trying to appear confident. "And I'm...here for a friend."

"Wait outside" Dodge told her, nodding his head towards the back of the shop. "We'll meet you there."

* * *

"So how's the new job?" Fanny asked the boy at the counter as she slid over his order. "Going well?"

"No" Hoagie mumbled moodily, chewing on his fries. "It sucks. Are you sure there are no openings for waitressing at this place?"

Fanny rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Hoags, even if you're doing the dirtiest job in the world it's better than here. You're at the bottom of the ladder here, everyone treats you like…a nobody, just a waitress."

"Exactly" Hoagie snarled. "I've only worked for 3 hours and so far I've done is been yelled, shouted and glared at."

"Welcome to the strange new world of the employed." Fanny mumbled, smirking. "Work your butt off and…that's it."

Hoagie rolled his eyes. "Can't be all that bad, right?"

"Sure" Fanny muttered. "Once you find your place in your work_place, _you'll be fine."

"Yeah I don't think that's gonna work out." Hoagie sighed. "I don't exactly fit in. They speak a language I don't quite understand."

Fanny raised her eyebrows. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Hoagie shrugged. "Just...I dunno."

Fanny smirked at him, trying hard to hide the blush appearing on her cheeks as he flashed his blue eyes at her. She couldn't believe she almost swooned around this guy. Her heart was basically in the palm of his hands. When did she become so weak with love?

She smiled at him. "Don't worry, you'll always have me to talk to on your lunch break."

Hoagie grinned. "It can't be that bad then."

* * *

"Hey Sweetie"

Mushi looked up in alarm as she pushed herself off the brick wall she had been leaning on. She swallowed and stood tall as a guy of about 20 stood in front of her, an eager grin on his face.

"So you've got a problem?"

"Are you Ace?" Mushi asked cautiously. She only knew the name of the real 'leader' who had it in for Sandy, and wasn't even sure who he looked like. Another guy appeared behind him (Bandit) and she froze, realizing she was outnumbered.

"Nah" Trent rolled his eyes at her, his cold gray pupils flashing maliciously. "You can call me Jack, this is King." He pointed to Bandit beside him, who smirked behind his aviator sunglasses. "So what's the problem?"

"I came to talk to Ace." Mushi said with confidence, folding her arms over her frail body. "You guys have been bashing up my boyfriend for no particular reason. I-I wanted to put an end to it."

"Really?" Trent smirked as he took in the young beauty before him. A little peaky, but he could deal. "We don't just 'decide' to, as you say, 'bash up' people, Hun. We do it for a reason."

"Well there's no reason!" Mushi said loudly, glaring at him. "So you can tell your 'leader' or whoever, that he's made a mistake, and that Sandy is-"

"Sandy?" Dingo suddenly appeared, large sunglasses over his eyes and a toothpick between his teeth. He seemed to smirk as he walked past Trent and Bandit and instead stood beside her. "Oh yeah, doll. We know him." He leaned towards her and scowled in a rough voice into her face. "Your guy owes us big bucks."

"What?" Mushi looked up at them incredulously. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"He happens to owe us $3000." Dingo snarled at her with distaste. He knew not to trust that stupid kid when he first met him, so why should his girlfriend matter? "And, because he hasn't coughed up I'm adding an extra 500 for wasting my time."

"What do you mean?" Mushi's ice blue eyes widened as she looked at the 3 men standing around her hauntingly. "Sandy never…what…what have you got against him?"

Trent jumped forward eagerly, his smile widening as he stepped closer to her.

"Well you see sweetheart…" He simpered to her, cornering her against the wall. "Your boyfriend is what we call an asshole, and we demand money from this asshole, and if this asshole does not give it to us, we take it out on his ass." He tapped her cheek affectionately. "Comprehende?"

"Why does he owe you money?" Mushi asked, frowning and looking back at the leader. "What deal have you got with him?"

"You see Sweetie" Trent began again in that intimidating voice, as if he was a teacher in a first grade class, "Your lovely boyfriend is what we call a druggo."

"What?" She scoffed. "This has to be a joke. Sandy doesn't do drugs."

"I don't blame him for lying if he's this much in debt." Dingo put in savagely. "Three and a half grand by next week or it's his head."

Mushi was speechless, looking from the three of them, trying to read their faces for any sign of sarcasm. Her Sandy? Buying drugs from these guys? They must be joking…

"What kind of drugs?" She snapped, frowning.

"Does it matter?" Bandit put in from the sidelines.

"So can you pass that message on?" Dingo growled at her. He was starting to get really irritated with this kid. He'd put off his worries for a while, but the reminder that some kid owed him 3 grand really ticked him off. He'd forgotten what his real job was in this world with the gang. "Or am I gonna have to write it on your hand?"

Mushi shook her head. "He hasn't got any money."

"Better find a way of getting it." Bandit snarled at her.

"He doesn't have anything!" Mushi felt tears come to her eyes. She was lost, alone, confused and without anyone in the world to give her guidance. She suddenly wished for her mother, father, sister, anybody to come and drag her from this place. It all came crashing down on her then at what a failure she had become- begging drug dealers for any sympathy. "Can't you just…forget the whole deal?"

Dingo let out a bark-like laugh. "Sorry kid, no can do. I am running a business." He rolled his eyes and nodded to Trent. "Jack, whatever it takes, kay?"

"Right Ace" Trent gave him a fake salute. Bandit sighed from the doorway as Dingo walked back inside. Mushi frowned.

"What do you mean whatever it takes?" She mumbled, feeling nervous and intimidated. "Look, if you beat up Sandy again I'll go to the cops, don't think I-"

She felt a strong hand at her throat and she gasped, looking into the eyes of Trent, who had her pressed up against the wall in half a second flat. She tried to scream but his hand quickly covered her mouth. Bandit lit a cigarette, looking up into the sky thoughtfully, turning away from the entire scene.

"Listen_ Toots_." Trent whispered into her ear, smirking. "The sooner we get the cash, the sooner we lay off your boyfriend. Right now he's taking his goddamn time, so we think he needs a bit more motivation." His hand travelled to his pocket and he flipped open a switchblade and pressed it to her cheek. Her eyes widened and he grinned at her, his gray eyes twinkling just like the knife blade did.

…"Comprehende?"

* * *

Abby bit her lip as she looked through the many pamphlets the maternity ward had to offer, anything about possible adoption for her baby. It brought tears to her eyes at the thought of giving her baby away, but Maurice's warning rang clear through her head like a song.

"_He's not father material…"_

Abby sighed, dropping the pamphlets onto the chair next to him and running her hands through her hair. She closed her eyes and tried to think. She tried to imagine herself delivering a healthy baby, cuddling it close as it slept in her arms, then being there to physically hand it over to a strange happy couple.

She couldn't do it.

"Do you need any help?"

Abby jumped in alarm, looking around what she thought was a deserted hallway. Instead there was a tall girl leaning over her, smiling sweetly. She had a kind face and seemed to be in her mid-30s. Abby also noticed she herself had a small baby bump that showed through her dress.

"Uh, no" Abby mumbled, winding a finger around a lock of her elbow length hair. "I'm…fine."

Despite this, the woman sat next to her and glanced at the pamphlets that were scattered across the chair.

"So you're here for the birth class too?"

"Uh" Abby frowned. "What?"

"The birth class, it starts in half an hour. I got here early, though. I couldn't wait!" She smiled excitedly at Abby, who meekly tried to return it.

"Uh…no, I'm only…3 months…"

"Really? I'm four!" The woman said enthusiastically. She picked up the pamphlet that had dropped to the floor and her face softened. "Adoption?"

Abby swallowed. "It's…just an option." She felt embarrassed then, like she was giving off the impression that she was ashamed of her pregnancy. If only the woman knew the situation.

The woman put a comforting hand on her arm. "Personally, dear. I couldn't go through with it. I've been trying for 10 years for this baby, you know."

"I don't think I can go through it." Abby sighed deeply. "But what else can I do?"

"You could have it" The stranger suggested. "You look like a sensible girl to me."

"Appearances can be deceiving" Abby muttered under her breath, looking sad. "But the more I think about it the more I want it."

"Then what's the problem?" the woman asked with interest.

"It's-" Abby bit her lip. Even she couldn't keep up with what was going on in her life. "I-I I'm not sure about…the father…he's great, and everything, but I don't know if he's ready, and if he can handle it, he was open to the idea but I don't know if I should- And the situation is really confusing-"

"Does he love you?"

Abby looked up, blinking. "Well, uh-" She thought of all the times when Dingo had murmured those words to her. "I guess he does."

"Do you love him?"

Abby looked back down, thinking of all the times it had slipped out when she was with him. "I guess I do."

The woman smiled. "In a perfect world, that's all that should matter."

Abby heaved a sad sigh and gathered up her pamphlets, pulling her bag over her shoulder. "I should go…" She muttered to the woman next to her. Hesitantly she offered her hand and the woman took it. "Thank you for the talk."

The woman grinned at her. "I hope to see you back here, dear." Abby smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

"Maybe I will."

The woman gave her a small wave as Abby continued up the hall, sighing to herself as thoughts raced through her mind. Maybe she could be a mother…maybe she could do it all by herself. She wasn't even sure if Dingo did love her in the first place, maybe he was just using her. She bit her lip. Maybe her and Dingo weren't meant to be…

"Sorry" She mumbled as she felt herself run into someone. She had to start paying more attention…

Lizzie ignored her, instead scanning the many pamphlets that were offered on the floor. She had to get some background info if she wanted to pass this story off as believable…at least for a couple of months. She suddenly frowned, recognizing the voice of the girl that just run into her. She frowned as she stared at the girl who was walking up the hallway to the elevator. She could remember that long, wavy brown hair anywhere.

"Abby?"

* * *

"What one did you get again?" Wally asked with interest, staring at the cup Kuki was holding as they walked past the fountain. She smirked.

"Double white-choc chip coconut raspberry swirl" She said, licking her spoon and going in for another bite. "Wanna taste?" She held the spoon up to his face. He hesitated, then tried it.

"It's good" he said, shrugging. He smirked. "Pretty good."

"What did you get?" Kuki asked, licking her lips. Wally shrugged.

"Dunno, it just looked cool."

They had just exited the ice cream store, which was located a block away from their college. Wally had never been there before, but Kuki had entered with interest, like…a little kid in a candy store, except it was a little girl in an ice cream store. She'd pushed her face across the glass with such excitement it had enticed Wally, making him smile and thinking of the times when they were younger. Nobody had taken him to the ice creamery since he was about 12.

"Lemme see!" She said eagerly, her spoon diving in. He chuckled as she licked it, licking her lips thoughtfully.

"Oooo!" She grinned happily. "Rainbow Sherbet, one of my favourites."

"Really?" Wally grinned with interest. "Now one of mine, too."

She smiled at him as they continued walking through the park happily. "So what have you been up to these past 10 years?" She asked with interest.

He shrugged. "Nothing much…what about you?"

"About the same" She agreed. "But come on, you must have something."

"Not…really." He swallowed, not really feeling like talking about his relationship with Abby. "Just…trying to get on with my life after you left."

She stopped and he paused, frowning at her. She gave him a sad look.

"I'm sorry if I upset you by leaving" She said earnestly. She hated the fact she had caused him pain by leaving, but it was something she couldn't control.

"I'm…sorry too." He said to her. He didn't say why, and he was sure he didn't have to. She seemed to smile at him and the two friends paused, looking at each other. All they could hear was the fountain in the background as they gazed into each other's eyes, becoming lost in old memories.

"We better get back" Kuki broke into the silence sadly. Wally nodded regretfully.

"Yeah…"

* * *

Nigel tried his hardest not to slip over as he quickly ran out of his shower and onto the carpet, tripping over his towel as he ran to his phone, which had been ringing for the past 10 minutes. He quickly flipped it open and held it to his ear, trying to hold his towel tightly at the same time.

"Hello?"

"Hi Nigie" He felt himself groan as he heard a fake sniff come through the receiver.

"What is it, Lizzie?"

Lizzie sighed deeply, shifting her cell phone to the other ear. "We have to talk." She said in her best practiced serious tone. "It's very important."

"Uh, can it wait?" Nigel asked, feeling the water drip off his body and onto the carpet. "I'm kinda, you know-"

"No it can't Nigel!" Lizzie said sternly and heaved another fake sniff. "It's important!"

"Okay" Nigel sighed, walking into his bedroom and shutting the door with his foot. "What is it? Although make it quick I'm late for a date with-"

"I'm pregnant."

Nigel froze in his tracks.

"You can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am Nigel!" Lizzie said, heaving a depressed sigh. "I wish it weren't true but it is. I took a test this morning and now I'm here for an ultrasound."

Nigel rolled his eyes. "Lizzie…" He sighed, "You're not pregnant."

Lizzie frowned. "I am too Nigel! I'm in the hospital right now!"

"Lizzie.." Nigel pressed a hand to his forehead. "You're on the pill!"

Lizzie bit her lip. "Well…maybe I was lying."

Nigel blew his fringe out of his face. "And we've never, you know, _done it_ unprotected."

"Well…" Lizzie felt herself blush. "Things can happen, Nigel!"

"Lizzie" Nigel sighed deeply. "It's been 4 months since we last…_you know_." He shuddered as he thought back to the memory. "There is just no way, okay?"

Lizzie swallowed hard, feeling tears come to her eyes. "Nigel" Her voice lowered to a pathetic squeak. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Because you're lying Lizzie" Nigel put it to her delicately. "I have to go, okay?"

"Nigel I'm at the hospital" Lizzie insisted.

"Congratulations."

"The nurse is even telling me to turn off my cell phone."

"That's nice Lizzie…hanging up now."

Lizzie growled in frustration. She was losing it… She was losing the plan.

"Nigel" She growled. "Really I'm pregnant. I saw Abby here, ask her yourself!"

Nigel sighed at his ex-girlfriend, but paused upon hearing his friend's name. He stopped in the act of putting on his socks. "What?" He muttered into the phone. "Lizzie what are you on?"

"I saw Abby here in the maternity ward, Nigel." Lizzie snarled at him. "She was with me, here, in the maternity ward. I'm booked in for a sonogram, I can take a picture of the doctor if you want-"

"Lizzie' Nigel snarled. "This is the worst lie I've ever heard. Not only are you not in the maternity ward, you're not pregnant, okay? This is a pathetic attempt to win me back and frankly I'm surprised at how low you would sink, and I'm even more surprised at how you'd drag one of my best friend's into this."

"But Abby _was _here." Lizzie growled. "That wasn't a lie."

"Whatever Lizzie" With that Nigel hung up the phone, trying to think of how he put up with that for 10 years.

* * *

Abby nibbled on her right thumb nail as she rode up the elevator to Dingo's floor. She was ready, she was going to tell him.

_Dingo I think I should raise the baby alone. Dingo, I'm prepared to move far away in order to raise the baby by myself. Dingo, I don't know if you're ready to be a father, I don't even know if you really love me. So why don't we just call the whole thing off?_

Abby bit down on her lip hard. He was NOT going to take that well, no matter how nicely she put it. The floor opened to his floor and she frowned, recognizing the music playing.

Was that…Beyonce?

* * *

Dingo opened the door to his apartment, snarling and throwing his shirt across the living room. That stupid kid had really pissed him off. He hated when people crossed him like that.

He ran his hands through his hair and sighed, glancing sideways into the mirror. He checked his hair slyly, wondering if any of his natural black roots were showing through the blonde locks. None so far, but he couldn't hide his true colours for long, right?

He growled and turned on his iPod speakers onto shuffle. He needed to let off some serious steam. He walked into his bathroom to run a shower as the steady, heavy _(And totally awesome)_ guitar and drum beat of Metallica filled echoed through the apartment.

He let the hot water flow down his body and over his face, easing the tension in his muscles and mind. He seemed to dread anything to do with the gang now, usually he loved it. But the fact that Abby still didn't know anything about his past almost frightened him. But he couldn't tell her, she saw a beauty and goodness in him that nobody (except one) in the world did. She loved him because she saw his inner goodness, she didn't love him because he had a constant urge to break any rule he came into contact with.

He stepped out of the shower as the Metallica song ended, instead going into a much slower, steadier one. He groaned as he pulled on a fresh pair of jeans. He'd only put this song onto his iPod because it reminded him of Abby, now it was just rubbing in that guilty feeling.

_Remember those walls I built  
Well, baby they're tumbling down  
And they didn't even put up a fight  
They didn't even make up a sound_

Abby opened the door of his apartment, frowning but at the same time smiling. It was Beyonce, it was one of her favourite songs that reminded her of him. She felt herself sigh. What a coincidence.

She shut the door behind her as he entered the living room. He'd obviously just had a shower, as his hair was still wet. His face brightened as he saw her, and all her feelings suddenly melted away as she saw him. She even forgot what she was here for.

_I found a way to let you in  
But I never really had a doubt  
Standing in the light of your halo  
I got my angel now_

She swallowed, feeling tears come to her eyes as he walked over to her and held her in his still damp arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed into those emerald eyes. He looked into her wide brown ones. Her bottom lip began to tremble as she realised she couldn't do it. She couldn't shut him out of her life.

_It's like I've been awakened  
Every rule I had you breakin'  
It's the risk that I'm takin'  
I ain't never gonna shut you out_

Dingo held her close to him, wishing he could stay like this forever. He couldn't deny how much he loved the girl in his arms, she had a way with him nobody else did. He couldn't hurt her or bring her down in any way. He loved her like nobody else in the world. She saw something nobody else did.

_Everywhere I'm looking now  
I'm surrounded by your embrace  
Baby I can see your halo  
You know you're my saving grace_

Abby felt herself cry against his skin. She didn't know what to do, she was having the make the biggest decision of her life. She loved this boy but she knew it was wrong, everything told her it was wrong, but she couldn't deny how she felt. Even though everyone told her he was bad, all she saw in him was good.

_You're everything I need and more  
It's written all over your face  
Baby I can feel your halo  
Pray it won't fade away_

She raised her head and looked into his eyes, which were deep and filled with emotion. It had felt like forever since they had been together, unable to hold each other together. He dipped his head low and cupped her face in his hands. He felt so calm when he was with her. She was like his heroin, his ecstasy and nirvana all wrapped in one. He couldn't live without her. A tear dropped out of her eye and slid down his hand. Her lips met his.

* * *

The two friends walked up to the college, trying as hard as they could not to look at each other, but it was a challenge none of them could seem to face.

Kuki glanced over at Wally. The frown, the narrowed eyes and his hands in his pockets- she knew that look. He was troubled, anxious and his mind was racing. She gulped and looked to the ground, hoping she hadn't done something she shouldn't have.

Wally's eyes travelled over to Kuki, who was walking along peacefully, but her arms were folded and her eyes seemed distant, as if she was lost in her own thoughts. He swallowed, wishing more than anything he could have her all to himself. She was beautiful, and wanted to tell her that.

"Listen" He stopped and put a hand to her shoulder. She obeyed and looked at him, her eyes wide and heart hopeful. He sighed. "I…"

She looked up at him, wondering what he was thinking. What was troubling him so much? What made him so anxious? Was it her? Did he not want to continue their friendship?

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head, swallowing. "Too much is going on…and I don't know if I…know what I want anymore." He blurted out and looked at her. He felt like he could tell her anything. Those violet eyes seemed to see right through him into his soul.

She crept closer to him in concern and touched his arm. She swallowed at the feel of him. "What do you want?"

"I don't know" He whispered. "I'm only really sure of one thing at the moment."

Kuki swallowed, frowning. "What are you sure of?"

He swallowed, his cheeks feeling very hot. He couldn't deny it, he had to tell her. Everything, otherwise he felt as though he would explode.

"You"

Without another word, he kissed her. Hoagie, Dingo, Abby….everything else didn't matter. It was just her, and only her. Her kiss was everything- it calmed him like a drug and tasted sweet, like the raspberry ice cream she had before. It was a sweet, beautiful kiss full of passion and love. Kuki kissed him back, her hands going to his cheeks. She loved him and he loved her. Her heart lifted to her head, her feet felt like air, she was in paradise, nirvana, heaven-

They broke apart, gasping. Their eyes widened at each other in surprise, their actions replaying in their heads. One thought stood out most of all- the one person they had forgotten.

_Abby._

_

* * *

_

_AH! ...Cliffie?_

_Anyway *Ahem* Notes again! (I know...boring right?) For those who were confused by my confusing form of so called creativity, Dingo's 'gang' (Drug dealing Aussie mob of early-20s guys) Are named after a deck of cars- Ace, King, Jack, Joker. Queen you say? Well...you'll find out. I'm sorry for all of the OCs but I swear they're the last ones for some time. Besides, they're the beginning points for many storylines XP think of them as villains._

_Halo- weird pick for a song huh? Because we all know Dingo's no angel XP_

_I really need to find a song for Wally and Kuki, but there's just so many to pick from..._

_And anyways...Tune in next time to find out what happens next XD_


	6. Chapter 6: Caught

Back again for more? YAY! *dances happily*

_Yes, I have to admit, I'm addicted to this story! I love it so. I love you loyal reviewers! *blows kisses!* _

_Ahem, yes...anyway. ANOTHER CHAPTER! (weew) I hope you guys like it, don't forget to review!_

_A word from our sponsors! *Fanfare*_

TheMindandSoul: _Why thank you! My creativity at its most...creative._ _Gosh the Drama...so intensified! EEEE! I hope you like the update :D_

hellopandaluver: _Oh yay! And yes in response to your question...I have cookies! *throws tray as a distraction and runs away from flaming spears* I hope you like the update!_

sstoons3425: _Thank you for the review! I hope you like this update :D let me know what you think ;)_

Kameko-Lullaby: _Wow Dingo scares you too? Well you're not the only one... -looks over at Dingo nervously- I'm glad you like it :D _

blue-eyed-blonde12 : _Join the club, I would like to also punch Lizzie in the face. She annoys me so. *sigh*, she's a little OCC, but I can't really imagine her being any other way. I'm so happy you like! *Squee*_

Laurie43 : _YAY long review! *blows party blower* I know, it's getting hard to keep up with everyone, huh? Sometimes I even get confused :S hopefully some happiness is in the air for at least one character. _

_Enjoy! :D_

_

* * *

Wally groaned and rolled over in his sleep. He didn't remember falling asleep on the couch, but he did remember falling to the floor as he rolled __off _the couch. He muffled a curse as he slammed to the carpet face first.

"_Ugh_…" He groaned, attempting to stand up and open his eyes. "Not the best way to wake up in the morning."

He looked around. He was in his living room, in his own house. How'd he get here? He must not have gone back to the dorm after…

He felt his throat constrict as he thought back to the moments that happened yesterday afternoon.

_I kissed Kuki. I cheated on Abby._ He sank back onto the couch with his head in his hands, the guilt washing over him like a tsunami. He felt so stupid, like such an _idiot…_

"More than 3 freakin' years" He snarled to himself. "And you blew it just because one girl came into the picture. You are so _weak _Wallabee Beatles…"

"Hey WAL!"

Wally almost hit the floor again as he jumped at the loud voice in his ear. Joey was beside him, grinning from ear to ear and holding a piece of toast in his hand.

"You came to hang out with me!"

"Uh, No." Wally cringed at the disappointed look his little brother gave him. His green eyes seemed downcast and his smile quickly disappeared. "Sorry, Joey…but I got a lot of stuff on and, uh…" He made an attempt to stand up. "I have to think about some stuff."

Joey groaned loudly, biting into his toast with ferocity. "Then why'd you come over if you weren't gonna spend any time with me?"

Wally shook his head. "I'm going to my room." He was beginning to feel grateful that he actually kept his room the way it was since he was 15. His mother even agreed to keep it just the way he liked it when he left for college, just so Wally could come back at any time and the room would still be his.

Joey snarled at him, kicking the couch furiously. "Fine!" He growled at his older brother as he walked out of the room. "Fine! I don't care! I'll have fun all by myself! I don't need you!"

He heard Wally's bedroom door slam and he grabbed the controller of his game console and switched it on_. "Who needs you anyway?"_ Joey growled under his breath as he waited for the game to load. He was sick of being an only child, he wasn't used to being on his own all the time and loved to hang around other people. It seemed his brother was always too busy, his dad was always working and his mother too preoccupied.

The game flashed.

_One Player or Two Player?_

"OH RUB IT IN!" Joey shouted at the TV and left the room in a huff, grabbing his skateboard before opening the front door. He was sick of being alone in this house.

"I'm going for a skate" He mumbled to nobody in particular before slamming the front door.

* * *

Abby frowned in her sleep and attempted to open her eyes, squinting over at the small phone that lay on the dark bedside table. She shifted aside the packet of cigarettes and beer bottles and grabbed it, glancing at the time.

"_Dammit"_ She hissed and made a grab at her bra that lay on the floor. She looked cautiously over at the sleeping form of Dingo, whose muscular arm was wrapped around her form protectively. She tentatively lifted him off and he groaned in his sleep.

She bit her lip as she climbed out of his bed, feeling extremely guilty. She carefully looked around the room for the rest of her clothes, but in the end couldn't find her shirt anywhere. As she looked under her bed she felt her phone vibrate in her palm. She tiptoed out of the room and answered it quietly in the hall.

"Hello?"

"Hey Abs."

"Oh" She bit her lip as she realised her boyfriend's voice. "Hey Wally. What are you up to?"

"Nothing much" Wally answered truthfully, looking up at the ceiling of his old bedroom. It still had posters of all his favourite bands stuck to it. "What about you?"

"Nothing" Abby mumbled, looking up the hallway and shivering in the morning cold. She was still only clad in a bra and jeans. "I was just about to go to the café for a coffee then finish writing my entry for the paper."

"That's…good." Wallabee complimented. He was left with silence.

He didn't feel it…that spark they once seemed to have. Something was standing between them, and he knew what it was. He thought back to his mother's words, and knew a decision had to be made. "Listen…do you want to have dinner with me tonight?"

"Uh…dinner?" Abby frowned. "You want to take…me…to dinner?" That was unusual, the couple hadn't been on a dinner date in 4 months. They weren't the 'sitting down to dinner' type. Usually because they couldn't agree on the food, or they weren't bothered to get dressed up. They were usually the 'order in and laze around' couple. "Uh yeah sure, when and where?"

"How about you meet me at _Lassitors_?" Wallabee suggested, thinking of the first place that came into his head. Lassitors was a fairly known Italian restaurant in the middle of town, and it was where they had dined before, back when they were closer. Abby smiled at the memory that seemed so far away.

"Sure Wal" She sighed. "Say 7?"

"Yeah" He sighed back. "I'll see you there, then."

Abby bit her lip. "…I love you, Wally."

Wally swallowed the lump in his throat. "You too."

She hung up, suddenly feeling the urge to rush home, crawl into bed, and stay there all day. She knew it in her heart that Wally didn't love her anymore; it was simply pointless for him to say it back. She leaned on the wall and took a deep breath. She wondered if she was the cause of it, did she push him away? Did she take him for granted?

She shook her head and opened the bedroom door again, anxious to find her shirt. She looked up in shock as she saw Dingo standing in the doorway, a fierce look in his emerald eyes and his hair unkempt. He looked furious.

"Going somewhere?"

"No" She snapped. They seemed to both look down at her purple lace bra. "I'm just going home."

"Without telling me?" He growled at her. He folded his arms over his naked chest. "So was that _him_?"

Abby sighed, holding up her phone. "Yeah." What was the use lying to him?

"So you're just dropping me because _he _rang?" Dingo asked her incredulously as she pushed past, searching the room for her shirt. She grabbed her jacket from the dresser. "You're just running off to him and leaving me?"

"I'm not leaving you, Dingo." Abby snarled in annoyance at his tone of voice. "I'm going home, okay? I need to think about some stuff and-"

She almost ran into him and he glared down at her suspiciously. "And you're running off to him?"

"No" She snapped, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not, okay? Why do you have to act like you're at such competition with him anyway? What's he ever done to you? You don't even know him-"

"I don't want to!" Dingo snapped back at her, his face dangerous. "And I don't need to either. He's a pathetic waste of space!"

"How can you even say that?" Abby asked him, frowning. "What's wrong with you?"

"NOTHING!" He suddenly shouted at her. Her expression didn't change. "I'm just PISSED OFF! You always do this! You always run off and leave me for him. He's not interested Abs, and neither are you obviously. Why don't you two just give up and smell the funeral roses?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"Abby asked him quietly. Dingo laughed at her, rolling his eyes.

"Oh please, Abby. If _he_ really loved you, you wouldn't be here. And if you were 100% sure that _you_ loved him you wouldn't be here either. It's a relationship based on smoke and mirrors, why don't you wake up to yourself? You're having my kid, Abs. That's clearly saying freakin' SOMETHING."

"So what?" Abby suddenly raised her voice. "I give up everything to be with YOU?"

"YES!"

"I CAN'T DO THAT!"

"WHY NOT?"

"Because-" She suddenly stopped, and felt tears come to her eyes. "Because I _can't. _I can't admit to Wally I failed him, I can't be labeled a whore, and I can't be labeled a slut, and I just…I can't ignore the judgments that will be made about me, okay?"

"To hell what people think." Dingo growled at her, reaching to wrap his arms around her. "You deserve to be happy, and so do I. Meaning we should be together."

Abby shook her head, feeling tears rush down her eyes. "I don't know what to do…"

Dingo grabbed her hands, holding her closer to him and holding her hands tightly. "You could be with me."

Abby frowned. "And how would that work?"

Dingo looked at her earnestly. He'd never loved someone the way he loved Abby, and even he was willing to admit that. He didn't even quite understand why he hated the thought of letting her go, but he was willing to try anything to make it work with her, even if it meant giving up the gang and his deals.

"I don't know." He admitted. "But you gotta break it off with him, Abs. For me?"

"Don't put that on me" She growled at him and wiped at her eyes. "Where's my shirt?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not telling you where it is until you talk to me."

"I have to go!" She shouted at him, pulling away. "I've had enough of these stupid games with you! Where'd you put it?"

"I'm not saying!" He growled at her and suddenly grabbed her hand. She glanced at him, his eyes were wide and pleading. Sometimes Abby thought to herself how much he reminded her of a little kid- just begging for attention and love. "Please Abs." He begged her quietly. "Stay?"

She sighed, but managed to shake her head.

"Dingo…" She mumbled to him and ran a finger along his forehead, pushing the hair out of his eyes. "I can't."

"We have to talk about the baby" He insisted to her, his pleading eyes boring into hers. "You can't hide it forever."

She pulled her hand away and wrapped her jacket around her form, walking towards the door. He caught up to her and pushed her firmly against the wall.

"Babe" He growled at her. "I'm not taking this anymore. I'm sick of this crap. You're mine, but you call yourself someone else's."

"I don't _belong _to anyone." Abby mumbled. "What do I look like? A pet?"

Dingo narrowed his eyes at her. "I mean it." He snarled menacingly. "If you don't break up with Wallabee soon, I'll tell him about the pregnancy."

Abby pushed him off, looking into his eyes fiercely. "You wouldn't."

"I would" He corrected. "You're killing me with this you know. I love you."

She looked back at him. He glared back. Maybe it was just her eyes deceiving her, but she saw through the tough exterior and passed to what was passing through his head inside. He was scared, maybe of losing her, or maybe that she didn't love him. Maybe he was scared to lose the fact that somebody loved him. Maybe he'd been let down before by somebody who loved him and wasn't going to let it happen again.

"And I'm not going to let you go Abby." He growled. "I'll do whatever it takes to make you mine."

She gave him a sigh and calmly walked over to him, running a hand down his face, his morning stubble gently pricked her fingers slightly. He suddenly softened, those big brown eyes seemed to spellbind him, and suddenly his guard was down.

"Please…" She said to him delicately. "Trust me?"

* * *

Mushi sniffed, splashing her face with warm water. She looked at herself carefully in the mirror and almost burst into tears at the sight of her reflection. Sandy would surely notice the painful, sharp, deep gash that had been cut into her cheek- two slashes, straight lines that formed a 'T'.

She had no idea what it meant, and she wasn't even sure why they had given it to her. That Jack, the one with the cold gray eyes and rust coloured hair, his expression hadn't changed all through when he was threatening her. He said he'd give her 'something to remember' and he had.

It was hard to forget the cut on her cheek his switchblade had created.

"Mushi?" She heard a knock on the door and she quickly covered her cheek as she realised it was her boyfriend, returning home. When she had entered his apartment it was empty so she had let herself in. Half the time she wasn't even sure where he was…after hearing the truth about him she could fill in the blanks.

"Just give me a minute Sandy" She muttered, wiping the tears away from her face. She bit her lip at the state of her face and hands. The cut was bleeding again. She dabbed as it with a washcloth as the door opened anyway. She gasped and held it to her face, shielding the wound from view.

"What's wrong?" He asked her anxiously. He was looking skinny, pale and weak, his pupils now almost white in colour. He tried to approach her. "Mushi, are you hurt?"

"No" She hurriedly tried to push the 17 year old away from her. "I'm fine, Sandy. Really, it's just-"

As she walked past he pulled her hand away from her face. His eyes widened. "MUSHI!"

"It's fine" She growled irritably, covering her face with her hand. The cut had swollen her cheek, and the blood gently began to trickle down her face. "Really, I cut myself on the-"

"You went to them" He gulped. "You don't trust me." He looked downcast and fretful. "Mushi they could have killed you!"

"Whose fault is that?" She found herself snarling as she stomped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. It was barely a bedroom- nothing but a bed and a single light. Sandy followed her.

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you Mushi!" He rambled to her, looking terrified. "I swear it was just a phase, I'm over it and I'm clean, I would never-"

"How are you going to pay up Sandy?" Mushi asked in fear as she pulled her sweater off of the floor. "How are you going to get them off your back?"

He swallowed, looking down. "I don't know."

She sighed in defeat, feeling the tears return. She was scared, alone and helpless. She didn't know what to do.

"Me neither" With that she turned her back on her boyfriend and walked out of the apartment.

* * *

_Thousands of miles away…_

Jake smirked to himself as he sped through the highways of the busy Sydney city, dodging all of the cars that seemed to be in his way. One of his favourite songs blasted through the speakers of the '73 Ford Falcon GT Coupe he was driving. Strangely it reminded him of the owner of the car, his only son.

_Yeah, I get it,  
You're an outcast.  
Always under attack.  
Always coming in last,  
Bringing up the past.  
No one owes you anything.  
I think you need a shotgun blast,  
A kick in the ass,  
So paranoid. . .  
Watch your back_  
_  
_He nodded his head to the music and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He'd finally broken the so-called 'security system' of Dingo's 'Baby' and he grinned as he thought of the look on his son's face if he saw him driving his car through the busy streets.

_I created the Sound of Madness.  
Wrote the book on pain.  
Somehow I'm still here,  
To explain,  
That the darkest hour never comes in the night.  
You can sleep with a gun.  
When you gonna wake up and fight... for yourself?_

He heaved a sigh as he pulled off the highway and onto the exit leading to the airport. Here he was…going back to where it all started. He promised himself he would never retrace his steps back to the US, but at the same time he felt he had to. For the safety of others.

He took a drag of his cigarette and sniggered. "Ready or not, Dingo." He grinned. "Here I come."

* * *

Mushi walked slowly towards the familiar diner, taking a deep breath as she looked at the neon sign that flashed in the window- 'open 24hours.' This had become her haven, especially after finding out about Sandy, it was the only place she could really go. She pushed open the door and it opened, revealing the warm atmosphere inside. She pulled off her black woolen beret and cautiously walked up to the counter. There was nobody there except for the head waitress Irma and a chubby trucker gulping down black coffee.

"Excuse me?"

Irma looked up, snapping her chewing gum in irritation. She put her hands to her hips. "What?"

"Um" Mushi tried her best to keep her scarf and hair in front of her cheek. "I was wondering if…my friend was here…she has red hair and-"

"She ain't workin' today."

"Oh…"Mushi felt her heart sink. She didn't even know the red haired waitress, but yet she felt like she owed her life to her. She reminded her so much of Kuki, before they fell out. She sighed sadly, trying to hold back the tears.

"If you ain't gonna order nuthin'" Irma continued irritably. "You best be makin' tracks, Sweetie. This ain't no charity."

Mushi managed to nod before walking out of the diner in defeat.

* * *

_I'm so addicted to all the things you do  
When you roll around with me in between the sheets  
All the sounds you make with every breath you take  
It's not like anything when you're loving me_

Dingo angrily snarled at his stereo. This song reminded him so much of Abby, and he was trying his hardest not to think of her. She made him so angry, but at the same time he loved her so much. He sighed deeply and pulled into the garage parking lot. He slammed his car door closed and locked it, feeling furious with himself. He hated when Abby ran off from him, any other girl would have been begging to stay. No, not Abs. The one chick he wanted.

"Good morning Starshine…" Dodge greeted him cheerfully, wiggling his fingers in an irritating wave as Dingo entered the staffroom. "_The Earth says 'Hello'…"_

"..._They twinkle above us…"_ Bandit continued singing for him, before dodging the flying object Dingo hurled towards him as hard as he could. Bandit blinked in mild surprise before returning to his car magazine. "…Or not."

"Shutup" Dingo snarled menacingly, kicking the vending machine. A can of soda dropped out. "I'm not in the mood."

"I gathered." Dodge muttered, crunching on a bag of potato chips. He raised his arm up in the air and clicked his fingers. "Chuck us that soft drink."

Dingo threw it to him, continuing his rant. "- I mean she just walks out! Like…like she's a guy or something! We're the ones that are supposed to sneak out, aren't we? When did that change?"

Bandit blinked across the room at Dodge in confusion. "You follow?"

Dodge shook his head and cracked open the can. "Not a word."

Dingo continued, oblivious to his friends. "I mean-it's like she doesn't even care about me! She should show some feelings towards me shouldn't she? She's not a total heartless bitch, in fact she's far from it. She loves me, so she cares about me, right?"

Trent entered the room, running his filthy fingers through his hair. "Bad news guys."

"Now wouldn't be the best time" Bandit observed, turning the page. Dodge raised his pierced eyebrow.

"What, Trent?"

"Sandy Boy still hasn't paid up." He snarled angrily. "I'm getting sick of that twerp."

"So take it out on his ass!" Dingo growled, collapsing onto the couch and folding his arms in anger. "Do whatever you can."

Trent's eyes widened excitedly. "…Whatever I can?"

"Yeah" Dingo mumbled. "I want my cash. Dodge you go with him."

Trent eagerly rubbed his hands together, giving the best evil 'Mr. Burns' impression. Dodge gave him a skeptical, freaked out look. Trent smirked.

"This is gonna be fun!" He bounded out of the room to his car and Dodge raised his eyebrows at his best friend Dingo.

"Should I be scared?"

* * *

Kuki stared blankly at her wardrobe mirror as she lay in bed, blinking every few seconds. Her head was filled with conflicting thoughts and ideas- mostly revolving around Wally. She didn't even want to get up from bed, her head felt so heavy. She rolled over so she didn't have to look at herself anymore.

She felt like such a thief- an unknown sneak in the shadows. Like she crept up to Wally and stole him right under Abby's nose, and her poor best friend didn't even know it. Kuki felt tears well up in her eyes.

What kind of friend was she? She'd caused her best friend's boyfriend to cheat on her. How could she? What has she become? She promised herself she'd never change, but she was being so awful, so cruel to Abby…the guilt seemed to consume her. Tears trailed down her cheeks.

She was mixed up. She loved Wally, but she felt guilty about Abby. She missed Abby as a friend, yet she secretly envied her for stealing Wally away in the first place. She watched the hands move on her bright yellow alarm clock- 8AM. She should probably get up.

She pushed her blankets off her and got up, stretching. She sighed deeply at her reflection- her light ivory skin looking plain against her oversized rainbow monkey t-shirt and her ebony hair a long tangled mess. She shook her head. What was there to even do today…?

She grabbed a black skirt from her closet and threw on a green singlet over her black bra. She brushed her long, black hair and tied it up in a messy bun, and for an extra flair shoved some black chopsticks in. She quickly applied her makeup and sprayed some of her lavender perfume on. Looking at herself in the mirror, she was ready to face Wally.

* * *

Abby walked down the hallway to her bedroom, thinking of her dinner date with Wally. She had a foreboding feeling about it all, like something bad was going to happen…or maybe that was just her stomach. She wrapped her jacket closer around her shirtless frame, hoping she didn't look too suspicious.

"Hey Abby!" A cheery voice made her jump as she whipped around and saw her roommate exit out of her room, looking extra happy. She blinked her violet eyes at her expectantly. "Wow, you're up already?"

"Yeah…" Abby mumbled, suddenly feeling sick. She frowned, her stomach churning in a familiar way. Kuki frowned at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Is that…"Abby slapped a hand to her mouth. "…Lavender?"

"Uh, yeah" Kuki tried her best to give her a dazzling smile, despite Abby's pained expression. "It's my perfume" She held up her wrist to Abby's face. "Wanna smell?"

Abby ran off to the bathroom without another word, slamming the bathroom door behind her. She just reached the bathroom in time, as she vomited straight into the bowl of the toilet. She held her head in her hands, feeling her throat burn. Morning Sickness.

Clearly, her baby did not like lavender.

* * *

Trent bounded eagerly down the cracked pavement to the front door of the apartment building. In excitement he smashed the window with his fist and turned the knob from the inside, continuing down the hallway. Dodge followed behind, shaking his head at his friend. He bent down to inspect the door.

"You know Jack" He growled at Trent. "It was unlocked, you know. You could have just opened it."

"Where's the fun in that?" Trent smirked as he pushed the button for the elevator through his jacket. They were sure not to leave any fingerprints anywhere, in case the police did get involved. They both walked into the elevator, as calm and as casual as possible. As the doors closed, Trent began to twitch in excitement.

"I can't wait to show that punk kid..." He already began warming up with punching his fist into his palm. "Oh boy…I warned Ace to not trust him, but now I finally get the chance to spill some-"

The doors opened to the floor and they stepped out onto the scratched worn floorboards.

"Ace said Number 24." Dodge snarled to his partner quietly. "Let's be calm and cautious about this, we need to be very careful-"

Trent charged forward and pushed the door open. It bounced against the wall with a crash and Dodge growled, stomping after him and closing the door.

"Dammit!" He yelled at his friend. "You're not being very cautious about this!"

"Meh" Trent shrugged and twitched with excitement as he looked around the apartment. It was small and dark, with very minimum furniture- just a couch, small TV, fridge, stove…the essentials. Trent looked disappointed. "Dang. I was hoping to score some cool crap."

"Try not to act too disappointed at the fact that you're not going to be bashing some kid to a pulp." Dodge sniggered at Trent, who flipped him off. He searched the rooms in the house and returned to his friend with disappointing news.

"They're not here."

Trent cursed under his breath and kicked the wall moodily. "So we came here for NUTHIN'?"

Dodge smirked. "Not exactly…"

He gave him a knowing grin.

* * *

Nigel sighed, grateful for the peace and quiet that was rare in the College Coffee lounge. He lazed back on the leather couch with a book on his lap, trying to clear his head with a warm mocha-chino. Chocolate and coffee…whoever thought of that was genius. He looked up as he heard the door open and a gust of cold wind filled the store before it was closed again. He could recognize that long, wavy chestnut hair anywhere…

He frowned at her appearance. The way she walked, the way she unwrapped the scarf around her neck, the way her eyes seemed downcast…empty…she wasn't the same Abigail he knew. She had changed. He bit his lip, watching the way she patiently waited for her order to come. Her deep brown eyes scanned the nearly empty shop before coming to rest on Nigel, who gave her a small wave. She returned it, smiling at her friend.

He beckoned her over and she nodded, grabbing her drink and walking up to the couches to where he was sitting. He grinned at her.

"Hey Stranger."

"Hey you" She greeted back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you ever leave this place?"

"Only when they won't let me sleep in the back." He joked to her, smirking. She smirked back and took a sip of her drink. Nigel frowned.

"No coffee?"

Abby frowned at the drink in front of her. "Oh…no…tea's good for me."

Nigel almost burst out with laughter. "But you love coffee! You love any form of caffeine!"

Abby blushed and bit her lip. "No…not today…I just" She searched her mind for an excuse- any excuse rather than 'it's not good for pregnancy'. "I heard…it can give you…high blood pressure."

Nigel raised his eyebrows. "Right."

Just then, an annoying voice filled his head. _I'm telling you Nigel, Abby's here. In the Maternity Ward. _He shook these voices out of his head, instead coming up with reasonable explanations to explain Lizzie's so-called lie. Who cares if she's not drinking coffee? There's a perfectly reasonable explanation…

"Hey Abby" He suddenly blurted out before he could stop himself. "Me and Hoagie are trying to get the gang together to see if we could go on the white-water rafting trip. You know, the one we've been trying to plan since we were like, 15."

Abby almost, almost choked on her tea. Instead she just snorted half up her nose.

"White-water rafting?" She coughed to him, wiping a napkin down her front and patting her mouth. "You mean like-"

"Yeah, like going down level 9 rapids on a flimsy raft." Nigel said, rolling his eyes. "College vacation's coming up, so are you in?"

Abby swallowed. Of course, she's always wanted to go white water rafting, but there was a reason you didn't see any pregnant women on those trips. By the time College Vacation comes around she would be about 6-7 months pregnant. She couldn't go no matter what.

"I'll…have to think about it." She muttered to her friend, avoiding his gaze. "You know?"

"Uh" Nigel was stumped, unsure of what to think. Abby, one of his best friends-passing the chance at extreme sports? The girl who single handedly climbed a mountain the size of Everest made out of ice cream? This wasn't the Abby he knew…

"Okay Abs" He cleared his throat as he thought back to Lizzie's words. "Whatever you say."

Kuki tapped her fingers anxiously on her steering wheel, glancing up at the house in front of her with apprehension. She'd already gone to Wally's dorm and discovered he wasn't there, and she knew him well enough to know that he'd probably be here.

No cars were in the driveway, so she could only guess. She carefully looked in her revision mirror, checking her hair and makeup, before stepping out of her car and making her way shakily up to the front door. She knocked and waited, gnawing on her bottom lip.

Wally stumbled out of bed, furious at the knocking that he could still hear from his bedroom. He wasn't asleep, just deep in thought, and he hated to be interrupted…especially if it was one of Joey's snot-nosed friends. He stomped down the stairs and down the hall, scratching his shoulder absent-mindedly. He'd taken his shirt off a couple of hours ago, as it seemed to be a 'distraction'. With a growl he opened the door.

"He's not here-" He prepared to huff at a 10 year old, but was taken aback. Kuki Sanban was instead smiling at him shyly, her pearly skin sparkling in the early morning sunlight and looking almost angel-like in a tiny skirt and perfect singlet. He found himself gaping.

"Who's not here?" She asked, frowning slightly.

"Uh-" He coughed. "Joey." He found himself blushing and was starting to wish he had worn a shirt. Kuki was just trying to keep her eyes on his face; instead she found her eyesight trailing down to his well defined chest. "What…are you doing here?"

They locked eyes- lavender to jade. Both of them blushed, remembering the last time they were this close.

"I came to…apologise." Kuki sighed regretfully. Her body screamed against it, but she felt she had to…it was the right thing to do. He didn't belong to her…not anymore. "I'm sorry about yesterday…something came over me and I…I would never hurt you or Abby on purpose…I just-"

"It's okay" He said, those words cutting into him slightly. He frowned, trying to act as though what she was saying was completely acceptable. "I'm sorry too…I…shouldn't have, but at the same time-"

He broke off, thoughts of his girlfriend entering his head. "It doesn't matter."

"It does" She said earnestly, swallowing. _No, don't cry in front of him… _"I mean, it was wrong of me. I…I guess I just have to…face the music don't I?" She attempted a brave smile as Wally frowned at her, his face troubled.

"What music?"

"That you're not mine" Kuki sighed sadly. "It's…just hard to accept. But I'm trying."

Kuki's words seemed to break through him and land straight onto his heart, sitting there like a damp cloth, weighing it down. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared at her, his eyes deep and thoughtful. He suddenly embraced her, and her breath caught in her chest as she was pressed against his body.

"Kooks" He whispered to her earnestly, his breath tickling her ear. "Please don't ever say that again."

"Say what?" She managed to croak, running her fingers down his back. A gentle tear escaped her eye.

"I'm always yours." He mumbled, releasing her. He stared at her, never wanting her to leave his sight. He swallowed. He wanted to tell her the whole story, how he planned to break up with Abby, how he wanted to do the right thing- that he'd made his choice.

"Would you like to come in?"

* * *

_"SO!"_ Hoagie entered the garage grandly, rolling up his sleeves and opening his arms wide, taking in the scene before him. He frowned in disappointment. Instead of the familiar activity around him, his two fellow employees were lazing around the staffroom. Dingo with his chin planted firmly on his palms- still sulking, and Bandit still immersed in his car magazine. Hoagie folded his arms and frowned at them.

"Um…correct me if I'm wrong..."

Bandit's eyes flickered towards him.

"…But aren't we supposed to be working?"

Bandit blew an impressive purple bubble with the grape-flavored bubblegum he was working on. It popped audibly and he continued chewing.

"Done. Won't have another job 'til noon."

"Noon?" Hoagie frowned. "You're…you're done?"

Bandit nodded, rolling his eyes. Out of all of them, he was the most knowledgeable on mechanics. He'd done the course enough times to know everything there was to know. Dingo had a pretty wide knowledge- picking up the most from his father. The rest of the gang just did it as a paying job.

"Yeah, Rookie." Bandit joked with him. "Unless someone shows up on the spur of the moment- you're stuck cleaning."

Hoagie wrinkled his lips in distaste as he feigned excitement. "Yeah, great."

In the corner, Dingo suddenly stood up with a sigh.

"Well, I'm off."

"Righto." Bandit muttered, giving him a look. "I'll see ya back at the apartment."

Dingo nodded and walked out, deep in thought. Bandit gave him a fleeting smirk.

"Hey D"

Dingo turned, glaring at him. Bandit bit his pierced lip, grinning as he nodded to his friend's blonde hair.

"Your roots are showing."

He ducked as Dingo threw another projectile at him.

* * *

Rachel looked up from her laptop in shock as she saw her roommate enter the room.

"You're here" Rachel remarked. "That's unusual."

"Tell me about it" Fanny replied, running her fingers through her medium length red hair. "They've had me work every day this week since they fired Steph." She sat down at the table with her. "They've finally given me some days off- thank God."

Rachel nodded, smirking at her friend. "So what do you even plan to do today?"

Fanny bit her lip, pondering. "No idea."

Rachel scoffed and shook her head, returning to her paper. The two friends sat in silence for several minutes, Fanny staring off into nothing, thoughts running rapidly through her head. She's always been the one to be dedicated to work, but she really was grateful for the day off work. But at the same time she kept thinking about Mushi, and the fact that Fanny had seen her every morning since she first noticed the young girl. Rachel frowned at her.

"Fanny" She said, looking up. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Fanny jumped in her chair. "Oh yeah, I'm fine." She bit her lip, looking troubled. "It's just…this girl at work…"

Rachel closed her laptop and gave her friend her full attention. "Go on…"

Fanny sighed deeply. "It's just…she looks…hopeless, you know? Like she needs help. She looks like she doesn't really have a home or any place to go, like nobody feeds her or even cares about her. I always shout her free food and she seems so surprised at the random act of kindness…" Fanny found her fingers knotting together."I don't know, I just feel bad for her, and I have no idea what to do."

"There's nothing to do" Rachel said sadly. "Unless she asks for help."

Fanny sighed, putting her chin in her palm. She neglected to mention the fact that it was Mushi, her friend's younger sister. True, her and Kuki weren't that close, but they still spoke to one another…was it Fanny's place to tell her that her little sister needed help?

"I just don't know" Fanny sighed. "I just hope she's not in any serious trouble."

"It'll be okay, Fanny." Rachel said, patting her hand. "Really, and if worse comes to worse at least she'll have one person to go to."

Fanny tried to smile, but she couldn't help but think of Mushi arriving at work, and the look on her face when she realised her favourite waitress wasn't there.

* * *

Joey skated down the sidewalk moodily, steering his skateboard along the cracked pavement with his iPod earphones in his ears. He felt so frustrated at everything that seemed to be happening in his life. He didn't seem to understand why everyone was so keen to keep him out of the loop…he was only 11, so what was the big deal? His mother seemed off with the pixies, his father was busy at work and his brother was busy at college…anyone who really seemed to spend any time with him was his friends, and even they got sick of him.

He cheered up slightly when Simple Plan turned out to be next on his shuffle playlist.

_I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare  
I'm just a kid I know that it's not fair  
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is  
Having more fun than me_

Dingo leaned against the brick wall of the garage outside, trying (once again) to call Abby. He couldn't help but feel she was trying to shut him out, and he wanted to straighten things out with her. It was weird, but he felt he really loved her. He never thought he'd be the one to fall for a girl, but he wanted her more than anything in the world. He'd wanted her the second he'd laid eyes on her, even before knowing she was taken. He snarled to himself once he got her voicemail again.

Both brothers were so preoccupied with their own issues and troubles, neither of them noticed each other until …they smashed into each other. Joey crashed to the ground whereas Dingo just mustered up all of the curses in the English language at the kid who crashed into his sneaker painfully.

"YOU STUPID KID! WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE ****ING GOING YOU ****ING IDIOT I OUGHTA ****ING BASH YOUR ****ING HEAD IN YOU-"

He looked over at the small blonde kid who was growling at him from the sidewalk, his green eyes narrowed. Dingo frowned, pointing at him thoughtfully, still with a murderous glare evident in his emerald eyes.

"You ring a bell."

"I should!" Joey growled, rolling his eyes. He picked himself up and dusted himself off, glaring at his so-called brother who had just yelled at him. Wally had warned Joey against him, so already he felt apprehensive of his older brother. "Moron."

Dingo clicked his fingers as a smile spread over his face eagerly, suddenly recognizing the kid who had run into him. "Joey, right?"

"Yeah" Joey scowled at him and picked up his skateboard. "Whatever."

Dingo frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm eleven." Joey said defensively. "I can go wherever I want."

"Does your Mum know you're here?" Dingo asked- the shadow of a smirk on his face. Joey frowned. He didn't quite get how his own brother referred to his mother as 'your mom'. He then realised what a mistake he was making. Wally had warned him about talking to Dingo, saying he didn't trust him.

"Uh no, she's not home.' Joey muttered. "I should go-"

Dingo rolled his eyes. "Why? You scared of me?"

Joey couldn't hold in his scoff. Dingo looked down in alarm. Very rarely has anyone laughed at the idea of being afraid of him.

"No" Joey said, smirking. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Oh."

The two brothers looked at each other, their matching green eyes reading for any sign of what the other was thinking.

"Do you want a ride home?" Dingo said, shrugging. "I mean, I finished my shift and, you know. This is kinda a bad neighbourhood-"

"Yeah whatever." Joey said, shrugging. Wally's warnings still rang in his head, but his brother wasn't even here so why bother. "Got nothing else to do."

Dingo grinned at him. He kinda liked the kid's carefree attitude, it seemed like the exact opposite of him when he was that age. He walked to the back where he parked his car and Joey gaped as he saw what car he unlocked.

"Woah" He whispered, running up to it. "You gotta mustang?"

Dingo smirked. "Yeah. 1968 Ford Mustang GT. It's my favorite car…well second favourite." He thought back to his "baby" he regretfully had to leave back in Australia. He stepped in and started her up, with Joey scrambling into the passenger seat. As soon as the key started classic heavy rock music blared from the stereo. Joey wrinkled his nose and covered his ears.

"UGH! What the hell is that CRAP?

Dingo looked up, glaring at him in shock.

"THAT" He snarled at his younger brother. "Is only the best ever rock band to come out of Australia!"

Joey raised his eyebrows. "Huh?"

"AC/DC!" Dingo snarled in annoyance. "How can you not know AC/DC? Hello, _Highway to Hell!'_

"Sounds _old_." Joey smirked, grinning. Dingo rolled his eyes in annoyance as he pulled out of the driveway.

"Stupid kids." He mumbled. "They do not appreciate the classics."

"I appreciate good music" Joey grinned as he flipped through Dingo's iPod which was connected to the speakers. "You however, have no good ones."

"Do so" Dingo argued. "Why? What's good music to you? Hannah Montana? Simple Plan?" He chuckled to himself and Joey felt his cheeks flush.

"Nooo…."

* * *

Kuki sat on his childhood bed, taking in her surroundings. She was sitting in Wally's bedroom, and it hadn't changed much since she had first stepped inside. She could swear she even recognized the crayon drawing on the wall next to the door. His walls were covered with posters, his floor covered with clothes and other junk and his desk covered with random papers, books and photos. His stereo was on and rock music was gently reaching her ears as she looked at the boy who lay next to her.

His face was blank, but his eyes were deep and thoughtful, gazing up at the ceiling in wonder. She lay next to him, gazing into his face.

"What are you thinking about?"

He shrugged, looking from the ceiling and into Kuki's face, which looked troubled. "Just some stuff."

She swallowed, trying to think of the right word to say. Instead she just looked over at him as they shared his pillow- their faces inches away from each other.

"I thought about you almost every day you know" She admitted to him, whispering gently to his face. She closed her eyes in embarrassment. "You know, when I was in Japan. You were always on my mind."

He gazed at her, his wide green eyes glistening in the sunlight that streamed through his window. Gazing into those eyes made her want to melt into the sheets.

"I thought about you every day too." He smiled at her as he saw the look on her face. She smiled back at him and the two simply watched each other, immersed in each other's smiles. He suddenly rolled onto this stomach and looked down at her, sighing deeply.

"Listen…"He seemed to whisper. He reached out a hand and ran it through her hair. He felt the silky locks beneath his fingers and the feeling seemed to send jolts of electricity up his arm. "I've never been able to stop thinking about you Kuki…You've always just been…the one. Ever since we were kids. I tried to ignore the feeling, but it'll never leave…and I don't want it to."

He leaned down and brushed his lips over her forehead, closing his eyes in composure. The mere smell of her was enough to send him wild. He sighed again, his breath on her making her shiver. "I love you."

She sat up, facing him. She reached up her own hand and ran it down his face, wanting to feel his skin on hers again. "I love you too." She smiled happily, knowing she'd never love another person the way she loved him. 10 years she had lived without him, and she still felt the same way. It couldn't be wrong.

It had to be right.

He reached up a hand sadly and gently pried her hand away from his cheek. He sighed. "But Abby-"

She nodded, sighing as well. "I know."

"I'm breaking up with her."

Her head snapped to attention, her wide violet eyes looking shocked. "You-You're what?" She said breathlessly, putting a hand to her mouth. The guilt inside her seemed to crunch, contracting the muscles in her stomach and making her feel like throwing up. "You…Please don't- I feel like such a homewrecker!"

She burst into tears and Wally shook his head, frowning at her. "No, Kuki, wait-"

"I'm such a bitch!" She suddenly broke down, feeling the worst she's ever felt. Poor Abby… "I never meant for it to be this way, don't do this because of me, I-"

"But Kuki! Kuki listen-" He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him through her tears. His green eyes looked concerned as he frowned, wiping hertears away and bringing her to his chest.

"It's not because of you." He told her, putting his lips back to her forehead. "Me and Abby…it doesn't feel like we're together anymore. It was never her, Kuki. It was always you. I feel like whenever I'm with her I'm living a lie. I love her, Kuks. But as a friend, not like I love you. It's not fair to string her along." He sighed deeply. "My Mom said make a choice, and I choose you." He lifted her chin. "If you'll accept me."

Kuki rose and looked deep into his eyes, wiping away at her tears. "I want that more than anything." She admitted truthfully. She sniffed. "But, what will people say-"

"We'll give it time." Wally told her, smiling. He was relieved that there was, in fact, light at the end of the tunnel. He reached down and kissed her hand innocently. "It'll all work out."

"I hope so." Kuki smiled, sniffing and dabbing at her blotched cheeks.

"C'mon" Wally said, tugging at her hand. "let's get some tissues from downstairs, and while we're there I can get you a milkshake."

Kuki grinned. "How can I resist?"

* * *

Joey lurched forward, his head almost hitting the dashboard as Dingo slammed on the breaks, almost driving right past the house.

"We're here!" Dingo said cheerfully, smirking at him.

"You're not kidding." Joey smirked back, but his eyes looked downcast. Dingo gave him a look.

"What's up?"

"Nobody's home" Joey muttered in irritation. He suddenly blinked, giving Dingo a winning smile. Dingo cringed.

"Hell no."

"Fine" Joey snapped back, but he was still smirking. He and Dingo had at least one thing in common- they knew how to win over people. "Reject your little brother."

"But- Aw!" Dingo groaned, slamming his forehead on the steering wheel. "Tell me I'm not getting the guilt trip from an eleven year old."

"You are" Joey said innocently, grinning. He gave him his famous 'puppy dog' eyes, which were blinking up at his older brother. "_Please? _Just ONE videogame."

Dingo snarled, folding his arms sulkily across his chest.

"Fine."

* * *

"Dude! Check it!"

Maurice wrinkled his nose as his work partner shoved a bunch of printed documents in his face.

"Two girls! Only have minor suspicion offences! Haven't even been in jail but have a dodgy record! Thousand bucks a pop, and no strings attached!"

Maurice glared at Chad, who was giving him his winning smile over his desk. They were both sitting in the station, filing some paperwork. Maurice growled at him. "I told you Chad, no more alright? I'm done"

'_No strings attached' my ass… _He thought angrily to himself, thinking of Abby.

"C'mon!"Chad said eagerly, holding up two photos. One was of a young, attractive looking girl around twenty with long, red hair, darkly lined eyes and a smirk. She was holding up the police number sign before her as if it was a trophy. The other was of a girl around the same age with a blank expression (She looked out of it) her shoulder length brown hair was messy and her crop top showed a lot of stomach and cleavage. She looked hardly aware that the police had even taken the photo.

"Both from Australia." Chad added, pushing the photos under his partner's nose. "Only minor offences man! C'mon…"

"They're probably from the same gang" Maurice hissed. Chad shook his head.

"Nah, completely unrelated."

"Based on what?" Maurice snarled, putting away a file and shoving the documents back at Chad. "Look, Chad. I told you no more, alright? It was a one off thing. Find somebody else."

"Fine" Chad said, but his smirk didn't budge. "But remember- offer's _always _open!" He cackled and went back to his desk cheerfully.

Maurice rolled his eyes.

"Jerk."

* * *

Mushi looked up sadly as the elevator doors opened to reveal the empty, desolate hallway in front of her. She dug in her pocket for her key, feeling totally depressed, hungry and alone. She couldn't believe what situation she was in, where she didn't even consider anywhere as her home. This was Sandy's apartment, it wasn't her home. Japan wasn't her home…she felt like she was lost and alone in the world.

She opened the door and looked around, her mouth agape. Everything was trashed, things were randomly thrown across the room and someone had done their best to make sure everything was broken. Sofa slashed, fridge door hanging off its hinges, light bulbs smashed, graffiti on the walls. Mushi's breath caught in her throat, looking around at the destruction and devastation around her. The closest thing to a home…destroyed.

She ran into the bedroom, grabbing her suitcase from under the bed and rummaging through it. _Please be there, please still be there…please_

She found it, the small paper bag in which she kept her emergency funds in case things really got desperate. All that was in it was a small piece of paper. The untidy writing on it scrawled

_._

_'Still two thousand, nine hundred and twenty-six dollars to go. Times a ticking…_

.

She buried her face in her hands and collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. Only her thumping heart still felt alive.

She felt totally and utterly alone.

* * *

"Thanks for meeting me."

Lizzie looked up at him, trying to stop herself from beaming with happiness. Here he was, back to where they should be. Sitting alone in a restaurant having dinner together. She fluffed out her hair and blinked up at him angelically. Nigel furrowed his brow. He hated himself right now, but he had to check this out for himself- to see if Lizzie really was lying.

"That's okay" She purred, running her fingernails along his hand. "I'm as scared as you are, you know."

"Lizzie quit it" He yanked his hand away, giving her a glare. "I know you're not pregnant, and you know the reason I want to meet you."

She rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. "Right, whatever you think Nigie. I know you want me."

Nigel chose to ignore that and decided to get straight to the point. "Did you really see Abby at the Maternity Ward?"

"Of course I did" She growled at him, taking a sip of her water. "Why would I lie about something like that?"

"Coming from the girl that claims she's pregnant" Nigel couldn't help but scowl at her. "But really, it's hard to believe. Why would she be there?"

"I don't know" Lizzie said irritably, shrugging her shoulders.

"Maybe Cree's pregnant…" Nigel muttered to himself thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "Maybe-"

"Can we not talk about her?" Lizzie suddenly said, snarling at him. "Can't we talk about us?"

"I can't think why that would be a secret though…" Nigel continued, not hearing a word Lizzie had just said. Lizzie pouted and folded her arms in annoyance. Nigel sighed, his head feeling heavy with the worries running through his mind. He considered Abby one of his best friends, and she had changed in the last couple of weeks or months. He felt slightly guilty at not spotting her behaviour straight away.

"She looks pregnant" Lizzie suddenly put in, anxious for a conversation. She nibbled at the breadsticks in front of her. Nigel frowned.

"What do you mean she looks pregnant? Abby's not fat."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. She knew the short term signs of pregnancy by now, she had stayed up all night researching it. When she saw Abby she noticed them straight away… at least now was a chance to show off her knowledge.

"Her skin's glowing pretty healthily, breasts are bigger and she looks like she's gained more weight."

Nigel sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"And you're sure it was her?"

"Positive" Lizzie mumbled, her mouth full of bread. "I mean, she was always hanging around wasn't she? Just as annoying as that Rachel girl, well maybe not as annoying but pretty annoying, always showing off with those hips and that hair and that chest and those-"

Nigel's mind wondered away from the pointless conversation and onto his friend. Could she really be pregnant? If so, why keep it a secret?

* * *

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

Joey froze, gaping at the screen that flashed **'LOSER'** at his player. He'd never, ever lost at this game. He beat everybody! He glared at his older brother, who was sitting next to him, his back on the couch and his legs spread out in front of him lazily. He smirked at him.

"How did you do that?" Joey asked, frowning. "I've never lost at this game!"

"Not telling" Dingo sniggered at him. "New game?"

"Hell no!" Joey scoffed at him, scowling. "You cheated."

"I did not" Dingo argued, chuckling. "I just think outside the box." He shook his long blonde fringe out of his eyes and paused, thinking. "And I know a good website."

"That's cheating!" Joey snarled at him, but was smirking all the same. "Tell me the code!"

Dingo sniggered. "Make me!"

Joey jumped on top of him and the two playfully wrestled on the carpet. They both stopped as they heard a loud guitar riff. Dingo pulled his phone out of his pocket which was ringing- _"Enter Sandman"_ by Metallica.

"Yep" He answered, still lying on his back on the floor. Joey gave him a feeble punch before grabbing his controller again. He sniggered.

"Dingo" He heard Dodge reply. "You alone?"

"Nope" He muttered before pulling the phone away from his ear. "I'm just gonna take this in the hallway…"

Joey rolled his eyes and shrugged. Dingo quickly gave him a gentle kick as he walked out of the room, Joey trying to grab his feet. He sniggered and put the phone back to his ear once he was outside the room. "Am now."

"Good" Dodge said. "Listen, the kid wasn't there, but we did get some cash that was stashed away."

Dingo growled. "Enough?"

"Hardly" Dodge muttered. "Enough to pay interest though. We trashed the place."

"At least that'll freak him out slightly." Dingo rolled his eyes. "He needs to pay up soon though, or it will be his head."

"Well…I don't know about you but I have some ideas."

Dingo wasn't really paying attention, around the corner his younger brother had just come down the stairs, with a girl gripping onto his hand. It wasn't his girlfriend…it was some ebony haired, skinny girl. She was giggling highly and they both were grinning. He suddenly froze.

"Listen…" He mumbled to Dodge. "Can I call you back?"

* * *

"So what will it be?" Wally asked the girl next to him, dragging her into the kitchen. "Strawberry or chocolate?"

Kuki grinned, sitting up on the counter. "Oh…surprise me. Just please don't make it chocolate AND strawberry mixed into one." She smirked and gave him a playful kick. He bounded over to her, his heart feeling happy and carefree again. He hadn't felt this childlike since he was about ten years old.

"Hey" he growled at her, referring to the kick. "You're gonna regret that."

"Am I?" Kuki smirked playfully, pulling him closer. "I dare you."

"You dare me?" Wally repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

"Double dare you." Kuki snarled, not even sure what they were arguing about. She giggled again. She couldn't even remember the last time she felt this happy and carefree. All that she knew was that her heart was full and happy again, and she felt like she was 10 years old again. She felt like she had her _bestest _friend back, and that they were alone in the world- like it was just them. Suddenly it all disappeared, her friends, her parents, her worries, Abby…everything. He just wanted her and she just wanted him.

They closed the distance between them, Kuki wrapping her arms around the boy in front of her and drawing him in for a kiss. Wally smiled against her lips, loving the taste and smell of her. He grabbed her cheeks and deepened the kiss, his tongue massaging hers. Kuki accepted, kissing him back.

It felt so right, like they belonged together. It seemed as though electricity seemed to pass through them every time they kissed. It was finally happening, everything was going right. They were almost together.

They heard a faint click and they broke apart, looking around wildly.

"_Aw, I'm sorry…"_

Dingo was leaning against the doorframe, holding his camera phone up beside him, aimed at the two. He blinked his big green eyes at them innocently, but Wally couldn't mistake the look of pure delight on his face. He was smirking, his emerald eyes twinkling at the two.

"Am I…interrupting something?" His thumb flicked again, and he snapped another picture on his camera phone. Wally gaped at him, his eyes widening. Dingo, still smirking, suddenly looked at the two pictures he took thoughtfully, a fake look of wonder on his face.

"I wonder what _Abby_ would think of the little situation we have here…" He muttered loudly to himself, biting his lip to hold back his grin. Kuki felt her blood turn to ice. They'd been caught.

"I think I captured it beautifully…." He held up the phone, displaying the saved picture he had of the two, locked in a passionate embrace. His eyes flashed maliciously. "…Don't you think?"

* * *

_Me: Well alrighty guys! I hope you liked it! Please send me feedback! I love getting that little email notification *SNIFF* It makes my day, and-_

_Dingo (randomly appearing): *Scoffs*_

_Me: What the hell are you doing here? GET BACK IN MY IMAGINATION!_

_Dodge (suddenly appearing): Hardly! People always have made up conversations with their characters at the beginning or end of a story, just look at the Powerpuff Girls page!_

_Me: Yeah but you're OCs! Nobody wants to hear from you! Get back in my head, you!_

_Trent: As if. Now I want to know WHY I only had two scenes in here! I'M the eye candy of this story, I demand further dialogue!_

_Me: Nobody wants to read about boring OCs! Now go away! I'm trying to end this chapter in an interesting way!_

_Bandit: Aren't we interesting?_

_Me: No, you're villains!_

_Dodge: Well that's a bit mean, I mean we may have killed a few people but-_

_Me: Enough! Get back in my head before my readers think I'm some weirdo talking to myself!_

_Dingo: MAKE US!_

_(Gets cattle prod)_

_REVIEW! XX_


	7. Chapter 7: Sober

_A/N: Hi my lovely people! :D I hope you're all well...weekend here! So I had time to do the chapter that's been playing on my mind for the LONGEST time! I hope you guys L-O-V-E love it! _

_The songs used in this chapter are "Sober" by P!nk and "Sugar" by System of a Down. I feel they both shape the scene perfectly, especially if you listen to Sugar :S_

_Warnings-__ This chapter contains references to drugs ('sugar')_

_With thanks to-_

PurpleLeopard: _It's okay, that shouldn't happen again! I have locked my OCs tightly in their cages! They cannot escape! I- (looks over to empty, open cage in the corner) Oh, dear lord. Uh..._

muselover4ever: _Ooo! Welcome to my story, I hope you like it! :D_

Kameko-Lullaby:_ Ah! *Squeals* AC/DC is the greatest band ever! (well, one of them) My, you do have terrific taste XP. Hope you like the chapter!_

Laurie43: _Hehe, why thank you! *blushes* I'd like to think I have my Ocs under control, but...(Arms self with cattle prod) Hehe... :D thank you!_

hellopandaluver: _YAY! CAPITALS! GETS ME EXCITED! (runs around crazily) THANK YOU! and...*cowers* _

sstoons3425: _I'm sorry to hear that my OCs creep you out...i would offer you compensation but after reading this chapter you probably won't be able to sleep at night :|...enjoy! :D_

TheMindandSoul _:One thing I try to aim for in every chapter is drama :D And don't worry, I love rambings! It's my fluent language! Ihopeyouenjoyupdate! :D :D :D_

TheNocturne_ : GAH! (gapes) NEW REVIEWER! *blows ceremonial party blower* Though I have to let you know that Dinosaurs R Dead pty. Ltd insurance policy clearly states that our company will not be held responsible for any broken or sprained tailbones from falling off the edge of seat- section 2, paragraph C. Enjoy :)_

* * *

Wally's heart began to pound in his throat as a searing fear seemed to burn though his body. His feet seemed to be frozen to the floor. His mouth fell open as he stared at him- his own brother. His own family- supposedly- and he was _threatening_ him?

"Dingo…" He managed to croak. The fear seemed to settle, the shock slipped away. Anger replaced it. "What are you doing here?"

Dingo bit his lip, as if holding back a sly grin. His deep emerald eyes were twinkling as he looked across at the couple with amusement. Here it was, _proof_. Proof that he was better than his brother, and rightfully the only one for Abby. All that seemed to run through his mind was true enjoyment at the proof his brother was nothing more than a complete two-timer.

And he- finally able to claim the girl he'd grown to love.

"Just thought I'd drop by…" Dingo said silkily, smirking. "If you guys want some privacy, I can go."

Wally's hands became fists. Kuki jumped down from the counter, one single thought running through her mind as she stumbled over to him, close to tears.

"You wouldn't tell Abby?" She gasped at him, her violet eyes wide. Dingo flinched, looking surprised at the girl who was now directly in front of him. "Would you? Please? She's one of my best friends, and I- Th-this is just a mis-"

Kuki never felt so scared, her bottom lip trembled and she felt tears in her eyes. Never before had she ever felt so horrible, she'd backstabbed her friend for a guy. The guilt flowed through her body and seemed to overpower her. She looked up at the guy before her, a tad taller than Wally, with harsher eyes and a harder glare. He looked completely disgusted at her.

"And who are you supposed to be?" He snarled at her, suddenly looking venomous. He didn't like her, the mere sight of her fuelled his immediate hatred. She was pretty, he'd give her that, but she was a slender, petite, delicate faced pixie- the exact opposite of Abby's curves, her warm eyes luscious lips and gentle touch. His brother had thrown it away for _this. _"Her _friend_?" He let out a bark like laugh, unable to hold in his grin.

"What do you care?" Wally suddenly jumped in, tugging Kuki away from his brother's fierce stare. He felt his anger rise as he glared at him. "You don't even know Abby! She's my girlfriend, why are you suddenly so interested! It's between me and her; it's not even any of your business! You know nothing about my-"

Dingo snapped his phone shut, sliding it back into his pocket, feeling his own anger rise. "Actually little bro." He cooed at him, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "It is my business. If my own brother's being unfaithful to his girlfriend, I think she needs to know. Especially when she's as _fine _as Abby."

Wally stiffened, immediately feeling his fury rise even higher. He felt protective against Abby, not just because she was his girlfriend, but because she was his friend as well. He glared at Dingo, who seemed to still be smirking with happiness at taunting him.

"I was going to break up with her tonight." Wally growled at him lowly, attempting to keep calm. "Please don't tell her."

"Why shouldn't I?" Dingo suddenly spat back. After all, this was the opportunity of a lifetime for him. "Why shouldn't I bring to her attention that her boyfriend is nothing more than a player, sneaking off behind her back to screw her best friend. I feel-" He gave him a grin. "It's my _duty _to tell her."

"Do it and die!" Wally immediately retaliated, moving closer. Kuki gulped and immediately jumped between them, giving Wally a light push on the chest. Her pleading eyes locked with his and he reluctantly stepped back.

"Abby's one of my best friends" She said to Dingo, who raised his eyebrows. He didn't like the way this girl was speaking so…_emotionally_ towards him. She blinked back the tears and swallowed her pride, the only thing on her mind being Abby, and how she would react if she discovered the betrayal. "Please don't tell her. I want to tell her myself. At least give me that."

They both looked at each other- his hard jade pupils boring into her glistening, dewy violet ones. For a second, Kuki thought those eyes seemed to go soft, as if her words were having some effect on him. He sighed delicately and leaned towards her, speaking very clearly.

"What makes you think…" He growled. "…I'll give anything to _you, _you bug-eyed slutty Jap* freak_?" _

Wally's fist came flying out of nowhere, and it smashed into the wall before he even realised he'd even thrown a punch. Dingo, who had been in many fights beforehand, saw it coming and ducked before it even connected with his skull. It did, however, leave a huge dent in the plaster.

Dingo blinked, shocked, before automatically trying to return it, moving towards his brother threateningly.

"Stop!" Kuki said tearfully, now even more upset and confused. "Stop! Wait!" She stood in between them and pushed against both of their chests, which was a very difficult feat.

"Come and fight me!" Dingo challenged, leering at him. "I know you've wanted to! C'mon! I DARE YA!" He'd wanted to fight Wally ever since he'd laid eyes on him, and now was the chance to show his little brother what he was made of.

Wally narrowed his eyes, never believing he could hate anyone more. Dingo was asking for it, insulting Kuki, threatening him, making moves on Abby- He just wanted to sock him right in the…

"You-" He growled, unable to finish the sentence. He made another attempt to pass Kuki.

"_What the Hell?"_

All three of them looked over at the voice and froze, both boys' fists raised and Kuki's arms still holding them both back. Joey blinked at the three, his mouth agape and his eyes wide, looking from one to the other and back again.

"What's…going on?"

"Nuthin'" Both brothers answered gruffly. Kuki gave a weak sniff, lowering her arms. Dingo and Wally dropped their gaze, both still looking dangerous. Joey frowned, his light green eyes narrowed as he observed the scene with suspicion.

"You guys were fighting."

"No" Wally muttered, swallowing. He was shaking- probably from both fury and shock. He looked over at his little brother. "We weren't."

Joey raised his eyebrows, unconvinced. "You were about to." He glared at the both of them, his arms crossed. Wally almost flinched at the fact he looked so much like their mother when she attempted to get to the bottom of something. "What about?"

Wally shook his head, muttering "Don't worry."

Dingo looked from the both of them, his hands in his pockets. "Well…" He suddenly sighed, looking bored. "Must be off."

"But…are we agreed?" Kuki suddenly asked hopefully. She was determined not to let this slide, she would have her dignity, honesty and friendship over anything. "You…will let me tell her, right?"

Wally glared at him, searching his face. Dingo rolled his eyes and sighed, giving her a look.

"Yeah, I will." He mumbled darkly. "By tonight."

He walked out of the room, snarling to himself. He hesitated, looked cautiously back down the hall and pulled out his phone. He typed in a number he knew all too well, attached the picture and pressed 'send', slamming the front door behind him as he slipped it back into the pocket of his jeans.

* * *

Rachel slid her sunglasses to the top of her head, pushing back her blonde hair with them. She looked around the café in surprise. Usually at least _one _of her friends could be found here- it seemed to be their regular meeting place, as with the diner Fanny worked at.

She sighed and walked towards the counter anyway, searching her pockets for some spare change.

"Banana smoothie, please." She told the girl and handed her the money, taking her place in line. She took out her cell phone and began searching to see if anyone had tried to call her. No one had. She sighed and slid in back into the pocket of her jeans, pondering. Her and Nigel were almost an official 'couple', so she thought he would have made a bit more effort to talk to her, but then again she'd always been funny with relationships. Every boyfriend was extremely different to the one before.

"Rachel?"

She frowned. _Speak of the devil_- she looked up and immediately locked eyes with her ex-boyfriend- Chad Dixon. She raised her eyebrows and looked him up and down. Dammit- he was still pretty hot for a 23 year old cop. That blonde hair, those blue eyes and that body got her every time. He grinned at her.

"How have you been?" He asked eagerly, leaning against the counter casually. She sighed and made an attempt at a smile.

"Um, fine." She said, shrugging her slim shoulders. "How about you?"

"Better now" He smirked at her flirtatiously. "I have missed you Rachel."

Rachel held back a scoff. She and Chad were dating for approximately 2 years before she found out he had been cheating on her for 6 months. She'd dumped him straight away once she'd found out and tried her best to stay away from him. It was hard to look into his face knowing he'd so easily lied to her.

"Really…?" She mumbled, nodding. He swallowed.

"Yeah."

Rachel bit her lip awkwardly, wishing she'd ordered just a bottle of water.

"So…" She sighed, helplessly giving into making small talk. "Still down at the station?"

He smirked proudly. "Yep, Maurice and I, partners in crime! Well, justice, I mean." He chuckled at his own joke. "What about you? Still at school I see. Chosen your major yet?"

She shook her head. "Not yet."

Chad looked down at her lustfully. She was a beautiful girl, and he'd always known that. Her light tan skin set off her athletic, tone body perfectly, and she wore her denim mini skirt just right on her hips. He wished back to the days when they were happy together, and automatically he wanted her back.

"Listen, Rach." He told her earnestly, taking a step towards her and looking down at his shoes. "I'm really sorry we didn't work out. I never got to properly apologize-"

"Well, doesn't matter." Rachel muttered quickly, referring to the breakup that had left her crying for two months straight. "I mean, really, everything happens for a reason and clearly we just weren't meant to be-"

"Nah" Chad growled to himself, folding his arms. "I screwed up, and now I realise you were too good for me."

"Right…" Rachel mumbled, nodding at him. She suddenly prayed a vortex would appear and suck her through the earth. She'd rather that then have this conversation. _A UFO to abduct me? A sudden earthquake? Anything?_

"You know" Chad sighed. "I'd love to take you to dinner this week, if you want to…" He bit his lip and smirked at her. "Talk?"

"Uh…" Rachel swallowed, looking up at him with a subtle glare. He grinned expectantly. "That would be…great" She said as she tried to hold back a scoff- "But I'm…seeing someone."

Chad's face darkened and he pushed his blonde hair back in annoyance. "Wh- _you're _seeing someone?"

Rachel frowned at the surprise and almost disbelief in his tone. "Yeah" She snapped, irritated. "I'm seeing someone."

Chad frowned, his ego bruised. "But I-"

_"Banana Smoothie!"_

Rachel suddenly jumped forward and grabbed it, along with a couple of napkins. "Well" She said hurriedly, walking to the door briskly. "Terrific talking to you-" She lied, trying to grin at him. He looked sulky. "...Uh, BYE!"

She hurriedly closed the door and ran back to her dorm, trying to hold back a proud smirk.

* * *

Fanny walked into the diner, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her skirt and her jacket flapping lazily around her. She sighed in defeat and walked up to the front counter, making the woman behind it jump at the sight of her.

"Young'in!" She squeaked, raising her eyebrows at the girl. "What are you doin' here? It's your day off, innit?"

"Yeah…" Fanny shrugged, placing her elbows on the counter. "I got bored."

"Well, pretty much dead in here." Irma muttered, gesturing around the almost deserted diner. The only life present was three boys in the furthest booth- the only one she could see had light colored hair and cold grey eyes, smoking a cigarette. They appeared to be deep in conversation.

"I thought you weren't allowed to smoke in here." Fanny muttered to Irma, who rolled her eyes.

"Selective rule. Do you want to tell them they can't?"

Fanny glanced at them again and sighed. If she was on, she would have. "Whatever."

"There was a girlie in here looking for you before." Irma muttered, wiping at the counter with a cloth. "I says you weren't here."

Fanny's brow furrowed. "Wh…what did she look like?"

The head waitress shrugged. "Young sort of girl, skinny…black hair-"

"Mushi." Fanny groaned and ran a hand through her red locks. She automatically felt guilty at not being there for the girl. She muttered thanks to Irma and walked out of the door, now feeling downcast. A few booths away, Dodge watched her walk away with intent icy blue eyes, thinking how familiar those legs were…

"Dodge!" Trent snapped in irritation, clicking his fingers in front of his friend's nose. "Focus! Never mind the ranga!**"

"Right" Dodge muttered, shaking his head. "Right" He took another drag of his cigarette and glared at his friend opposite him. "What?"

"We need a plan." Trent growled at him, looking moody. "Screwing around with his apartment aint good enough. We need to make him pay up or get him scared enough to give us all he's got."

"So what do you propose?" Bandit asked in a bored tone. Trent scowled at him.

"I suggest we go for that girlie again." Trent said eagerly. "You know, to really freak him out. Screw around with what's his."

Bandit and Dodge exchanged glances.

"You just wanna _get some._" Dodge sniggered before the two burst into laughter. They slammed their fists together as Trent glared at the pair of them angrily.

"Shutup!" He hissed, seething. "It's not funny! You want the cash or not?"

"Yeah…" Dodge smirked sneakily. "We want the cash, but not as much as you want a root."

Bandit howled with laughter again, and only silenced when Trent furiously punched him in the arm.

"Ow!"

"Screw off." Trent snapped, looking furious. "We need a plan!"

"Fine" Bandit snarled, rubbing his bicep and pouting childishly. "What do you suggest?"

* * *

Jake looked around the airport in mild curiosity, not really paying attention to his surroundings. He had been waiting in line for about ten minutes now, and already his mind had begun to wander. He was the exact opposite of his brother for this reason. Jake was so carefree, accepting, outgoing and easily bored. He created his own fun. Derek, on the other hand, was the exact opposite, even though they were brothers. Everything had to be going right for him to be happy; he was disciplined and straight forward, down to earth. Jake wasn't.

Jake bit his lip, still anxious about the entire trip. Sure, he and his brother had never gotten along, but they'd always stayed so far away from each other it didn't matter. Jake usually respected that distance, even though he hated Derek for what he did. He sighed and kicked the blue printed carpet beneath him moodily. He had to go; he had to knock Dingo back into line, just like he always had to do.

The line moved forward and Jake followed, his mind wandering again. He thought back to Dingo, his only kid, his baby- his pride and joy. Usually he could keep him in line, but distance had always been an issue for them, especially when Dingo usually seemed so reliant on his dad.

He remembered the first real time they'd been apart…

_A tiny 4 year old looked up at the building in front of him with apprehension, shuffling his miniature sneakers nervously. His long black bangs were hanging into his dark, emerald green eyes which already showed traces of tears._

"_I don't wanna go" He mumbled to his dad, tugging at his jeans. He blinked those big eyes at him. "You won't leave me here, right?"_

_Jake groaned and bit his lip. "I have to D, that's the whole point of Pre-school. I leave and you stay here and-"_

"_I don't wanna" Dingo told him, his deep eyes widening in fear. "I don't wanna go! Don't leave me!" He grabbed onto his father's jeans and began to cry. Jake rolled his eyes in annoyance and heaved a sigh, trying to pry the 4 year old off him._

"_D" He said sternly. "You have to go. I'll be back, it's only for like, 2 hours, and-"_

"_No!" Dingo blubbered, frightened tears running down his cheeks. "Don't leave me here!"_

_Jake sighed and gave up, kneeling down to his son's level and pulling him into an embrace. Dingo continued to sob into his shoulder. Jake felt guilty then, knowing just how much Dingo hated being alone. It must have had something to do with his mother abandoning him._

"_You can't leave" Dingo sniffed to him, gazing at his father's face intently, his bottom lip trembling. "You might forget about me."_

_Jake smirked. "I won't, dude. I can't forget about you."_

"_You might not come back." Dingo mumbled, a few stray tears sliding down his blotched cheeks._

"_I will, Dingo." Jake sighed. "You know you have to go to school soon. We can't always be together, but I'll always come back for you."_

_Dingo sniffed, rubbing his eyes with his closed fists. He held out his arms for a hug._

"_Promise?"_

"Next!"

Jake jumped back into the present with a shake of his head, moving up to a spare counter.

"Los Angeles."He mumbled to the desk clerk.

"Return?"

Jake smirked. "Not at the moment, thanks."

* * *

Hoagie hissed loudly in pain as he emerged from under the car, the muffler he had collided with creating a great big lump on his forehead, which as now throbbing painfully. He rubbed his hand along his hairline, squeezing his eyes open and shut.

"You good?"

He jumped back in surprise as Bandit's big navy blue eyes suddenly appeared inches in front of his own, widening innocently. Bandit chuckled loudly in amusement, staring down at the college boy below him with interest.

"Yeah" Hoagie muttered, rising to his feet and recovering. "I'm…fine."

"Thought you were gonna start cryin' or sumfin'!" Bandit snickered, biting his bottom lip. He looked almost childlike. Hoagie rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, Bandit." He frowned, looking around the shop. "What's the time?"

Bandit shrugged, still grinning giddily. Hoagie frowned. Bandit was never really this jumpy and…alive. He was usually the quiet one. Bandit blinked up at him rapidly with his bloodshot eyes.

"Sup Homes?"

"Nothing…" Hoagie muttered, narrowing his eyes. Bandit giggled highly and bounded away, stumbling slightly. Hoagie shook his head at his could see just by looking (and smelling) the young mechanic, he could tell that Bandit was high.

_"Hey"_

The soft voice behind him caused him to turn, and he almost recoiled in surprise at the figure standing before him. It was Fanny, but he had never really seen her like this. Her long red hair was out, and hanging down her shoulders gracefully, reminding him of an elegant mermaid. Her brown eyes were looking sleepy, and her eyeliner from last night was still present. Her simple grey singlet shaped her body perfectly, and her hips were peeking out seductively over the top of her jeans. She gave him a questioning look.

"Hoagie?"

"Oh." He shook his head like a dog trying to rid his ears of water. "Uh, yeah. Fanny- what are you doing here?"

"I go by _Francine_ around my work area" She muttered darkly, giving him a look. "I was wondering what you were doing." She leaned against the car he was working on casually. Hoagie swallowed as his eyes travelled her curvy figure. "And also, if you'd seen anyone around here, I'm looking for them."

"Who?" Hoagie asked, trying to look up from her bra strap. She seemed far away, deep in thought.

"I don't know if I should tell you." She bit her lip and shuffled her feet. "She's young, and has black hair. I think she may be in trouble."

"I haven't seen anyone." Hoagie told her, going back to the engine before he really made even more of a of himself. He swallowed. "Just been here all day, mostly."

Fanny shrugged, looking around the place with interest. She'd always been a tomboy, and did miss the guy scene a bit. She looked over Hoagie's shoulder with interest.

"So this is where you work, huh?"

"Yeah" Hoagie shrugged.

"Like it?"

"Pretty good so far."

"Oh"

Hoagie turned to her as she peered over his shoulder, just loving the sensation of being so close to him. He watched her- the way her cheekbones were shaped, the smell of her hair- the plumpness of her lips-

"I better go" She suddenly pulled away, leaving Hoagie with his mouth agape. He noticed a faint blush on her cheeks. She smiled to herself as she turned back at the door, the sunlight radiating of her hair as she grinned at him. "Good luck with your work."

"Yeah" He mumbled, spellbound. He barely noticed her disappear around the corner. "You too."

He stood there for several minutes, just watching the spot where she disappeared. He blinked occasionally, and closed his mouth. He suddenly heard the faint singing of Bandit behind him, his voice high and soft, giggling occasionally as he stumbled around the shop, attempting a pirouette.

"_Hoagie's got a girlfriend, Hoagie's got a girlfriend-"_

_

* * *

"What was __that_?"

"Don't worry about it!"

"But-"

"I said don't worry about it, Joey! It's not important!"

"The Hell it isn't!"

"Joey!" Wally turned, glaring at his little brother, who glared right back. Wally opened his mouth to say something, but instead closed it, shaking his head and giving Kuki a look, grabbing her hand. "Just…don't worry, I'll be upstairs if you need-"

"No!" Joey automatically ran head, blocking his brother's path. His eyes met with Wally's- his fierce emerald eyes set and determined. "I wanna know what's going on. Why are you and Dingo fighting? How come you don't like each other?"

Wally growled, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Joey-"

"Everyone cuts me out of this family!" Joey suddenly hollered, looking furious. "Well I'm sick of it! You better tell me what's going on! I hate being kept out of family stuff! I'm family too, in case you forgot!"

Kuki swallowed, feeling awkward between the two brothers. "Wally, maybe I should-"

"Shutup!" Joey suddenly yelled at her, feeling furious. "Why does she know and I don't? I'm 11, I'm not a kid! I'm a part of the family too!'

"Don't talk to her like that!" Wally suddenly yelled defensively, narrowing his eyes. "What's with you, Joey?"

"Screw you!" Joey suddenly broke, storming off in a huff. If nobody in this family would tell him what's going on, he'd have to find out for himself. He ran up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door, leaving his brother gaping at the spot where he'd previously been. Kuki swallowed, feeling tears rush down her cheeks.

"I'm so, so sorr-"

"Don't worry" Wally growled harshly, feeling extremely irritated. "He's not usually like that, it's probably that dickhead Dingo. What the hell's up with that? I just can't believe that he'd-"

"I better go." Kuki shook her head furiously. Every second she was there she just seemed to cause more trouble. She just wanted to get out- away from hurting anyone else. The guilt flowed through her body and weighed her down. She silently trudged out of the room, her eyes at the floor. "I don't want to cause any more trouble, I-"

"Kooks" Wally said suddenly, grabbing her arm and looking nervously into her face. His bright green eyes looked troubled and he swallowed, trying to ignore the anxiety he felt in his stomach. "It's…It's not you, I'm sorry. It's just with everything, and Dingo and-"

"I know" Kuki muttered, nodding. "I should leave you alone and-"

"No" Wally said firmly, embracing her again. He knew it was wrong, but the two of them felt so right, and even though the rest of the world was trying to tear them apart, it didn't seem to matter to him. He'd travel to the end of the galaxy for the girl in his arms, and he knew it. He looked into her eyes and never wanted to look away. "Please don't. I want you to stay" He smirked. "To calm me down, you know?"

Kuki sighed sadly. "This is just-" She couldn't find the proper words. Everything was so different, her friends were older, they had changed. They just weren't the same. Nothing was the same anymore- there wasn't that unity, instead it felt as though everything was trying to rip the gang apart. "It's just not…the same, you know?"

Wally swallowed, looking at the girl in front of him with sympathy. He wound an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer, his lips to her forehead. He sighed.

"Believe me, I know."

* * *

Chad swallowed and almost upset his to-go coffee as he saw the two girls exit the terminal and walk over to him with an air of smugness. His thoughts of Rachel that morning skidded straight out of his mind as soon as the first girl opened her mouth.

"Holly" She grinned, showing her pearly whites. She was an attractive, curvy girl with long, red hair with blotches of chestnut and blonde through it. She had milky white skin complete with a few freckles. Despite the cool crisp air, most of her naval, chest and legs were shown in all of their glory with a low cut black singlet and dark denim mini skirt. She blinked her dark hazel eyes- which were hidden behind aviator sunglasses, at the cop before her. She grinned in approval and pointed to her friend beside her. "And this is Bonnie."

Bonnie smiled flirtatiously at the muscled cop in front of her and waved her acrylics at him. She had a similar slender, curvy figure as Holly, but her skin was a very light, fake tan. Her chopped brown hair just reached her shoulders and matched perfectly with her off the shoulder pink top and short denim shorts. Both girls were wearing their trademark Australian knee high ugg boots.

"Uh, hi." Chad managed to cough, wishing Maurice was here to help him out. "Well, I'm Chad and I- er-"

"I thought there were two of you." Holly put in.

"Change of plans" He mumbled darkly. "Did you get through security okay?"

"Like a charm" Holly grinned cheerfully and adjusted the strap on her left shoulder.

"Alright" Chad nodded. "Now, we'll have to work on changing your names, in case the police try and track you down. Any ideas?"

Bonnie and Holly nodded proudly. "We've got it all worked out" Bonnie said eagerly. "From now on- I'm Bonny, she's Hollie."

"Uh" Chad raised his left eyebrow at the pair. "How is that-"

"Um, Duh" Hollie scoffed, smirking. "H-o-l-l-i-e"

"Yeah" Bonnie put in, irritated. "And B-o-n-n-y…or something."

"That's…good" Chad said, nodding at the two buxom beauties before him. "That's fine."

* * *

Abby sat on her bed, gazing at the mirror in front of her blankly, her legs folded and her chin in her hand. She swallowed, a few more tears squeezing out of her eyes. Her chapped lips were trembling and her nose was running slightly. She looked a total mess.

_So this is what it feels like._

Her phone lay next to her on her bed, lying there blankly, unmoving. She didn't even want to look at it. Dingo's message still read clear in her mind- as saddening as it was the first time she read it. She wiped away a few tears and pulled the hair out of her face. She picked up the remote on her bed and turned on the small stereo she kept beside her bed. Music always seemed to cheer her up.

A small, familiar melody began to play on the radio and she listened, laying on her back, a pillow under her head. She stared up at the ceiling as the music played.

_I don't wanna be the girl who laughs the loudest  
Or the girl who never wants to be alone  
I don't wanna be that call at four o'clock in the mornin'  
'Cause I'm the only one you know in the world that won't be home_

Abby felt a few tears skid down her cheeks and she sniffed, rolling over to her side. She felt her phone vibrate next to her leg, indicating someone was trying to call her. She ignored it and instead cuddled her hands to her chest in a type of comfort, listening to the lyrics that almost spoke her heart.

_Ah, the sun is blindin'  
I stayed up again  
Oh, I am findin'  
That's not the way I want my story to end_

She felt so alone, and almost afraid. She didn't know what to do or how to act. Should she be angry? Upset? Happy? Grateful? Furious? She didn't know. Either way she felt a total hypocrite, and began to feel both guilt and despair wash over her. Like she longed to feel the sadness and betrayal that usually followed these situations, yet she knew she shouldn't because she had done the exact same thing. She sniffed and wiped away her tears, feeling totally alone and unwanted. But then, her stomach gave a small tweak, like her baby was registering its presence.

_I'm safe up high, nothing can touch me  
But why do I feel this party's over?  
No pain inside, you're my protection  
But how do I feel this good sober?_

Abby then felt the corners of her mouth twitch and she suddenly smiled, putting a hand to her stomach. She wasn't alone, she had her protection. She sniffed as the final tears raced down her pink cheeks. Maybe it was for the best, maybe finding out was the best thing. All that partying, sneaking around, was finally over. She was…sober. Ready for whatever came her way.

_I don't wanna be the girl that has to fill the silence  
The quiet scares me 'cause it screams the truth  
Please don't tell me that we had that conversation  
'Cause I won't remember, save your breath  
'Cause what's the use?_

She looked back at her phone, where 'Dingo calling' flashed across the screen. She swallowed and remembered him. She loved him with all of her heart and she had the second their lips met, though it would seem stupid to everyone else around her she couldn't help what she felt. But now she was stuck between two men she loved- one she should let go and one she should never have been with in the first place. She sniffed and ran a few fingers through her hair.

_Ah, the night is callin'  
And it whispers to me softly, "Come and play"  
But I, I am fallin'  
And if I let myself go I'm the only one to blame_

She looked over at her closet door, where just peeking out was a sliver of shiny black material. She sighed and swallowed, wanting nothing more than to go back to bed and hide from at all, but she knew she had to face the music. She rose and, wiping at her eyes, opened the bathroom door with the full intention of having a relaxing shower. She had to get ready for her date.

* * *

Dingo angrily threw his phone back on the bed, folding his arms curtly against his chest.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me" He snarled to himself sulkily and slammed back onto the pillows behind him, looking furious. His eyebrows knitted together and his face was set with fierce determination. He didn't understand, he didn't know what to do next. He thought Abby would have called him by now in tears, ready to dump that brother of his and coming running back into his arms. But she hadn't called, and she wasn't picking up her phone.

He swallowed and darkly looked over into the mirror by his bed. Bandit was right, his roots _were_ beginning to show. He tentatively picked up a strand of hair and gave his reflection a thoughtful look. He loved his raven hair, it's what separated him from the rest of the family- and what connected him with his own father. It was his identity, and he found himself thinking it was worth being caught for who he really was just to have his identity back…

His thoughts floated back to Abby. A thought crossed his mind to whether or not she really did feel the same way about him, like he did about her. He loved her, he always had. He'd do anything for her…she wasn't like any other girl he'd met. She was strong, determined and funny, not bending over backwards just so he'd pay attention to her 24/7. She was sensual, passionate and loving, both inside and out. She was the only one in the world (besides his father) that saw his good side. He wanted her.

He wouldn't let her go that easily.

* * *

Dodge and Trent were walking casually down a nearby alleyway, talking absentmindedly like they always found themselves doing when they weren't working or partying. Trent strutted smugly down the streets, his cold grey eyes searching for anyone he could bully or intimidate. Dodge followed casually behind him, smoking a cigarette and smirking sneakily at Trent's strutting.

"You're too easy going, Dodge." Trent suddenly remarked to him darkly as they reached the edge of the road. "I mean, you're too simple."

"Simple?" Dodge scoffed and gave him a cocky grin. "What the hell are you talkin' bout, Trent-boy?"

"I mean-" Trent shrugged his muscular shoulders and furrowed his brow. "You're accepting, you're not feiry or anythin'. You ain't the hotheaded type. You're just so…easy."

Dodge smirked. "I'm glad. Rather be easy than a feisty runt like you, Trent."

Trent gave him a beady look, then suddenly something caught his eye across the road and he shoved his fist roughly into Dodge's chest. Dodge coughed and spluttered angrily.

_"WHAT?"_

"Shutup" Trent hissed back, his eyes glued to a figure across the road. She was slim and covered with many articles of clothing, her ebony hair flowing out of her black beret on her head.

"Trent" Dodge groaned and rolled his eyes. "You cannot be serious."

He was, and the youth bounded forward eagerly with Dodge following close behind. Trent's cold eyes gazed at the young girl across the street, who unknowingly kept walking- deep in thought.

Mushi had no place to go, she simply wondered the streets , thinking. She was seriously pondering on going back to Japan, back to her parents. It wasn't the safest way to go, but the most sensible. She couldn't think of any other way…Unless Kuki-

She frowned, turning her head. She thought she could feel someone watching her, but nobody was there. Self consciously she pulled the scarf around her neck tighter and pushed her hair into her face. She turned a corner, into the backstreets where she felt more secluded and safe.

Kuki- her sister. She used to be able to rely on Kuki for anything, except this. What had she become? Kuki wouldn't even recognize her, and how could she even ask for help?

"_Hi Kuki, how's College? Oh, that's great! No, I'm out of school- dropped out. Yeah, Mom and Dad weren't impressed. I know right? So anyway, my druggie boyfriend, yeah the one I said was the one for me, yeah he's in debt to a gang- 3000 bucks or they'll kill me and him. Could you spare some change?"_

Mushi scowled sadly to herself. She'd rather die.

"Hey Cutie"

Mushi stumbled in complete horror as that unforgettable sneer cooed directly into her ear. She fell to the cracked pavement, already panting in shock as she looked up at the two figures above her. One- a calm looking chestnut haired youth with a curious look, and another- an eager looking muscular guy with those wild gray eyes and rust coloured hair. Just looking at him made her want to vomit. He was the exact man who had given her the cut across her cheek.

He smirked at her, his grey eyes flashing as he eyed the gash on her cheek. "Didn't mean to startle ya."

Mushi scrambled to her feet, glaring at the two men before her with suspicion.

"What do you want?" She mumbled and wrapped the scarf around her neck tighter, shielding her cheek from view with difficulty.

"Just wonderin' how you were going." Trent said conversationally. "We were just curious, weren't we, Joker?"

Dodge gave her a cocky grin and mock saluted her before leaning against the brick wall casually, smoking his cigarette.

"I don't have the money." Mushi mumbled, glancing at the both of them. Fear rippled through her stomach and her ribs- remembering the last time she was faced with these gang members. The cut on her cheek still felt painful against her skin. "I'm sorry."

"Nah nah" Trent muttered, waving his hand carelessly. Mushi noticed the black leather band on his wrist with a white spade symbol on it. "Nuthin' like that, sweetheart. We're just here to talk."

"Talk?" Mushi swallowed, realizing how completely alone she was. "A-about what?"

Trent suddenly took a step towards her, his grey eyes twinkling in a foreboding, joking way. Mushi didn't trust it and took a step back, her back suddenly hitting the brick wall behind her.

Trent smirked. "What, babe? You scared of me?"

Mushi didn't answer, just gave him a glare.

Trent suddenly crept very close to her, and Mushi froze with fear, trying to get away, but he grabbed her wrist and held it tightly in his palm. Dodge rolled his eyes and began to play a game on his cell phone, bored. Mushi looked up at the guy before her with terror in her face. Trent grinned back.

"Try not to scream if this hurts, Babe."

* * *

Kuki returned to the dorm, her mind heavy with thoughts. Wally had told her to relax, and convinced her that everything will be okay. She couldn't help the worry and guilt that flowed through her system as she turned the key in her door and opened it, sighing as she did so. She hoped everything would turn out okay in the end.

"Abs?" She called out to her dorm room buddy, running a hand through her hair. "Abs?"

No answer. Kuki sighed and walked to her bedroom, figuring Abby must be out. She collapsed onto her bed and buried her face in her hands, trying to calm herself down. She was so deep in thought that she barely noticed her door open.

"Kuki."

She jumped, looking around wildly. Her eyes met Abby, who was standing in her doorway. She looked magnificent, her dark hair out and wavy, to her elbows, and her perfect figure highlighted by the short, silver dress she was wearing. It was strapless, and it complimented the small silver chain she was wearing around her neck. She looked calm and emotionless, staring at Kuki though her wide brown eyes.

"What do you think?"

Kuki swallowed, trying her best to smile widely. "You look great Abs." She stood and looked over her friend. "Going out somewhere?"

"To dinner." Abby mumbled, shrugging emotionlessly. "I'll leave in half an hour."

"That's great" Kuki grinned happily. She couldn't help but feel Abby knew. Like she knew her dinner with Wally was like the Last Supper. Kuki felt the guilt almost consume her as she looked at her feet; unable to look into her friend's eyes knowing that she was the reason her boyfriend was dumping her.

"Have you got any plans tonight?" Abby asked her, tilting her head curiously.

"No" Kuki mumbled and sat back on her bed. "Just watching some movies, maybe."

"Cool" Abby nodded and smiled, picking up the bag at her feet. Kuki smiled at her.

"You don't pack light, do you?"

Abby smiled at her, but her eyes looked sad. "I don't think I'll be coming back here tonight."

Kuki's smile faltered, hoping she didn't mean that she was going to spend the night at Wally's, because Kuki knew that wouldn't happen. She hoped her friend didn't get her hopes up. "Oh."

"Yeah" Abby mumbled, pulling her bag over her shoulder. She bit her lip and hesitated for a minute, before turning back to her friend. "Hey Kooks?"

Kuki looked up. "Yeah, Abs?"

Abby genuinely smiled at her. "I want you to know I'm…I'm glad you're back, you know…"She bit her lip. "…I really did miss you."

* * *

Fanny walked along the pavement, looking at her shoes as she walked, hands in the pockets of her jacket. She really didn't know where she was walking to, but she did notice it was almost sunset, and she should be getting home. She couldn't comprehend the fact that it was her first day off in a long time…yet she spent it doing virtually…nothing.

She needed to get a boyfriend.

Suddenly she heard a noise and looked up, listening intently. She frowned. She thought it was a scream, or a cry. Without thinking she ran down the nearest alleyway and to the backstreets, where she heard the noise come from. She ran, still listening intently as she reached the back of the brick building.

"_Shutup already!"_

"_Get off me!"_

She rounded the corner, her red hair whipping behind her. She ran forward and gaped at the figures she saw- one leaning against the wall, one being pushed up against the wall and one pushing someone into a wall. She yelled without thinking.

"What the Hell's going on?"

Dodge jumped, dropping his phone in the process and glaring at who had spoken. Trent looked up in irritation. A girl was glaring at them both, open mouthed and looking angry. She charged towards them, and suddenly locked eyes with a youth she recognized the moment she saw him.

"You."

"You!" he choked out, looking from Trent to Fanny in confusion. "I- er-"

"What the Hell, Joker?" Trent snapped, looking furious. "Who is this broad?"

"Let go of her!" Fanny snapped, recognizing Mushi and gaping. "Let her go!"

Trent snarled in annoyance, but still held Mushi tightly by the wrist. Mushi was frozen with fright, trembling and struggling to stand. Her eyes widened at the sight of the Irish girl and her eyes were wide and pleading.

Trent growled protectively. "Make me."

Fanny growled as well, walking forward with her face set. "Oh, I'll make you-"

Dodge, sensing danger, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. "No, wait-"

"Hold her, Joker." Trent snapped at him and pulled Mushi closer. He was grinning at the redhead, hoping to freak her out. "She can watch."

He ran his tongue along Mushi's cut cheek and Mushi squeaked with fear, trying to pull away.

"Wait" Dodge snarled, angry. He didn't expect this, but he knew he had to do it. He knew the girl he had a grip on knew about him, and he couldn't risk it, but he really didn't have that fiery attitude Trent possessed. He held onto Fanny's hand gently and glared at his friend. "Let her go."

Trent paused, giving Dodge a murderous look. "WHAT?"

"Let her go" Dodge snapped again, releasing his hold on Fanny. "She's not involved, it's her boyfriend." He gave Trent a look. "We don't want this to get messy."

Trent growled at him. "But-"

"Dammit Jack!" Dodge growled, getting impatient. "Let her go!"

Trent did, reluctantly. Mushi let out a pathetic sob and slumped against the wall, completely terrified and drained at her experience. Trent stomped up to Dodge furiously, glaring at him. He looked back at the two girls, Fanny trying to help Mushi up.

"C'mon." Dodge muttered, grabbing Trent and pulling him from the scene. "Let's go."

He and Fanny locked eyes, and he gave her a sorry look, as if he honestly never wanted her to see him in this light. He dragged his friend along protectively, Trent still glaring at the pair of them. As they disappeared around the corner, Fanny turned back to Mushi, who was still shivering in fear.

"It's okay" Fanny muttered, but really she had no ideas on what to do. "You're safe."

* * *

Nigel sighed. It was getting late and he was still hanging around the shopping mall. He really had no idea why he was here, he was hoping to pick up some books to get his mind off things- but nothing took his attention. He walked glumly along the hallways of the mall, past the potted plants and countless stores. He cheered up slightly when he entered his favorite bookstore- heading straight for the crime section. He loved a good thriller novel to get his mind off his troubles.

_"And I mean, I don't know what Abby thinks she's doing, but hopefully this book can help her out."_

_"You really think she needs a book?"_

_"Of course! My sister may be smart, but sometimes she can make the dumbest decisions! What she needs is a good book that tells her exactly how to do things."_

Nigel paused at the voices he heard in the other aisle. One seemed very familiar, especially since he was so sure it was his friend they were talking about.

"Cree?" he mumbled to himself, and strained his ears as he listened to their conversation.

_"What about this one? It's pretty cute, you know, and it's-"_

_"For Dummies? I think it might be a bit insulting."_

_"She'll love it! Let's get this one."_

The voices disappeared up the aisle and to the opposite end of the store, where Cree approached the front counter eagerly, placing the book on the counter. Shana stood behind her, looking tired.

"So that's your sister done" She muttered, ticking something off on her pad. Cree grinned up at the man behind the counter, who bagged her 'Pregnancy for Dummies' book and told her the price. Cree handed it over. "Now we just need to confirm the place settings and finalize the accessories for the best man and groom's tuxes." She rattled off the things on her pad and turned to her friend. "Still no luck with Abby's maid of honor dress then?"

"No" Cree muttered and grabbed the package off the counter. "Abby's always been pretty, but I don't think even she can pull off being as big as a house on my wedding day" Cree sighed, looking sulky. "Maybe we should start looking at maternity dresses."

Shana nodded and followed her out of the bookstore. A few feet away, in the aisle they had just come out of, Nigel looked up at the pregnancy shelf in front of him with apprehension. This must have been what Cree was looking at- a book for Abby about pregnancy. He swallowed and picked one up, sighing at the realisation.

"Abby's pregnant?" He sighed, putting the book back. "I gotta check this out for myself."

* * *

"WHY did you do that?"Trent snapped in irritation, running beside Dodge angrily. Dodge didn't answer, just simply stared straight ahead as he walked to his apartment. Trent growled furiously. "I was…THIS close to-"

"Go buy a hooker, Trent." Dodge snapped angrily, turning to his friend. "I've got no time for this crap."

Trent snarled at him, folding his arms. "Dingo isn't going to be happy when he realises you blew our attempt at getting our money."

Dodge rolled his eyes. If anyone could really control and influence Dingo, it was him. They had been best friends for a long time, and Dodge had the most control over his actions. Trent was still furious at Dodge for pulling him off Mushi, especially just because a girl had interrupted them. Trent now ended every sentence with the insult 'pussy' after it.

"You're just a pussy!" Trent growled at him. "You blew our chance at getting the money, you stupid pussy!"

"She's got none!" Dodge snapped. "Besides, if I would have let you the chick would have been a witness to the crime and we would have had to rescue YOUR ass, _again!"_

Trent rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall in annoyance. "Fine" He scoffed. "But next time you better not interrupt me."

"If you ever got a girl, I wouldn't." Dodge snickered at him and dodged a blow from Trent's fist. They approached the door of their apartment, eager to see how Dingo was going. They opened the door and invited themselves in. They frowned at the sudden darkness they were met with.

"D?" Dodge called anxious. "Dingo?" He flicked the light switch of the dark apartment. Dingo was spread out on the couch, a bottle of vodka in his hand. He looked limp, and his hair was back to its natural colour. Dodge approached him and nudged his form. Dingo groaned.

"What the hell?" He slurred, looking up at his two friends. He groaned. "Go away."

"Dude!" Trent muttered, raising his eyebrows. "What's up with you? Your hairs back!'

Dingo blinked dully, his face looking sick. He sat up grudgingly, looking thoroughly depressed. "Yeah, I stripped out the blonde." He grabbed a strand and frowned. "Where am I?"

"In your apartment." Dodge snickered. "God. You're out of it."

"Shutup" Dingo snapped, taking another sip of his bottle. He couldn't think of anything else to do except drink. Abby hadn't spoken to him or answered his calls. She was probably hanging around with her boyfriend at that very moment, and it made Dingo furious to think that picture he took had no effect on her whatsoever. Shouldn't she be running and crying into his shoulder, or something?

"C'mon dude" Dodge sighed, recognizing the signs his best friend was giving. He sat next to him and punched him in the arm cheerfully. "Forget her, it's not the end of the world."

"_She's everyfin'_" Dingo said sulkily, pouting. He raised his half empty bottle of vodka again and gulped it down. Dodge cautiously tugged it out of his grip and placed it back on the table. Dingo, being drunk already, didn't appear to notice.

"You need some serious therapy" Dodge diagnosed, grinning. "We need to cheer you up."

Trent suddenly grinned, his frustrations melting away in excitement. "Oh, like a party? We haven't had a party in SO long!"

"No parties…" Dingo mumbled disjointedly, swaying slightly as he blinked slowly. "I don't-"

"Oh come, come!" Dodge cackled, winding an arm around his friend's shoulders. "What you need is a good bash. We'll get Bandit to bring the stuff, and we're going to give you a great night! Just like old times!"

"Old times?" Dingo muttered incoherently. He smirked. "That doesn't sound too bad."

_One Hour Later..._

Heavy, blaring rock music was pounding out of the stereo speakers, making the walls tremble. The four young adults jumping around the room shouting and attempting to dance didn't make matters any better. All of them were stumbling around, laughing and drinking and trying to scream along to System of a Down.

_The kombucha mushroom people,  
Sitting around all day,  
Who could believe you,  
Who could believe you,  
Let your mother pray…_

"_SUGARRRR!" _Bandit cackled, throwing his empty beer bottle against the fridge. It smashed into pieces, scattering glass all over the floor. Nobody appeared to notice. Trent bounced his head frantically, his hair swaying to the beat of the music. Dodge giggled at him, his eyes darting around the room frantically.

_Well I'm not there all the time you know  
Some people, some people, some people,  
Call it insane, yeah they call it insane-_

_"SUGAR!"_ Dodge hollered to the music, falling over the top of the couch blindly.

_I play Russian roulette everyday, a man's sport,  
With a bullet called life, yeah mama called life_

"_SUGAR!"_ Bandit joined in, jumping around on the couch blindly, still a smudge of white powder under his nose. Dodge giggled uncontrollably from the floor, clutching his ribs.

_You know that every time I try to go  
Where I really want to be,  
It's already where I am_

"_CAUSE I'M ALREADY THERE!" _they all screamed in union to the music, jumping around on the floorboards. They were all laughing and pushing each other, smirking about nothing. On the coffee table there were the slight remnants of what looked like white sugar.

_The kombucha mushroom people,  
Sitting around all day,  
Who could believe you,  
Who could believe you,  
Let your mother pray_

_"SUGAR!"_ Dingo yelled, drowning the rest of his whisky in one gulp. The drugs that were in his system seemed to speed up his mind, and the room was spinning and whirling out of sight. He grinned widely and suddenly passed out, his friends still laughing and giggling around him.

* * *

"Abby"

Abby looked up from her drink, where she had been studying the bubbles in her soda closely. It was better than looking into the eyes of her boyfriend who was opposite her. Wally gave her a concerned look, his emerald eyes looking downcast as he reached for his friend's hand.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" He asked, swallowing. It felt like he'd been walking around all day with butterflies enclosed in his stomach. He'd been dreading this dinner, and the second he saw his girlfriend he knew it was going to be harder than he thought. She was looking beautiful, her long hair out and naturally wavy, her figure looking beautiful in her silver dress. She rarely wore dresses. "You haven't said anything all night."

"Yeah" She mumbled, drawing circles in her napkin with her nails. She had to say something soon, before he did. He looked great, and she could barely look into his face. His clean shave, wavy blonde hair and simple white shirt…it put her to shame to know she'd cheated on him, and then he'd cheated on her. It wasn't even his fault. She sighed, finally looking up. Her dark eyes met his crystal green ones, and they gazed at each other for the longest time, the faint restaurant violin music reaching their ears.

Wally swallowed. Now was the perfect time. But as he looked into that angelic, true face of a good friend, he couldn't do it. He cleared his throat.

"Should…we order?"

Abby sighed, biting her lip. "Why don't you tell me the real reason we're here?"

Wally looked up, frowning. "W-what do you mean?" He cursed himself mentally for being such a coward. _Just tell her. _He heard himself think furiously. _Tell her! You can't string her along like this! Made a choice, remember?_

Abby gazed into his eyes, her grip suddenly tightening on his hand. She couldn't do it, she couldn't physically open her mouth and blurt it out to him- she couldn't tell him the truth. It would hurt them both too much. Instead she broke their hand contact and her hand went to her purse, pulling out her cell phone. Wally frowned, noticing the small tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Abby-"

She slid it across the table and it landed directly in front of him on the table cloth. She didn't have to say anything; instead she stood gracefully, grabbed her purse and walked out, leaving the cell phone behind with her now ex-boyfriend. The tears rushed down her cheeks, her heart hurt and her legs felt like jello- but she knew in her heart she had to do it. She opened the door of the restaurant and walked down the street to her car.

Wally watched her leave, his brow furrowed. His feet felt glued to the floor, his mind felt numb. He had no idea what just happened, he was barely aware of all the questioning glances aimed his way by the fellow restaurateurs. He glanced down at his only companion at his table- Abby's phone.

It was simple, black and shiny and well kept. A Motorola phone that flipped upwards. He frowned and opened it, immediately dropping it again as he saw the picture that made his heart stop.

The photo of him and Kuki. Dingo had sent it. Abby knew all along.

He'd blown it.

* * *

"I don't know about this, Fanny." Rachel growled at her friend, who was still tending to the girl on their couch. Fanny had brought her home with a hurried explanation, leading her to the shower. The young girl had black hair, a sweet (but scarred) face and a slender figure. Fanny was now trying to get her to drink some soup. The young redhead mumbled something to the stowaway before turning to Rachel, leading her to the kitchen.

"What do you mean?" Fanny asked Rachel, frowning. "She has to stay! She has nowhere else to go."

Rachel's eyes widened. "We live in a dorm, Fanny!" Rachel growled at her. "We haven't got any room for some stowaway! Just call the police."

"I can't" Fanny muttered, giving Rachel a pleading look. "I have to help her, you don't understand. This guy was basically trying to _rape _her Rachel-"

"Well, tell the police!" Rachel insisted.

"She can't." Fanny sighed. "For some reason, she can't."

Rachel groaned audibly at her friend and the situation Fanny had gotten herself into. Just then her cell phone rang and Rachel went to answer it as Fanny bustled back into the living room to Mushi.

"Hello?" She muttered irritably into the receiver.

Abby, who was driving along, tried not to sound so upset as she greeted her friend. "Hey, Rachel."

"Abby." Rachel sighed in relief. "How are you?"

"I'm okay" Abby lied, biting her lip. "Sorry to be a bother, but I was wondering if I could stay at your dorm tonight."

Rachel groaned. "Aw, I'm sorry Abs, but we're kind of-" Her eyes looked over to the young Japanese girl on their couch. "-Full, at the moment. Why, what's wrong with your room?"

"Nothing" Abby said quickly, swallowing her tears. "That's fine, it's okay."

"Are you okay Abs?" Rachel frowned at the difference in her friend's voice. "You sound sad, is anything wrong?"

"No I'm fine" Abby made an attempt at a nervous laugh, but it came out as a sniff. "I have to go."

"Abby-"

"Bye"

She hung up, tears flooding down her face as she steered through the busy streets, thoughts racing through her mind at alarming speeds. It crashed down on her then- _she had nowhere to go._

She sniffed, looking up. Well…there was always one place she could go…

* * *

Wally walked along the hallway in confusion, his hands in his pockets. He tried to come up with the various excuses he could say to make up for that picture, but he could think of none. He sighed in defeat as knocked on the door he knew belonged to Abby.

Kuki answered it, opening the door and jumping in surprise at the sight of him. Wally frowned at her, looking sad.

"Hey Kooks."

Kuki felt her heart sink at the tone of his voice. "Hey Wally." She swallowed, giving him a pitying, helpless look. "It didn't go well?"

"Worse than I could have ever imagined…" Wally muttered. "Is she here?"

Kuki shook her head. "She said she may not come home….why, what's wrong?"

Wally's eyes met hers, and all Kuki could see was defeat. "She already knew."

Kuki felt a lump form in her throat as her grip on the door tightened. She bit her lip, trying as hard as she could not to burst into tears. Abby already knew…she had faced her and Kuki had grinned right in her face.

The two young lovers embraced, knowing they were finally free to do so, but at what cost?

* * *

Abby trudged down the hallway, her high heels scraping across the worn floorboards sadly. Here she was, alone and afraid in the world. And pregnant. All that seemed to be keeping her company was her small baby bump, invisible under her loose dress. She put a hand to her stomach, sniffing back her tears. She knew it would have to happen after a while, she just didn't think it would hurt so much.

She reached his door, which was open slightly. She closed the door and crossed the war torn apartment, looking around emotionlessly. There were shards of glass all over the floor, alcohol bottles littered everywhere and the furniture was scattered everywhere. Bandit, Dodge and Trent had left long ago, the buzz had worn off.

She entered his bedroom, where he had been dumped- still passed out- on his bed. She sighed. This may not have been the best sanctuary, but for now it was all she had. And believe it or not she was actually grateful for it.

She kicked off her heels and dumped her bag in the corner. She slid next to his still body and pulled the blankets up to her chin in comfort. She snuggled against his warm back as the tears began to fall. She didn't want to do it, but she had to. She had to let Wally go. She knew he'd be happier with Kuki. It was only fate, and she couldn't fight it. As she closed her eyes, she thought of what next. What about her baby? Now that she wasn't with Wally anymore, was there any real purpose for her here?

* * *

Footnotes-

*_I'm so, SO _sorry if that offends people. It's actually used a lot around where I am, but it's a bad racial slur for Japanese people. I love the Japanese…especially sushi, anime and the country (been there, it's awesome!) but in this context Dingo was being racist and offensive to poor Kuki and…he's a villain, what do you expect?

** Ranga- Word for redhead, is meant to be offensive but it's a pretty common term here :P I'm a redhead and I don't get offended.

_*Sigh* Big chapter! I hope you guys liked it! I love your reviews, they let me know what you think and I love your opinions :D. _

_But that's what I think ;)_

_Dingo: (reading reviews) How come I'M so scary? I'm not the one that just tried to rape someone!_

_Trent: Hey! HEY! Uncalled for!_

_Dodge: Shutup Trent! Nobody wants to hear from a psyched up OC like you!_

_Bandit: We're all OCs_

_Dingo: Not me! With a role like mine, how can they NOT invite me to be a regular?_

_*Crickets chirp*_

_Dingo: You guys SUCK! Besides, if people hate OCs so much, how come you keep adding new ones? STUPID ones!_

_Me: Shutup! Hollie and Bonny are 'must have' characters!_

_Hollie: Yeah! We're guaranteed a serious role!_

_Bonny: Yeah! Where we like...do stuff._

_Hollie: Ow I broke a nail!_

_Me: (frowning) On the other hand..._


	8. Chapter 8: Love Games

Hi guys! I know! I feel REALLY awful! I kept you guys waiting for so long and I'm sorry :( I had a SEVERE case of writer's block, really, like no idea with this story! So I dedicated my Saturday to sitting myself down, iPod in hand and fingers at the ready. You can thank me with your saw-weet reviews :D Pretty please?

_Sorry if this chapter sucks, I'm not 100% on it, but it's the best I can do with exams coming up :)_

_WITH SUPER TREMENDOUS THANKS:_

itsaDoggyDogworld: _Aw, thank you so much! :D I hope you like this update! _

missblackeyeliner: _YAY! Triple Love! *score!* Hope you like it ;]_

Kameko-Lullaby: _Aw, yay! :D It's good that my OC's are actually interesting, because I know how annoying some OC's can be :S and thank you! :)_

TheMindandSoul : _Hehe! YayFORRaMbLinGs! Khehehe *runs around crazily*...hmm...better stop now ;) hopeyoulike!_

Laurie43 : _Aw yay! Someone likes Dodge, I have to feel for Dodge. Oh I love your long reviews! hehe! :D Oh all my OC's are crazy, except for the one's that are just there to speak common sense (lol) Hollie and Bonny...I have a feeling they are going to make quite an impact by a couple of chapters...but that's why I love 'em ;]_

simi838 : _OMG! TOTLTUTV was the very first PPG story I ever read, and it got me thinking "Wow...Powerpuff girls are COOL!" Best story ever...oh, except mine ;] jokes. Aussie? Aw, that means you can actually understand what my OCs (and me) are saying! ;D Hope you like my update_

Starlight Kittycat: _Hehe, thank you! :D And it's okay, I like Dodge too! he's the most sane of the group (that's saying something) I hope you like my update :P_

sstoons3425 : _I've always seen Abby as a pretty strong Character, that's why I love writing about her the most. She's about to face a lot of drama, so let's see how strong she really is *fastens seat belt* :D thank you_

hellopandaluver: _:D believe it or not, I like hearing my characters cause an impact, bad or not! Trent is evil...he's one sick puppy *lecture face*. I'll try my best with the fluff...but I'll let you in on a little secret *looks around nervously*...I'm not good at it :( and I don't know how! Argh! (I'll try and do some practise) And thanks for those pointers, I looked on Wikipedia...DARN YOU WIKIPEDIA! YOU FALSE IDOL! *stomps* Hope you like :)_

TheNocturne _Soap Opera? Whatever would give you that idea? *looks around nervously* Lol, but don't worry, I may be a fan of cliffies, but not sad endings! *determined face!* I'm actually undecided on some of the endings for our characters...let's see how it pans out :) I hope you like this chapter! :D_

_**So many reviews! *faints with happiness* **_

Enjoy!

* * *

Nigel heaved a sigh, falling back onto one of the armchairs in his dorm and draping his legs over the arm. He was deep in thought- and when he was, everything else seemed to melt away. His mind was working through his current issue- Abby.

Abby had been his best friend since he could remember- she was his right hand 'man', so to speak. Now she was pregnant; and she was keeping it from everyone. That wasn't like Abby, Nigel especially knew that. Abby wouldn't keep a secret that big unless there was a good reason behind it.

"Nigel!"

Nigel jumped in surprise and looked around the room, seeing Hoagie standing in front of him, his eyebrows raised.

"Finally" Hoagie scoffed, munching on some cereal. "I've called out to you like fifty times, what's up with you?"

"Oh" Nigel muttered, running a hand through his hair and rising from the armchair. "Sorry."

Hoagie rolled his eyes. He'd known Nigel nearly all his life, and knew when the Brit was deep in thought. He decided not to go into it. "Anyway…" He muttered. "Did you hear about the latest?"

Nigel frowned, tilting his head in confusion. "What are you talking about, Hoagie?"

"Abby and Wally broke up." Hoagie said. "Wally told me last night."

"What?" Nigel jumped, his eyes wide. "What did they do that for? They've been together for-"

Hoagie frowned, looking at his friend in alarm. "Three years, I know. But that's what Wally told me. He was looking for her, apparently she…I don't really know the details but he did something and she walked out and he was looking for her." His expression changed into one of worry. "I hope she's okay."

Nigel swallowed, his thoughts now racing. He wondered if Abby's pregnancy had anything to do with the pair breaking up- if it didn't he knew Abby would be distraught.

"I gotta go." Nigel suddenly muttered, grabbing his jacket and making a beeline for the door. "See ya."

The door slammed shut and Hoagie blinked, still in the same position. It seemed to him Nigel practically _flew _out the door.

"Weird" He mumbled, crunching on another spoonful of cereal.

* * *

Dingo frowned in his sleep, feeling his head throb painfully as he finally awoke, looking around groggily. He groaned, feeling a killer hangover coming on. He ran a hand through his hair blindly as he turned, feeling somebody next to him. His eyes widened in surprise.

_Abby…_

As usual she looked a goddess, gracing his bed with delicate elegance as she slept, her hand placed near her face; her long brown locks splayed across the pillow. Her dress lay forgotten on the floor beside the bed, and she didn't seem to be wearing anything except a pair of tiny underwear. Her eyes were closed and her plump lips were open slightly, her chest rising and falling as she quietly slept.

He shook his head, blinking slowly as he tried to determine whether he was dreaming or not. He crept towards her carefully, wrapping an arm around her form as he looked at her. He tilted his head towards hers, taking in her sweet scent- smelling like orchids and coconut. He felt his eyelids gently close again and he fell back into a deep slumber, feeling more peaceful than he ever felt before.

* * *

Bonny's dark eyes suddenly locked with Hollie's mischievously, flashing a cheeky grin which Hollie returned. The familiar beat suddenly filled their ears and they looked towards the front of the room, concentrating on the far wall as they took a deep breath, beginning to dance simultaneously. After years of practice it was second instinct to the pair.

_Let's have some fun, this beat is sick  
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick_

_Let's have some fun, this beat is sick  
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick_

Bonny and Hollie's hips swayed quickly and in sync as they stepped out their well planned dance moves to the pounding music of Lady GaGa. Both girls flashed their showgirl smiles at the men in front of them as they shook their bodies sensually, enjoying the attention they missed so much back home.

_I wanna kiss you (huh)  
But if I do then I might miss you, babe (huh)  
It's complicated and stupid (huh)_

Hollie spun delicately, pausing and bending over provocatively. Her mind flashed quickly to her ex-boyfriend and the look on his face when he saw that she had followed him all this way. She snapped back up, swishing her long hair and winking at her audience.

_Got my ass squeezed by sexy cupid (huh)  
Guess he wants to play, wants to play  
A love game, a love game (huh)_

Bonny pushed out her chest with the rhythm, stepping out her well practiced steps. She was almost bored with this dance. She flashed her partner a dazzling smile as both swung their hips backwards and forwards in rapid movements- keeping their upper body still with immense skill.

_Hold me and love me  
Just want touch you for a minute  
Maybe three seconds is enough  
For my heart to quit it_

Hollie suddenly remembered the last thing her and her ex had 'talked' about before they officially broken up. He always teased her- and not in the loving way- he'd laughed about the idea of her getting a 'real' job- saying _"That's the one thing you'll ever be good at." _She tried to keep her face straight as she danced, showing off the one thing she seemed to be good at- getting what she wanted.

_Let's have some fun, this beat is sick  
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick  
Don't think too much, just bust that kick  
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick_

Bonny copied her movements, her eyes locking with one of the men in front of the stage. She could tell how much Hollie wanted this job- she wanted to show them how independent she was. Bonny didn't think too much for herself, she instead let Hollie do it for her. Bonny was pretty happy with that nevertheless, she loved this kind of work just as much as Hollie did.

_Let's play a lovegame, play a lovegame  
Do you want love, or you want fame  
Are you in the game (huh)  
Through the lovegame (huh)_

"You can stop there" One of the guys finally croaked, and the music stopped. Both girls paused- in the position they were in. Hollie smirked. That was the key in this job- act clueless.

"Okies!" Hollie jumped down from the stage, Bonny following her. "How were we?" Bonny paused behind her, grinning expectantly and batting her eyelashes.

"Uh-" The thirty-something year old looked towards his younger bartender, whose face was flushed from the performance he witnessed. He looked back to the girls in front of them- looking at them up and down. He, Vince Madden, had been the proud owner of _Club Nine_ for ten years now, and it was renowned as one of the best clubs (slash strip clubs) in the city. These girls were sure fire winners, but girls like this made him suspicious- he knew they weren't beginners.

The girl's hazel eyes flashed dangerously at him while her winning smile glistened angelically. He swallowed and folded his arms.

"Why do you want this job so much?"

"Oh…" Hollie smirked. "I just look for adventure." She placed her hands behind her back and tilted her head at him innocently. "Doesn't every girl?"

"Yeah, but-" He shook his head. "You've done this sort of work before, haven't you?"

Hollie shrugged her slim shoulders, biting her bottom lip. "Does it really matter?"

Vince sighed, watching them both with suspicion. "Listen" He sighed, running a hand through his short, bristled hair. "I prefer honesty when it comes to these things. Are you girls…professionals or something? And if so, why are you in this kind of club? Usually it's for-" He pondered for a second, trying to find the right words. "You know…college girls that need cash, somethin' like that."

Hollie scrunched up her plump lips in mock thought before issuing him with a confident smile. She draped an arm around the business owner, talking to him as though he was a business associate other than a guy she'd just met.

"Listen, Vince." She said smoothly, grinning. "Me and Bons here, we need a job. Not for the cash, not for the excitement. We got enough of that. We need something to do, you know? We need…an alibi."

"That's honesty." Vince scoffed, raising his eyebrows. "So why the hell should I hire you two girls."

"Because" Hollie said simply. "You'll never find anyone as good as us." She held up her arms carelessly. "And besides- we're guaranteed to bring a lot of business to your club."

Vince raised his eyebrows. "Oh really?"

"Oh yeah" Hollie winked at him convincingly. "We're guaranteed to attract attention."

* * *

Mushi walked down the long, narrow alleyway, unsure of where she was going or where she was. She looked around, it must have been dead at night- as there was nobody else around and the only source of light was the flickering streetlight at the end of the alley. She stumbled along the damp brick walls, her feet tripping along the uneven, cracked ground. She felt disoriented, not sure where she was. She was dazed and her vision was slightly blurred- but she knew she was in danger. She felt tears at her eyes as a mocking laughter echoed around her head.

She headed towards the light at the end of the alley, knowing that there was safety at the end of the road. She let out a desperate sob as she stumbled, her feet feeling heavy and her nails clawing at the walls as she struggled to stand. She blinked, trying to clear her head. She was almost there.

A figure suddenly stepped underneath the beam of light and she stopped, staring. Her heart suddenly pounding against her ribs as she stared at the hooded figure, his face concealed in the shadows. She wanted to turn and run, but her feet couldn't move.

He suddenly walked towards her and she stumbled back, panting. Through the limited light she could see a pair of gleaming gray eyes glaring at her up and down. He smirked at her and hovered over her form, reaching out a hand to her.

"_Scream if this hurts, Babe."_ He snarled at her, grinning from ear to ear.

Mushi awoke, his laughter still echoing in her ears. She sat up and grabbed at her chest, breathing heavily. _Just a dream…Just a dream_…But there were tears in her eyes as she ran a hand along her cheek and to her neck, where she knew a big purple circular bruise stuck out against her skin. She could still remember those cold gray eyes…the eyes of the guy who did this to her.

She jumped as she heard a knock at the door. "Mushi? Are you awake?"

"Uh-" Mushi swallowed, running a shaky hand through her hair. She looked around the foreign room- the posters on the wall, the bedspread, the bed- none of this was hers anyway. She pulled her knees up to her chin and cleared her throat, trying to calm herself down.

"Yeah" She yelled out, swinging her legs to the floor. "Yeah I'm fine."

Fanny opened the door, smiling at the girl in her bed. Mushi made an attempt to smile back, her heart still thumping from her nightmare. She looked up at the redhead, who was still clad in her pajamas. She yawned and sat down beside her on her bed, giving Mushi a careful look.

"Did you…sleep well?" Fanny finally asked.

"Yeah" Mushi lied, smiling at her. "An-And I just wanted to say thanks- for everything, you know? I would have never-"

"Don't mention it." Fanny scoffed, waving her hand carelessly. "I wanted to help."

Mushi nodded, unable to say anything else.

"Listen" Fanny cleared her throat, feeling suddenly nervous and awkward. She barely knew this girl, yet she was trying to help her through something she didn't understand. She had no idea what to do or what to say. "Mushi- what's going on?"

Mushi shrugged her slim shoulders. "I…I don't even know."

"Who was that guy?" Fanny suddenly muttered, looking at her carefully. "The guy who-"

"I don't know" Mushi said, her voice quivering slightly. "He- He just came onto me, I only met h-him once before…He knows…my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Fanny frowned, turning to the girl. "You have a boyfriend?"

Mushi nodded. "Yeah…his name's Sandy."

"Where's he in all of this?" Fanny suddenly snarled. "Why isn't he protecting you if your parents can't?"

Mushi shook her head, feeling tears at her eyes. "I-He doesn't have to take care of me, I was trying to take care of myself. He's in some trouble and is trying to get out of it."

Fanny swallowed. "Are you staying with him?"

Mushi nodded. "Yeah…in his apartment."

Fanny tentatively wrapped an arm around the young girl. "Well…maybe we should take you back. Not that I not want you to stay here…just that I want you to be safe." She bit her lip. "Are you…going to tell Kuki?"

Mushi's eyes darted upward. Her icy blue eyes were full of fear and her face looked stricken with anxiety.

"I can't" She whispered. "I…I don't think I can. You won't tell will you?" She suddenly asked Fanny, who bit her lip.

"She's one of my friends…"

"Please don't." Mushi said tearfully. "I don't want her to know what a mess I am."

Fanny swallowed. "She is your sister…"

Mushi grabbed Fanny's hand pleadingly, tears in her eyes. "Fanny." She choked out. "Just trust me on this. I can't let Kuki know…I just can't. I'll contact her when I can-but I can't let her know that I'm in trouble. It'll cause her so much grief and I don't want that, I'll be fine I promise."

Fanny sighed. "Okay" She finally gave in. "As long as I can come with you to your boyfriend's apartment…I at least need to know you're alright."

* * *

The plane lurched suddenly downward and back up again, causing Jake's skull to smack into the window. He awoke with a start.

"_Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. We'll expect some turbulence up ahead, so please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts."_

Jake rubbed his scalp angrily, his black hair tousled and his eyelids heavy from exhaustion. He looked around the cabin of the plane, where he was squished into the window seat, next to some business-y looking guy and some American tourist. She continually gave him subtle winks and it was making him want to punch her. She was probably younger Dingo.

"So" She said conversationally, taking her headphones off. "Have you been to the USA before?"

"Yeah" Jake mumbled, resting his head back on the window. He hated flying, he felt so cramped and suffocated. He folded his arms moodily.

"Cool" She grinned. "I was born in Minnesota, myself. I'm just coming back from backpacking around Victoria, have you ever been down there? I had no idea there was snow down under! I mean I was sitting around and I said to my tourist guide-"

Jake felt his eyes glaze over, blocking out the annoying girl's accent with thoughts of his own. He smiled serenely when he thought of the moment where he could finally get his hands on Dingo- make him pay for this excruciating 14 hour flight. His mind drifted back to when he finally made Dingo take responsibility for his own decisions. Dingo was never any good at it, and he hadn't changed at all since he was 16.

…

_Sixteen year old Dingo bounded out from his room and grabbed his car keys that were on the counter. Jake looked up, his eyebrows raised as he sat cross legged on the kitchen bench, crunching on a packet of Doritos. _

"_Where do you think you're going?" Jake scoffed, looking at him up and down. His son was actually clothed in clean jeans and a black jacket. He actually smelt as though he had put on deodorant. It must have been a special occasion. Dingo smirked at him proudly._

"_I'm goin' out." Dingo muttered, twirling his keys around his finger. "I probs won't be back 'till late."_

_Jake rolled his eyes. He wasn't the type of father to stop his son from going out at 11'o'clock on a Friday night, because he knew Dingo would do it regardless anyway. "Sure."_

_Dingo frowned, suspicious. "Really?"_

_Jake shrugged, smirking. "Yep. Go nuts."_

"_You're not gonna…." Dingo bit his lip. "Forbid me from any tattoos, peircings, girls…drinking...drugs?"_

_Jake scoffed. "Nup. You're old enough to take responsibility…legally anyway. But-" He gave him a glare. "If you do get caught- know I'm not gonna stand up for you."_

_Dingo pondered on this for a second. "Okay" He said finally, grinning. "I'll see ya...whenever!"_

_With that, he bounded out of the front door. Jake grinned, shoving another handful of Doritos into his mouth as he heard the door slam. "I give him 'till one." He mumbled to himself. "2am tops."_

_Sure enough, the 32-year-old awoke with a start from the couch, hearing a furious knocking on his front door. He groaned, stretched and stumbled tiredly to the door, checking the clock- 1am. He opened it to reveal a furious looking man, with a red face and dark blonde hair. He was gripping Dingo in his right hand by the hood of his jacket- Dingo looking alarmed and nervous as he looked up at Jake with pleading eyes. He gripped his daughter in his other hand by her wrist. She looked furious- her red hair was in her face, her lipgloss smeared and her t-shirt askew._

"_In this YOUR son?" The man demanded of Jake, shaking Dingo by his jacket. Jake raised his eyebrows in amusement, looking over at Holly with a knowing look on his face. The man was fuming. "He was getting FRESH with my daughter!"_

_Jake sighed serenely, looking down at Dingo with a shrug. Dingo's big green eyes widened. _

"_He doesn't seem to ring a bell." Jake shrugged, smirking. He shut the door with a quick snap and walked away, chuckling to himself._

Jake was knocked back into the present with another jolt of the plane caused by turbulence. Thankfully, his skull didn't hit the window this time. He sighed tiredly, closing his eyes again.

* * *

Kuki blinked her eyes tiredly; finally rising from what she thought was her pillow. Instead she looked across and saw she had been resting on Wally's chest, his blue Element hoodie being a comfy pillow for the night. She grinned, looking over at him. He had his arm around her and was lying back on the couch- still fast asleep.

She sighed and rose, looking around the room. They'd fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for Abby to return. So far no luck- unless Abby was very good at sneaking in. Kuki tiptoed out of the lounge area and tentatively rapped on Abby's door, opening it slightly. Her bed was empty, and still made.

Kuki sighed, leaning on the wall sadly. She didn't know whether or not she even wanted to face Abby again- after the unfortunate event that had just occurred. She still couldn't believe Abby had faced her and said all those things, like nothing happened. Kuki felt the guilt consume her as she ran a hand through her messy hair. She sighed and walked back to her room- grabbing a towel to prepare for her shower. She needed some time to think.

* * *

Hoagie racked his brain- trying to think of the right placement of words for the conclusion of his essay. It was due in a week, but he thought he might as well start early. It was becoming harder and harder to concentrate, however. Especially when so many things clouded his mind. Being in the garage staffroom didn't help things.

_Abby_- Abby was now free. But what did this mean? He didn't want to automatically grab her, what would that look like? What would Wally think? Wally was his best mate…that would be slack, wouldn't it? A fierce battle raged in his mind, both pros and cons appearing every second. He could picture himself with Abby, the two of them happy, perhaps going on dates, hugging, kissing- hanging out like old times. But what about Abby? Did she even see him that way? And what if there was…someone else?

A cute, angelic face suddenly floated in his mind. Those sweet freckles, that wave of long ginger hair that flowed like an elegant mermaid-

_"What'cha doin'?"_

Hoagie jumped, his pen creating a line up the side of the paper as his hand jolted in surprise. He scowled, looking up at Bandit with an annoyed expression. Bandit blinked back, his big eyes widened in curiosity as he stared at the paper. Instead of his familiar red bandanna or white headband, he instead wore a tan hunting hat with earflaps. He looked up with Hoagie in mild curiosity and fascination, looking like a little five year old instead of a twenty year old.

"I'm doing my essay." Hoagie sighed in frustration. "Or at least…I'm trying to."

Bandit frowned, tilting his head to the side. He was oblivious to the hint. "What's an essay?"

"A-" Hoagie suddenly stopped, raising his eyebrows. "You don't know what an essay is?"

Bandit cackled in amusement. "It rings a bell…"

"Um…" Hoagie swallowed, frowning at him. "It's a piece of writing…like for English…you know? To establish a point-"

"Aw" Bandit nodded. "So its school stuff."

"Yeah" Hoagie muttered. "It's for my science major."

"You must be smart." Bandit suddenly pointed out, smirking. "I barely made it to Year 10, and that's with Dingo's cheat sheets."

"I'm not that smart." Hoagie shrugged. "I mean, I'm no genius or anything like that…I really have barely any common sense."

"Ya smarter than me" Bandit chuckled, kicking the vending machine thoughtfully. A can of soda dropped out. "I was never the brightest bulb. Working with cars is pretty much the only thing I can do."

"At least you're good at something." Hoagie shrugged.

Bandit gave him a shy, thankful smile. "I Guess so…"

Trent suddenly strutted into the room, looking moody. (_But then again,_ Hoagie thought, _he always looks like that_). His cold gray eyes flashed towards Hoagie in annoyance before turning back to Bandit.

"Oi Bando." Trent muttered to him. Bandit looked up, sipping his can of soda. "We're goin' to the club tonight- meet at 8."

"Kay." Bandit shrugged, suddenly looking intrigued. "Usual place?"

"Yeah" Trent muttered. He folded his arms and shot Hoagie a suspicious glance. "Just make sure you're on time, 'aight?"

"Yeah whatever." Bandit scoffed, rolling his eyes. "_Mother."_

Trent flipped him off as he walked out, a smirk plastered on his face. Bandit poked his tongue out in retaliation.

"I don't think Trent likes me that much." Hoagie muttered under his breath, sighing. He put his essay to the side. "I mean, he obviously loathes the very thought of me."

Bandit sniggered, picking up one of the magazines that littered the floor. "Trent hates everybody…he's just like that."

Hoagie sighed, thinking Bandit was just trying to lift his spirits. He couldn't ignore the fact that he felt the odd one out in his work place. He also couldn't ignore the hatred Trent showed towards him- especially when Trent tripped him over or shot him dirty looks.

"Seriously." Bandit muttered to himself. "I've known him since he was five years old. Don't let him get to you- he's hardly brave enough to do anything, he's just trying to scare ya."

Hoagie swallowed, looking at the door that led to the garage. He couldn't help it, but there was something fishy about Trent- just like there was something weird about Dingo, and something dodgy about the whole gang of guys.

"It's working." Hoagie muttered, returning to his essay.

* * *

Wally awoke, his eyesight automatically going to the watch on his wrist, which was digging into his skin uncomfortably. He must have fallen asleep on Kuki's couch- but where was she? He groaned as he checked the time- 11am in the morning. He must have been asleep for a _long_ time. He rose, cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders as he did so. He frowned and felt his stomach clench as he remembered why he was here- to await Abby's return.

He groaned and sat back down, running a hand through his hair. He didn't want to face her, but at the same time he couldn't wait to. He hated the fact that he'd let her down, that he gave into his weaknesses. He swallowed nervously, trying to figure out what to say. An apology? An explanation? He didn't even know where to begin.

"You're awake."

He heard a sweet, soft voice from behind him and he jumped, turning to see Kuki- dressed only in a towel. Her body was still moist from her shower and her long, onyx coloured hair was tied up in a messy, loose bun at the back of her head. Her eyes glowing brightly, her violet eyes connecting with his emerald ones. Those eyes made him freeze to the spot, made him forget all of his worries. But her face was sad.

"Yeah" He muttered, rising to his feet again. He walked over to her and swiftly wrapped his arms around her, not caring whether she was damp or not. He sighed as she buried her face in his shoulder. He knew why she looked so sad, the same reason he felt so guilty and lost. He pushed her away lightly, looking into her face with an apologetic expression.

"I'm so sorry I got you into this." He apologized, looking glum. "I never meant to hurt you and Abby, if only I could have just-"

"Don't worry." Kuki said quickly, sighing. She looked up into his handsome features, his emerald eyes looked deep and sorrowful. It hurt her to see him so torn. "It's more my fault than anybody else's."

"I just want this all to work out." Wally growled to himself, letting her go regretfully. "I want to be with you more than anything, but I never wanted to hurt Abby, and I never wanted to drop her like I did. I just hope our friendship hasn't suffered because of it."

"I hope so too." Kuki swallowed, but raised a hand to his face, her fingers tracing around his jaw line. He shivered under her light, sweet touch. "I want this more than anything."

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Wally reached for her again, his face cupping her chin delicately. He kissed her, his lips meeting hers with longing. Kuki felt like she was about to melt in his arms, it felt so right and so real. She knew this love was meant to be, and nothing could stand in their way of being together. Her guilt was pushed away as Wally held her in his arms, never wanting to let her go. Both broke away from each other when there was a knock on the door. Kuki flushed, her stomach clenching as she thought of Abby.

"I'll get it." Wally volunteered, looking at Kuki with a small smile on his face. "You better get changed."

Kuki blushed and hurried off, giving him a shy look. Wally smirked and walked to the door, opening it with a second thought. He was taken aback once he saw Nigel standing there, looking at him with a suspicious look, jumping back in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" They both said simultaneously. Nigel gave him a look, causing Wally to gulp nervously.

"I thought you and Abby broke up." Nigel said carefully, looking Wally over carefully. Wally swallowed, looking to the floor.

"You heard about that, huh?"

"Yeah" Nigel said coldly, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. "Everyone has. So what are you doing here?"

Before Wally had a chance to answer, Kuki's voice was heard from her room.

"Wally?" She asked, frowning and listening out. "Who is it?"

Nigel glared at the blonde Aussie, who automatically gulped. Without another word Nigel rolled his eyes and walked down the hall, Wally automatically following him. "Nigel!" He said earnestly, panicking. "It's not what you think-"

"We always knew you guys would end up together." Nigel growled, furious at Wally's behaviour. "I just never thought you'd break up with Abby just to get to her." He turned, narrowing his eyes at Wally. "Or couldn't you wait? Did you have a taste just before you decided to end it?"

Wally swallowed, feeling both furious and ashamed. Nigel was always seen as the leader, ever since they were kids. Wally felt guilty that he'd become so predictable. "No" He mumbled, his cheeks reddening. "I never meant for it to be this way, really Nigel, I-"

Nigel glared at him, thinking of Abby and her pregnancy. He wandered whether Wally even knew about it, and if he and Kuki were the reason she was keeping it a secret in the first place. "Look." He snapped, interrupting him. "I hate to see my friends fighting, but you've got to sort out this whole situation with Abby. After three years you at least owe her that, not bunking with her roommate."

"Yeah I know" Wally mumbled, his cheeks now a bright pink. "I just can't find her anywhere, and I've tried calling her and Kooks and I waited up for her-"

"Where is she?" Nigel asked, suddenly nervous. "I mean, what happened?"

"She just walked out." Wally groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I have no idea where she's gone, she didn't come home-"

"Maybe she's with Rachel." Nigel said hopefully. "Or Cree."

"I hope so." Wally folded his arms and bit his lip, cringing as he thought of where Abby could be. He couldn't help but hate himself at the moment, wishing he could turn back the clock and just be open with his girlfriend. He couldn't help but feel the hate ebb through him dangerously as his thoughts fell on the one person who could have prevented this all from happening.

Dingo.

* * *

Abby stirred in her sleep, trying to fight the urge to wake up. She'd just had the best dream…her and a couple of her friends were running around some strange mansion trying to steal some cake. It had been really weird, but strangely familiar and exhilarating. She blinked, looking around the dark room she was in. The heavy black curtains on the windows blocked the sunlight, but still she could see the early morning rays of the sunrise stream through the gaps.

She felt Dingo's muscular arm cling around her body protectively as she stirred, moving her body as she tried to wake herself up. He groaned in protest, burying his face deeper into her back, snuggling into her hair. She pushed against him lightly, nudging him off. He tightened his grip, hugging her closer to him. She groaned and rolled over. She blinked several times before yelping and jumping up in bed, her eyes wide.

"_Oh my god_!" She squeaked, gasping. She frowned at Dingo, who awoke with a start at the yelp. He looked around, confused and sleepy. He blinked up at her with his hazy emerald pupils, frowning and rubbing his sore eyes.

"What is it, Baby?" He mumbled to her, sitting up and yawning. She simply gaped at him.

"Wha-" She shook her head, trying to clear her vision. "What did you do to your _hair?" _

Dingo's hand automatically jumped to his scalp, feeling around suspiciously. He picked up a strand and held it out, glaring suspiciously. "Aw" He mumbled sleepily, yawning. "I stripped out the blonde."

"What?" Abby frowned, raising her eyebrows. "You're…not blonde?"

Dingo scoffed audibly, and cringed as he realised what a big headache he had. He winced and lay back on the pillows, frowning at her and squeezing his eyes tightly shut. "'Course I'm not a blonde, I'm not _that _dumb."

Abby rolled her eyes, but glared at him all the same. "So…" She cleared her throat. "So…that's your natural colour?" She gestured to Dingo's raven coloured hair. She was amazed how well he could have pulled off having blonde hair if his natural colour was that dark. He looked…different. Much more…dark. Not only in his hair colour, but in his facial features. He looked darker, much more mysterious and forbidding.

It scared her how much she liked that.

He reached out blindly for her, his hands trying to drag her back down beside him.

"Come back, Baby" He groaned, pouting at her. "You smell really good."

She smirked, but then caught herself just in time. No, she had to stay focused! She rose and swung her feet out of bed, grabbing her bag from the floor. Dingo groaned and raised his head from the pillow. Abby slipped on a pair of jeans from her bag, trying to figure out what to do next. She wasn't sure if she could face Kuki or Wally…but she knew she had to do it sooner or later.

Dingo crawled over to her on all fours, wrapping his arms around her naked back, nuzzling his nose in between her shoulder blades. She froze as she felt his hot breath on the back of her neck, into her ear. His tongue suddenly swiped her earlobe, making her bite her lip.

"Where do you think you're going?" He growled, smirking at her as he stoked her hair lovingly. She groaned at him, pulling away as she reached for her bra.

"I have to go." She mumbled, trying her hardest to resist. "I have to finish an assignment and get to class and-"

Dingo groaned at her, wrapping his arms around her stomach. She sighed deeply, her eyes closing in composure as he kissed her shoulder teasingly. He blinked at her innocently, his emerald eyes glistening defiantly. "You don't have class until late." He growled at her. She frowned, turning to him.

"How did you know-" She narrowed her eyes as he flashed an innocent grin. "You checked up on me?"

"Just your class times." He smirked at her, his cheek rubbing against hers. She rolled her eyes. His hands suddenly spread across her lightly tanned skin, right across her stomach. He swallowed, eyes wide with curiosity. "How's Bubs?"

She bit her lip, her cheeks blushing slightly. "It's fine." Maurice's 'warning' suddenly flashed into her mind and she swallowed nervously, feeling Dingo's fingers now swirl around her back, tickling her bare skin sensually.

"You're tense." He mumbled, rubbing his fingers into her shoulder blades. She groaned lightly and he smirked knowingly, teasing her. She suddenly shook her head and pushed him away, pulling a t-shirt over her head.

"Of course I'm tense" She finally snapped, remembering the whole reason of why she was here. "You had to send me that stupid text."

He frowned defensively as she stood. He grabbed her hips, forcing her back down.

"What would you rather me do?" He snapped into her ear and hugged her shoulders, preventing her from trying to rise again. "I couldn't let him win; I couldn't let him cheat on you."

Abby swallowed, feeling tears come to her eyes again. "Just like I'm doing to-"

"Not anymore." Dingo growled, kissing her ear. "Did you break it off with him?"

Abby sighed, swallowing as a stray tear rushed down her cheek. "Yes."

His hands scooted down her collarbone, down her chest to her stomach. He sighed, his warm breath sending chills up her spine. "Good" He mumbled to her, grinning proudly. He swept her hair from her shoulder and kissed her neck seductively. "Means we're free, huh?"

She pushed him off roughly, rising to her feet and pulling her shirt on. She gave him a furious look.

"Is that all you think about?"

Dingo narrowed his eyes at her defensively. "Don't act like you don't think about it, Babe."

"Stop it" She finally snapped. She felt the tears run down her cheeks as she glared at him. He looked back at her innocently, his dark eyes demanding her return. He looked almost sulky, begging. "Is that all I am to you? Your toy? Your play thing? Is that all you _use_ me for?"

Dingo stood up, glaring at her. "Don't talk like that Abs." He snapped at her, looking dangerous. "I only wanted you to know the truth."

"You only did it so you'd have me to yourself." Abby corrected, now feeling truly depressed. She felt as though she was caught in a game of tug-o-war, Dingo fighting tooth and nail to have her in his bed and Wally fighting to have her compassion, friendship and forgiveness. She felt a lump rise in her throat- _Wally. _If only he knew.

"That's not it!" Dingo growled at her, pulling her towards him. "You know me better than that."

"Do I?" She snapped, her palms pushing against his chest. "I didn't even know your natural hair color, what makes you think I know you?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, now looking slightly hurt. "Where's this coming from?" He growled.

"It's coming from the fact that you would do anything just to get me." Abby snarled, now crying for real. "You crushed Wally just to show he was cheating on me, and probably crushed Kuki too-"

"They _both _deserve it." Dingo countered, furious. "If they're both backstabbing you."

"What?" Abby muttered, grabbing her bag. "Like we are?"

She pulled her bag over her shoulder and stomped towards the door, looking furious. Dingo's eyes widened as he launched after her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.

"Abby" He growled, narrowing his eyes. "Don't leave."

"Why not?"

"You always do." He snarled at her. "You're the one who came here in the first place! Stop running from me."

Abby glared at him, her brown eyes deep with emotion. Dingo held her close, his jade eyes searching her. "You've run out of excuses" He hissed at her. "You're not together with Wally anymore."

She sniffed, pulling her hand away from his grasp. She looked up into his face, where his green eyes were now almost pleading with her. She felt torn, broken and almost ripped in half by this stupid love triangle. Dingo swallowed nervously. She sighed, dropping her bag to the floor and looking at the boy in front of her, her eyes wide with emotion.

"What do you want from me, Dingo?"

He blinked down at her, searching her face. He gripped her hand in his and suddenly pulled it to his face, kissing it sweetly. His eyes were wide and looked as though they were wet.

"I just want you."

* * *

Fanny nervously tugged her jacket around her tightly, walking down the dirty hallway with Mushi beside her. She was wrinkling her nose in disgust at the sight of the building. Mushi's cheeks darkened as she saw the expression on her friend's face. As she approached Sandy's front door she knocked on it apprehensively. After a minute of waiting there was still no reply. Mushi tried again.

"Are you sure he's home?" Fanny asked apprehensively. Mushi swallowed.

"He should be." She muttered, frowning. "He wouldn't be anywhere else."

She tried the doorknob, which turned under her grasp and opened the door. Her eyes widened in surprise as she took a step forward, into the apartment. She gaped.

It was empty.

She looked around the place in amazement and shock, her knees trembling slightly. The one place she called home here, the one place she felt she could truly go…was gone. Sandy had left her. She walked into the bedroom, but all that was there was a blank bed frame, his clothes were gone and so were his belongings. Fanny followed her closely, biting her lip.

"Mushi" She muttered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Mushi-"

"He _left_." Mushi croaked out, hardly daring to believe it. She collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. She hated herself- and the situation she had gotten herself into. To think she stood up for him, tried to protect him, when he'd scarpered! He'd run off to save his own skin. She felt broken, destroyed. To think she'd given up everything…

"Mushi" Fanny dropped to her side, looking at the poor girl in front of her with sadness in her eyes. She couldn't bear to leave without her now. She felt she was the only one that could help her. Fanny sighed deeply, wrapping an arm around her. "It'll be okay."

* * *

Nigel carefully knocked on the door of the apartment, waiting anxiously for someone to answer. He shuffled his feet nervously, trying to sort out his train of thought. Abby's pregnant and he was the only one who appeared to know about it. He truly felt for his friend, and he had to know she was okay.

Maurice opened the door, frowning at him. "Nigel Uno." He grinned. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Hey Maurice" Nigel greeted, biting his bottom lip. "Is Abby here?"

Maurice frowned, shaking his head. "No, I haven't seen her recently. Why what's up?"

"Nothing" Nigel sighed, looking annoyed. "Can you let me know if you see her around?"

"Sure" Maurice muttered, giving him a strange look. "But what's going on? She's usually around Wally's if that helps…"

Nigel shook his head sadly. "Didn't you hear? They broke up."

Maurice's face paled. "You're kidding?"

Nigel shook his head again. "'Fraid not."

"Have you tried calling her?" Maurice asked, looking concerned.

"No answer" Nigel muttered, shrugging. "Let me know if you see her."

"Same to you." Maurice said, swallowing. Suddenly, an image of Dingo appeared in his mind. "I'll see you, Nigel."

"You too, Maurice."

Maurice watched the Brit disappear down the hall. He closed the door, automatically reaching for the cordless phone on the kitchen counter. He dialed a number he knew off by heart and held the phone to his ear, growling to himself. It rang three times before a sleepy voice answered.

_"Yep"_

"Dingo"

_"…Piggy."_

Maurice rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Listen Dingo, is Abby there?"

Dingo looked over his shoulder at Abby, who was spread out on the couch peacefully, her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling with a slow, steady rhythm. He swallowed, smirking to himself.

"Why, no. Is there a problem?"

* * *

Rachel redialed Nigel's number again as she sat alone at a table, swinging her foot. She tapped her fingernails on the tabletop as she got his voicemail again. She frowned. Nigel always picked up his phone. She dropped her cell phone onto the table and frowned, her chin in her palm. She leaned against the table and sighed, chewing her bottom lip.

She was sitting in the coffee shop alone, her only company being a cold cup of coffee. She twisted her lips thoughtfully, contemplating. It was weird- everyone seemed busy today. She couldn't seem to get a hold of anyone. Abby, Kuki, Wally, Fanny, Nigel- none of them were picking up their phones. She tapped her fingernails thoughtfully, bored. Suddenly she heard an all too familiar voice behind her and she winced.

"Rachel."

"Lizzie." She groaned, rolling her eyes. She didn't even bother to turn around, Lizzie walked forward and gave her a glare from behind her glasses.

"I can't say I'm _pleased _to see you." Lizzie remarked, raising her eyebrows at the blonde girl. Rachel rolled her hazel eyes and sighed.

"Same to you, Lizzie." She muttered.

Lizzie gave her a smug look, her eyes searching the coffee shop in a mocking way. "So" She began, grinning at the young blonde girl. "Where's Nigie?"

Rachel gave her an incredulous look, biting her lip as she glared at her. "'Nigie'" She smirked. "Isn't here at the moment, we're not joined at the hip, and I don't force him to be beside me everywhere we go. He goes voluntarily."

"I see" Lizzie sneered back. She gave her a small smile. "You know Rachel, I pity you."

"Pity me?" Rachel snarled. "What for?"

Lizzie sighed and plunked herself in the chair opposite Rachel, giving her a knowing look that made Rachel cringe. "With my Nigel…" Lizzie began, smirking. "I had to continue with the old 'treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen. His eyes always wondered, but with me being in charge of the relationship, I managed to keep him in check. I feel sorry for you, because you don't seem to have that…" She gave a small laugh. "Power".

Rachel gaped at her, frowning. "What are you on Lizzie?" Rachel growled. "First of all, Nigel isn't like that. Secondly, I do have power in our relationship and thirdly- why are you even sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong?"

Lizzie sighed, flicking one of her braids over her shoulder. "_Rachel, Rachel, Rachel."_ She sighed. "You're in denial, and that's perfectly understandable. Nigel has been known for many crushes, many of which he never got over. It's understandable now that's he's out of a long relationship with me to- as we say- 'play around'. And now he has the opportunity to do so."

Rachel blinked at her, her eyes wide. "Are you saying…" She growled at Lizzie. "That Nigel's cheating on me?"

"All I'm saying is-" Lizzie gave her a knowing look. "That boys like Nigel need space, they need time. They need more than one girl to keep them happy." Her dark eyes found Rachel's hazel ones and she gave her a cold smile. "And you- _Rachel- _do not fit that category."

With that, she rose from the table and walked off, her nose in the air.

* * *

Dingo ran a few stray fingers along her forearm, travelling all the way down to her wrist, his fingers tickling her palm. Abby smiled absently as she awoke from her light snoozing. She was almost asleep and she looked up at Dingo with a dazed, sleepy look.

"What time is it?"

Dingo shrugged, lying back down beside to her. He loved sleeping next to her, holding her in his arms. It made her seem like she was his- his to hold and his to kiss and love. He was simply amazed by everything she did- to him she was beautiful in every imaginable way. He ran a few fingers along her small baby bump and she bit her lip.

"I have to go soon."

"Why?" He mumbled, pouting at her. "I like you here."

She sighed, rolling over onto her back. "I have to get back and actually do some work."

"Work sucks." He said simply, smirking. "Stay here."

Abby sighed, rising to her feet. Dingo groaned at her.

"I have to get back." She sighed, pulling on a jacket. "Where's my bag?"

"Over there" He muttered disgustedly, pointing to the door. He scrambled to his knees and watched her walk away. "Where are you going?"

"To my dorm." Abby said, smiling. "I do live there."

Dingo furrowed his brow. "But _she's _there."

Abby raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"That bitch." Dingo said, rolling his eyes. "The one Wally's with."

"She's not a bitch." Abby sighed, hoisting up her bag. "She's my friend."

Dingo narrowed his eyes. "You're kidding me" He rose to his feet and folded his arms. "She's still your friend? After what she did?"

"Well yeah" Abby muttered. "Why wouldn't she be? I've done the exact same thing…Kuki and Wally-" She sighed, breaking off. "-I just can't explain it…they were…meant to be together, and in a way I knew I shouldn't have interfered."

Dingo gave her a blank, incredulous look. "You're a doormat…" He said after a pause. He looked venomous. "You shouldn't let people treat you like that. Get even."

Abby rolled her eyes at him. "Dingo…" She sighed, looking at him sincerely. "You can't hold a grudge forever."

He gave her a cocky smile. "Want a bet?"

* * *

Rachel walked down the hallway to her dorm room, deep in thought. It was impossible; surely, that Nigel would cheat on her. Inconceivable…right? Nigel wouldn't do that… they loved each other…

_The same thing you thought about Chad _Her brain told her. She scowled at herself, trying to chase those pessimistic thoughts out of her head. She tried to dial Nigel's number again, once again getting voicemail.

"Dammit" She mumbled, frowning to herself.

Very rarely could she never get a hold of Nigel…it somehow reminded her of her relationship with Chad, and how his phone always seemed turned off. It made her worry and fret, wondering where he was all the time. Then he'd make up some phony excuse and she'd believe it…but really, he was spending this time cheating on her with various girls.

She shook her head, smiling in reassurance. No, Nigel wouldn't do that to her, he wasn't like that.

_Was he?_

Without looking up from her phone, she roughly bumped into someone. She looked up in alarm as she saw it was Abby- looking flustered and tired.

"Sorry" Rachel muttered, blinking at the girl. Abby gave a smile in return.

"That's okay; I wasn't watching where I was going either."

Abby carefully looked over her friend, judging whether Rachel knew or not. Rachel looked a little disturbed, but other than that she was looking as she usually would.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Nigel is, would you?" Rachel asked, gnawing on her bottom lip. "I've been trying to get a hold of him all day."

Abby shook her head, shrugging. "Sorry, no."

Rachel sighed, continuing down the hall and dialing her phone again. Abby looked ahead- to where her dorm room was. She suddenly felt herself freeze up, and she found herself wishing she was back in Dingo's apartment, where there were no worries and no concerns- no organization whatsoever.

She didn't want to face Kuki, or Wally. But she knew she had to. She felt like a true failure- failing in keeping her and Wally's relationship true, failing to stay faithful, failing to be a true friend.

_Failing to keep your legs closed._ Her brain told her sternly. She pushed that thought away as she felt her stomach rumble nervously.

She suddenly opened her door- Wally's emerald eyes automatically connecting with her chocolate ones. They both stared at each other for several seconds, both too stumped to say anything. She swallowed and attempted a smile.

"Hey Wally."

"A-Abs." He choked out, suddenly feeling his stomach turn to ice. He cursed himself for his stupidity- what would it look like if he's shacked up with Kuki? That's just rubbing it in more! "Listen Abs- I'm so-"

Abby raised her hand, silencing him. She gave him a friendly smile, reminding Wally of times 10 years ago when she'd cockily grin at him just before sneaking him some candy. "May I first be allowed access into my dorm?" She asked, raising one eyebrow. "I seem to have forgotten my keys."

"Ad- I- Course!" Wally stumbled out of the way and Abby walked through, her heart pounding but otherwise as calm as a Hindu cow. Wally stared after her, half expecting her to yell, scream, cuss- anything to break the awful silence. Instead she simply watched him, a calm expression on her face.

"Abs-"

"You don't have to say anything." She sighed, dropping her bag to the floor. "I'm sorry."

"And I-" He stopped, pausing. "What? _You're _sorry? Abby this-"

"No" She muttered, her eyes downcast. Her face actually looked…guilty. She walked over to him, her face looking up into his with those wide, brown eyes. "I'm so sorry, Wally. I'm sorry for putting you through this."

"Abby" He mumbled, his cheeks warming. "You didn't put me through-"

"Let me finish." She sighed, closing her eyes and opening them again. "I loved you, Wally. And I do believe you love me. But I don't think we're right for each other, and continuing to be together would feel…wrong. You love somebody else, Wally. And…to stop that would just feel wrong."

Kuki appeared from her bedroom and glanced over, she saw the back of Abby, talking earnestly to Wally. She backed back into her room and waited by the doorframe, listening nervously.

Abby continued. "You and Kuki…ever since you were younger you were meant to be together, and I loved you Wally, but you're not mine to love." She gave him a watery smile. "I understand you did what you did."

A tiny tear trickled from Wally's eye as he looked away from the girl. He felt like a downright jerk, and nothing she could seem to say could make him feel any better.

Abby grabbed his hand, desperate. She didn't want him to feel sad, she wanted him to feel happy. She knew what it was like to feel happy, and she felt guilty enough with HIM feeling guilty…she wanted to untangle the mess she had created, and now her deep chocolate eyes looked up at him, pleading.

"Please Wally." She muttered. "Don't feel bad because of me. I want you to feel happy, and you're not happy with me. We're not meant to be together."

"It doesn't change anything" Wally sighed. "I let you down, Abs. I never meant to hurt you."

Abby gave him a shaky smile, tears now running down her cheeks. "You'll only hurt me…" She said. "If you don't treat Kuki right." She looked up at him, gripping his hand sweetly. "You deserve a great girl like her, Wally. And she deserves a great guy like you."

Wally looked down at his hand on hers, a tear falling on her finger. He swallowed, unable to find the right words. "You want me and Kuki to be together?"

Abby blinked at him, a few tears falling. "Don't you?" She smiled.

"Well, yeah." He choked out. "But, Abs. What about you-"

"Don't worry about me." Abby said, waving her hand. She suddenly gave him a look, her eyes narrowing in a joking way. "As long as you promise to be my friend till the end!" She gave him a cocky smile, winking at him as some of the tears dried on her cheeks. "And maybe a bridesmaid at your wedding?"

Wally scoffed, a laugh mixed with a sob. He looked down at her with a mixture of relief, sadness and regret. "I…took you for granted." He admitted, looking down at the attractive girl in front of him. She blushed, pushing a strand of chestnut hair out of her face. "Any guy would kill to be with you."

Her thoughts flittered to Dingo. "I hope not."

They both laughed, still clinging to each other's hands. Abby sniffed, looking up at Wally affectionately, all tears gone. "Take care of her, Wallabee." She smiled. "You guys were made for each other."

"Anything for you, bestie." Wally joked, draping an arm around her shoulders. He sniffed, the last of his tears slipping off his chin. He wiped them away hastily, trying not to draw attention to the fact he was showing emotion. Abby smirked, wriggling playfully in his grip.

"Oh, lord." She joked back. "Does this mean I'm stuck with you as a best friend forever?"

Wally smirked proudly. "Yep."

Abby grinned at him, all her fears seeming to slip away for that one second. "Good."

* * *

"This better be important." Dingo scowled in annoyance as he pushed through the crowds, Bandit following him serenely, looking at the pretty flashing lights above them. Dingo was already in a grouchy mood- having to come out here in the middle of the night was not improving his mood in the slightest. Bandit shrugged.

"Cheer up, D. Dodge said it was pretty urgent."

"He can handle a deal by himself." Dingo whined, nodding to a security guard. The guard nodded in return and let the two boys in, Bandit skipping ahead so he could join Dingo, walking together shoulder-to-shoulder as they entered the club. "I mean- how serious are these guys anyway?"

"I don't think it's a deal." Bandit muttered, frowning. "Trent just said to meet here."

Dingo frowned, giving him a look. "No deals? Then why the hell are we here?"

"Beats me." Bandit shrugged. Both of them had reached the bar. They were in Club Nine- or known as _'Cloud Nine'_ to anyone who came just for the girls. There was a club- for dancing and having a good time, or a _club- _meaning poles, strippers and getting laid. Sometimes the two combined- making Club Nine the most popular place in town- where anything could happen.

Both guys ignored the popular dance music blaring and alcoholic beverages being served and made their way to the far wall, where another security guard was waiting. Upon seeing the both of them he stepped aside, allowing them both entry to the backrooms that led upstairs. They continued talking as though nothing had happened.

"Trent always skips on the details" Bandit was complaining, following Dingo up a flight of stairs. "I mean, he just said it was important, but then again the new kid was there, so maybe he was being stingy on the details for a reason."

"Asshole" Dingo scowled to himself, reaching the upper landing. They walked forward across the walkway, dodging the people who were already standing there, drinking and watching the club scene below. Against the wall, Trent and Dodge were already leaning against the wall, watching them approach.

"Alright" Dingo growled at them both, glaring. "I want answers. What's so damn important that you have to drag me here? I swear if it's anything stupid I will smash your head in so hard I-"

Dodge cut him off with a glare, nodding to the front of the club. All four of them turned. From the top landing, they could see the entire club- the DJ booth, the large crowd of people dancing to the music playing, the bar just below them- everything. Suddenly the lights dimmed and slowed, creating a less hyperactive atmosphere. A show was starting, and the people directed their attention to the stage as a familiar dance beat echoed through the speakers- many people started to cheer.

_Let's have some fun, this beat is sick  
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick  
Let's have some fun, this beat is sick  
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick_

Girls began to file out one by one from both sides of the stage, bathed in red and blue lights, creating a purple haze that washed over them. Most were fairly attractive- perfect taught bodies with curvy chests and hips, but it was the two girls in the very centre that attracted the boys' attention so much.

_I wanna kiss you  
But if I do then I might miss you, babe  
It's complicated and stupid  
Got my ass squeezed by sexy cupid  
Guess he wants to play, wants to play  
I love game, I love game_

One, with short brown hair and flirtatious dark eyes, tanned skin. And the other, a fairly pale girl with long, blonde hair with patches of brown in it- but all of them knew it was naturally red. They were both searching the crowds with their powerful eyes as they danced, their hips and chests moving seductively with the music. They positioned themselves strongly ,directly in the centre of the front line.

_Hold me and love me  
Just want touch you for a minute  
Baby three seconds is in it for my heart to quit it_

Hollie and Bonny moved strongly, swinging their hips strongly with the dance. To really put them to the test they'd been scheduled in, and they'd learned it perfectly. To top matters, they could feel most eyes on them. Bonny gave the crowd a seductive wink as she moved her sculptured behind sensually. Holly swung her long hair flirtatiously. Bandit's mouth fell open as he scoffed, gaping at them.

_Let's have some fun, this beat is sick  
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick  
Don't think too much, just bust that thick  
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick_

Hollie's eyes moved over the crowd thoughtfully, then rose to the top landing. Was her eyes deceiving her, or was there a bunch of guys up there that looked very familiar. She suddenly grinned, seductively and proudly, winking at them as she turned with the dance, strutting to the far end of the stage with the rest of the dancers, swinging her hips with the rhythm.

_Let's play a love game, play a love game  
Do you want love, or you want fame  
Or you win the game  
Through the love game_

Dingo swallowed, feeling Hollie's eyes meet his for that one brief second. He felt a lump rise in his throat as Dodge looked over at him, his expression showing the exact shock that Dingo felt. Dingo groaned audibly, looking at his ex-girlfriend as she swayed her body to the crowd sexily, showing off to them. He bit his lower lip.

"Oh, Crap."

* * *

_...Review? :D_


	9. Chapter 9: Calm Before the Storm

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Heylo peoples! :D Well...Seeing as I'm meant to be studying for my Earth Science exam...I better make this short and sweet! ;) It's a bit longer than normal...took me ages to edit, but ah well! I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter- some spoilers being punch-ups, secrets revealed, a lot of swearing, cheating and cocktails!

_A word from our sponsors! *regular fanfare!* *Confetti and balloons* *Fireworks*_

_mel: Aw thank you :D Yeah, how can Wally and Abby not be friends? They are so cute in a non romantic way ;) _

_KNDforever: It's not me, it's him! (points to Dingo who whistles innocently) And don't worry, Dingo's just horrible to everyone. _

_(Dingo: HEY!_

_QUIET YOU!)_

_Flippers: AW *blushes* thank youuuu! :D_

_Kameko-Lullaby: Aw thanks, even though I'm not as good as you though *sigh* perhaps one day! :D Good luck with your stories and I hope you like the chapter :D_

_simi838: Aw thank you fellow Aussie friend! :D I hope you like the chapter! OI OI OI :D ;)_

_hellopandaluver: Hmm it's not that clear (yet) but Hollie's Dingo's ex and Bonnie's Dodge's ex. They each have their own destructive stories along with their relationship, but more of that later on XP Ooo and I tried some WallyxKuki fluff here, I hope I actually did it right (I'm not that good with romance *sad face*) but...ahh you'll find out next chapter :P Enjoy!_

_itsaDoggyDogworld: Aw thank you :D I hope you like this chapter...and good luck with your story too!_

_sstoons3425: Thanks :D yeah Abby and Kuki's friendship is fun to write, they are so cute together, with Fanny and Rachel too. One thing I'm determined to keep is these girls' friendship! Hoep you like this chapter :D I'm glad you like my storylines_

_TheNocturne: Aw :D Thanks! Abby's ending...ehhh...may take a couple of chapters to get her out of her bind :P Her story has to be the most complicated...I for one can't wait until she has a little baby with her and...oh...I've said too much :P_

_Starlight Kittycat: You smell correctly ;) Hope you like! _

_Laurie43__: Aw thank you! :D Gotta love your long reviews. I love writing the flashbacks...something I can have some fun with. Dingo has a pretty...interesting past, and I've only just started writing his friends into it. They all have their own cool little stories ;) I have to say Dodge is one of my favs too...he's good, but sometimes led astray. *Sigh* Oh Dodge! I hope you like the update :D_

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Kuki sat silently at the breakfast table, picking moodily at her toast. She had run out of Rainbow Munchies, so sadly she was unable to start the day with the sugary breakfast cereal. So far it was really putting a dark cloud over her morning just by having bland toast for breakfast. She sighed, pushing her plate away glumly. Her violet eyes looked up as she heard her roommate's bedroom door open and Abby stepped out, her shoes clicking against the floorboards. Kuki frowned.

She was wearing elegant velvet peep-toe shoes, black pencil skirt and a cream blouse, buttoned up enough just so Abby's smooth collarbone was exposed. Her long hair was out and wavy, down her back. She looked troubled, her cell phone glued to her ear and her handbag balanced on her shoulder.

"Yeah I know, I'm coming. Yeah- I know Cree, I-" She groaned. "I know…I know! Yes, as I'm well aware. Yeah I know that as well. I _know, _you told me last week. Oh I don't know, does it matter? ...Of course it does. Okay I'm going to leave soon…yeah…yeah…I know…yeah. Ok…ok…bye…yeah I'm going- Yes, Cree. I know…Right…Okay…Going now…Bye."

She snapped her phone closed and groaned, plunking herself down opposite Kuki at the table. She ran manicured hand through her hair and smiled at her roommate from across the table. Kuki blinked back at her in amazement.

"Sorry" Abby muttered, looking irritated. "I have to go to work today, Cree's the editor and always on my back about stories that aren't due for another week. AND there are the preparations for her wedding to discuss..." Abby rolled her eyes in annoyance. "By the way, you and Wally are invited."

Kuki dropped the piece of toast she was holding as she blushed. "What?"

"You and Wally" Abby smiled at her, flashing her pearly whites. "You're invited to Cree's wedding. It isn't for another 3 months, but I've secured the entire group a table. It's going to be a blast if you're interested."

"Oh…That sounds great" Kuki mumbled, her cheeks pink. "Thanks, Abs." Abby fluttered her hand in a 'no-problem' way and started to flick through a magazine. Kuki watched her with fascination. It had been a couple of weeks since Abby had said she was okay with Wally and Kuki dating, but still Kuki felt a little self-conscious about the entire ordeal. Even though Wally insisted Abby was okay with it, Kuki still felt guilty. Everyone knew about it now, and they had grown used to the idea, but still Kuki felt as though she was known as a whore and home wrecker to some people around campus.

Kuki placed her chin in her palm. It was also kind of awkward, to kiss your boyfriend in front of his ex-girlfriend. It didn't help that Abby had now been asked out by various guys, all of whom she'd politely rejected. It seemed to Kuki Abby got the wrong end of the deal, and Kuki was just rubbing it in her face. She tried as hard as she could to make sure she didn't show off her relationship too much in front of Abby. Abby didn't mind. Unbeknownst to Kuki, she was having troubles of her own.

Kuki finally sighed, smiling at her friend. "I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?" Abby muttered, flicking over to the next page. Her brown eyes glanced into Kuki's violet ones and Kuki smirked.

"You know…you work, you have class, you write, help plan Cree's wedding…" Kuki shrugged. "You know, it's just…your parents must be pretty proud of you."

Abby grinned. "Not until I become a lawyer."

"And you're just…" Kuki swallowed, her face now bright red. She felt stupid, voicing her concerns like this, but she truly felt self-conscious against Abby. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and her and Wally were still best of friends, joking and laughing together. She remembered one of her first nights back, when Abby had stood up for Rachel. "…you're strong, and brave."

Abby laughed, thinking of how cowardly she felt. "Yeah right."

"It's true!" Kuki insisted, grinning. "I mean, that party, remember when you punched out Lizzie? I could have never done that."

Abby shrugged, rolling her eyes and growling. "That was nothing, she really annoyed me."

"Yeah…but I could have never done that." Kuki sighed sadly. "I wish I could, you know, do that."

Abby looked up at the girl opposite her. Kuki's face looked downcast. "Do…what?"

Kuki shrugged. "You know…stand up for myself."

Abby found herself smiling. "Girl…" She rolled her eyes. "You can stand up for yourself."

Kuki shook her head silently. "No, I don't think I can…I'm always looked at as the baby, people feel responsibility towards me so I've never had to…assert myself."

Abby blinked her chocolate brown eyes at her. Suddenly she rose and gripped Kuki by the hands, pulling her up too. "C'mon" She grinned in reassurance as Kuki gave her a strange look.

"Wha-"

"Come on!" Abby smiled, standing her in the middle of the kitchen. She raised her hand. "I want to see what you've got. Punch my hand."

Kuki flushed a ruby red. "Oh, Abs. I-I- couldn't-"

She'd never had to resort to violence before. She just wasn't…a fighter! And Abby of all people-

"Come onnnn" Abby mumbled, rolling her eyes. "Every girl has to know how to defend herself. Gimmie your best jab."

Kuki frowned. "Jab?"

"Jab" Abby said, referring to her kickboxing training. "Punch straight forward."

Kuki shrugged, swallowing. She feebly made a hit at Abby's hand and Abby rolled her eyes.

"C'mon Kooks! You can so do better than that!"

Kuki grinned at her. She was suddenly reminded of when they hung out when they were kids- back when they were 8 years old. She raised her fist again and gave another hit at Abby's hand. Abby nodded.

"Ok, I guess. But that's not the girl _I _used to know. Breathe out as you hit."

Kuki did, forcing her entire hand at the girl's open palm in front of her. She thought of all the times in her life when she couldn't fight back, someone else had to do it for her. She thought of how scared she had felt in her life, and how she felt in Japan- always the outsider. She thought of Wally, and how much she loved him. She thought of how stupid, how ugly and how pathetic people made her feel in her life- her sister, her parents- she concentrated all her pain, love, and hate on that one hit.

"Wow" Abby hissed, wringing her hand. "I knew you had some fight in you."

Kuki squealed, her own hand going to her mouth. "Abby I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, are you okay? I'm so-"

"It's okay, Kuks." Abby laughed, rolling her eyes. "I'm not that fragile, you know."

Kuki grinned as the two girls laughed together. True, she didn't feel as close to Abby as she did when they were younger, but somehow at that moment Kuki felt she truly connected with who used to be her best friend.

* * *

Fanny smoothed out the creases of her work uniform, fiddling with the beige material as she waited for Mushi. She was standing outside the local pharmacy, shivering in the cool Spring breeze as it whistled past. She hugged her jacket closer to her as she heard the bell above the door tingle. Mushi walked out, clutching a small paper bag. Fanny gave the girl a small smile.

"You get it?"

Mushi nodded, looking nervous. After a long chat, and a lot of sobs and cries, Fanny agreed to keep Mushi a secret from her sister, as long as Fanny didn't have to point blank lie to Kuki's face. Fanny still felt awful about the fact she was keeping Mushi a secret, but Mushi was determined to get herself back on track, starting with protecting herself. She pulled out a box from the bag and looked at it long and hard.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Fanny asked, biting her lip. "I mean…it's a bit dramatic…you don't have to-"

"I'd feel better." Mushi sighed, looking at the blonde hair dye in her hands. "I mean, I'll be less noticeable…"

Fanny gnawed on her lip, wincing as her teeth dug into her flesh too hard. She sighed and looked at the poor, frail girl in front of her. She'd tried everything to convince the young girl to go home, to meet up with her sister, but Mushi would have nothing of it. She instead came up with the idea to dye her long, black hair peroxide blonde. Fanny promised she'd help Mushi get a job, but was still against the girl being out on her own. Mushi insisted she'd find a hostel for her to stay at, until she had enough money to grab an apartment nearby.

"Are you really sure?" Fanny asked again, raising her eyebrows. "I mean- it's always easy to-"

"Listen, Fanny." Mushi looked up at the Irish girl, a determined look in her bright blue eyes. "I will take care of myself, I will get through this. I'm grateful for everything you've done, I just ask for one more thing." She paused, a single tear slipping down her pale cheek. "Could you please…just…give me a chance, and trust me?"

* * *

_It was amazing_…Hollie thought to herself…how after all the years of knowing the four boys in front of her, they hadn't changed since they were in third grade. They sat shoulder to shoulder, their eyes watching the two girls intently, as if looking for any sign of dishonesty or suspicion.

Bandit still had that same stupid scarf around his forehead, a trend he'd possessed since kindergarten. His gaze still travelled to Dingo occasionally- as if silently checking if he was doing something right- just like he used to do when he cheated on a maths test in high school. He still had that nervous habit of chewing on his nails.

Trent had that same powerful glare, and was still the shortest of the group. His jaw was set, something that always happened when he was defensive, and his pale gray eyes were watching the two girls with intensity. Bonnie remembered the kids at school who used to tease him because of those eyes, and the tears the taunting seemed to cause him.

Dodge watched them carefully, as if x-raying them with his bright, watchful eyes. Dodge had always been the rational one, never wanting to jump to conclusions. He'd always been the one to grab Dingo by the hood of his jacket during fights, and he'd saved them from certain trouble countless times. To the naked eye, Dodge would seem the rational, calm one, but Bonny remembered times when he wasn't as rational or calm as he seemed.

Dingo still sat in the centre, and Hollie smirked as she knew he'd always been there. In the centre, in the middle, in the front of it all. He'd always be the one to step in and stand up for them- his little gang they formed when they were merely 10 years old. Perhaps to everyone who didn't know them- they had changed- but to the people who really knew them, they hadn't changed at all.

Dingo spoke up first, as Hollie guessed he would.

"Why are you even here?" He spat, his deep green eyes narrowed. He snarled at her, that same look of disgust he always seemed to have when he saw her. "We left Australia to get _away_ from you."

Hollie scoffed, flicking her long dyed hair and rolling her lined eyes in irritation. "I think all know that's a lie, D-Day." She smirked, flashing her trademark grin. "We know why you guys left, and we think it _totally _unfair that we didn't get an invite."

Trent rolled his eyes. "Your invite must have gotten lost in the mail." Dodge roughly nudged him. "Ow!" He glared at him, hissing. "WHAT?"

Dingo rolled his eyes, glaring at his ex with hatred. She _had _to come. It was like Murphy's law with her- as soon as everything was going fine she has to walk in and mess it up like she usually did. He hated her for it. His hand formed a fist and he gave her a glare. She stared right back- unaffected.

"_You_" He growled at her, his eyes fierce, "Have got to leave."

"Why?" Hollie asked back, batting her thick eyelashes at him innocently. "We're having _oh so much fun." _She winked at him and Dingo grimaced at her. Bandit let out a snigger.

"Yeah right- as what? A hooker?"

"No!" Hollie growled, her cheeks flushing. She hated how, to them, she had become so predictable.

"A dancer" Bonny pointed out, grinning. Hollie slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned at her friend's truthful words.

Dingo scoffed, smirking at her in triumph. "A stripper."

"Some things never change." Dodge snickered. Hollie flushed a dark pink, feeling furious with herself.

"We're not leaving." She growled, folding her arms defiantly. "We have just as an illegal right to be here as you guys do."

"_We_ have a reason to be here." Trent pointed out. "You just want to be here to be annoying."

"YOU should talk." Bonny growled at him. "You guys left with no warning whatsoever!" She shot Trent a dangerous look. "Vanessa was crying for weeks!"

Trent rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Whatever."

Bonnie's hard glare went to Bandit, who flinched. "And _you, _Chantelle, Stacey AND Aimee were all pissed!"

Bandit frowned at this piece of information, some fuzzy memories flashing into his mind. _"Stacey…" _He mumbled, frowning. "Stacey…rings a bell…maybe…"

Bonnie glared at him. "Blonde, Blue eyed-"

Bandit shrugged. Dodge cleared his throat, muttering something that sounded like _'Hooters' _Bandit suddenly grinned.

"Oh yeah!" He caught a glimpse of Bonnie's expression and his grin morphed into a solemn expression. "I mean…oh."

"Enough" Dingo growled, staring daggers at Hollie, who stared back. "I have enough crap to deal with here, I don't need YOUR crap as well."

"I didn't come to cause trouble." Hollie scowled sulkily. "You seem to cause enough for yourself."

"True that." Bandit put in. Dingo glared at him. "Well…it's true."

"Let me guess." Hollie growled at him, her eyes narrowed. "You already got a couple of chicks and deals, right? So all of a sudden you're actually committed to doing more than _business?"_

Dingo scowled at her, leaning back in his seat and looking moody. Trent spoke up.

"No, he's only got one chick."

"One chick?" Hollie echoed, snickering. "HA! As if."

"Nah it's true." Dodge put in, oblivious to Dingo's warning glares. "He loves her- OW!"

Bonny giggled. "Ok guys, that's enough. It's hard to pull _that _on us."

"Next thing you'll be telling us Trent has actually gone to anger management!" Hollie laughed, slapping Bonny's hand. Both Trent and Dingo frowned at them, growling. Hollie smirked. "What happened? Did that peroxide damage your brain cells?"

"Hey!"

"Oi!"

"Well it's true." Hollie muttered, rolling her eyes. "Dingo, you're as about more likely to fall in love with this tablecloth than an actual human being."

Dingo looked positively murderous. He stood up and glared at her, his emerald eyes gleaming dangerously. "For your _information-" _He spat. "Abby's the greatest girl I have ever met. She's beautiful, smart, sexy, charismatic, adventurous, a great kisser _and _she's pregnant with my kid. She's the best thing to ever happen to me since I broke up with YOU!"

With that he stomped off, his fists clenched and muttering angry curses under his breath.

Dodge swallowed as he heard the door slam, his gaze meeting with Hollie's. He too was as about as angry as Dingo was about their ex-girlfriend's showing up, as he himself had a pretty destructive relationship with Bonny. It didn't end well. He sighed, looking at the door Dingo had disappeared out of.

Bandit twisted his lips thoughtfully, frowning.

"You know what Holl? I think he still hates you."

* * *

Wally, Nigel and Hoagie sat at their favourite booth in their favourite diner, busily studying and eating breakfast. It seemed like almost every day they were now at this diner- as soon as they were out of cereal they automatically arrived at the diner for some genuine waffles.

Fanny arrived at their table and refilled their empty coffee mugs tiredly. She was doing the early morning shift, waiting for Mushi to show up for her interview. She hoped by the time the girl arrived her friends will be gone, but after all Mushi had dyed her hair so she may not be recognized even if she was seen.

"Do you guys like, secretly live here?" She asked the boys, rolling her eyes. "I mean, you guys seem to be here longer than I am during the week, and that's saying something since I work here."

Wally shrugged moodily, licking some maple syrup from his lips. "They make good waffles."

Fanny gave him a smirk. "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what they _really _put in them." With a wink and a chuckle she walked back to the counter. Wally frowned.

"You think she was kidding?"

Nigel smirked knowingly as Hoagie rolled his eyes and changed the subject.

"Anyways, how are you and Kuki?"

"We're okay." Wally said carefully, chewing. "I mean it hasn't been long."

"Must be awkward." Nigel said, nodding. Wally frowned.

"How so?"

"I mean…" Nigel gave him a knowing look. "With Abby there, you know?"

Wally frowned. It had been a number of weeks since he and Kuki officially announced they were a couple, and seeing as Kuki had never really been in a serious relationship before they decided to take it slow. He thought it would be hard, with Abby there, but Abby seemed to take it in her stride, acting like a true friend should. He never thought it would be awkward between them.

"Uh…" he muttered, swallowing. "Not really." He noticed his friend's confused expressions. "Why?"

"After 3 years that seems kind of weird." Hoagie muttered darkly. He shrugged. "But, ya know, Abby's an easy going kind of girl."

Wally felt guilty then, like he was forcing Abby to repress her emotions, or something. Maybe he was being inappropriate in front of Abby…should he be flaunting Kuki around in front of his ex?

"I'd be cut...ya know, hurt" Hoagie said delicately. "If after 3 years a girl broke it off with me to go out with my best mate."

Wally suddenly gulped, his face paling. "You guys don't think I'm being a douche about this, do you?" He asked them suddenly, looking anxious. "I don't mean to hurt Abs, I mean she said she was fine with me and Kuks-"

Nigel shrugged, chewing on his waffles thoughtfully. "Your girls, Wal. If Abby's fine with it I don't think she'd lie about something like that."

Wally pushed his plate away, no longer hungry. He frowned thoughtfully. "But she seems stressed." He muttered. "I mean…would that be my relationship with Kuki? She's trying to be a good friend but I just want to be with Kuki, and I didn't want her to feel like the third wheel or anything. Besides she's had plenty of opportunities to go out with guys, and she's-"

Hoagie drifted off, no longer listening to Wally's worried ramblings about his girlfriend/ex-girlfriend problems. Instead he thought about Abby, and his own feelings about her. Sure, he liked her. He always had. _But_- Instead his eyes drifted to the sweet redhead at the counter, scribbling an order on her pad. Her eyes were deep…meaningful, and her bright auburn hair was pulled back, a few strands hanging in her face. He found he was growing closer to her every day, sometimes finding his mind would wonder to her- wondering what she was doing, what she was feeling…everything seemed to be Fanny.

Maybe he was falling for her.

He shook his head. No, that couldn't be it. Not Fanny…not old Numbah 86…No…never.

"-And I mean we're all still friends right? I mean it's not as though we're still not friends. We still hang out and stuff. We're all mates here, right? Hoagie?"

"Huh?" He snapped, frowning. "What?"

Nigel rolled his eyes at Wally's nervous rambling. "Chill, Wal." He muttered, licking his fork. "I mean, if Abby says she's fine with it, she's fine with it." He scrunched up his napkin and gave him a thoughtful look. "Anyway, we don't really hang out much as a group anymore…maybe we should have another party."

"A party?" Hoagie repeated, frowning. "Like Rach's?"

_"Someone call?"_

The three boys looked over as Rachel approached their table, her arms filled with heavy books. She sighed deeply as she dumped them on the table, sliding in to join Nigel. He draped an arm around her.

"Hey" He greeted casually. "How was class?"

"Exhausting." Rachel growled, running a few fingers through her hair. "A new assignment, of course." She sighed and stole a sip of Nigel's coffee. "Anyway, what were you guys talking about?"

"We were just thinking." Wally said, scratching his head. "How we haven't had a real…ya know, group outing for a while. Maybe we should have another party."

"Oh no you don't" Rachel smirked. "My house is still suffering."

"Maybe we should go out clubbing." Hoagie suggested. "We can get in if we go to the right place."

"Clubbing?" Nigel wrinkled his nose in disapproval. "I can't believe you of all people came up with that idea."

Hoagie frowned. "Hey…" He growled defensively. "I'm into new things."

"Right" Rachel smirked knowingly. "Wanting to take Fanny along?" She pointed a finger at the waitress and Hoagie shot her a warning look.

"No"

"What's this?" Wally asked eagerly, smirking. He grinned. "You and Fanny?"

"No!" Hoagie muttered, feeling his cheeks burn. He took a sip of his orange juice and narrowed his eyes at Rachel. "It's nothing- just a suggestion."

"Coming from where?" Nigel asked. "Since when are you even interested in clubbing?"

Hoagie rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat, blowing upward at his bangs in a preoccupied way. "The guys at work do it all the time." He shrugged. "Bando says the club in town's good- _Club Nine _or something."

Wally raised his eyebrows skeptically. "_Bando_?"

"Well I'll give it a go." Rachel shrugged. "Sounds fun. I'll take Abs- I think she needs to get out a bit more." Wally shot her a look, which she didn't notice. "So yeah- I'll go."

"Hang on." Nigel suddenly piped up, frowning at his girlfriend. "You think I'll honestly let you go alone? Who knows what kind of psychos you got hanging around those places..."

Hoagie scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Dude- you can't be serious-" He broke off, the vision of Trent and Bandit entering his mind- Trent's evil glare and Bandit's stoned giggle. He swallowed. "-On second thoughts, Rachel-"

"It's a good idea." She said, rolling her eyes. "But we can take care of ourselves."

"Well, I'm going too." Nigel said, narrowing his eyes. "I think it's safer."

Rachel smirked, teasing him. "Okay, _Nigie. _Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Wally groaned, hating the idea. He was never the 'partying' sort of guy, which is something he and Abby always used to clash over.

"It'll relieve some tension." Rachel put in. "I mean, Abby, Kuki…the gang. We can finally get the whole group together and have a night out…you know, bring us back together."

Wally shrugged. "I guess…"

"What about you, Fan?" Rachel suddenly asked as the redhead passed their table, holding a tray of drinks. Fanny frowned. "Would you like to go clubbing with us…Friday night?"

Fanny shrugged, looking blank. "Sure, I'll go. I'm free." She walked off to the table as Rachel smirked triumphantly, continuing to make plans. Fanny wasn't paying much attention, she was deep in thought as she floated about work, doing an extra shift. She walked into the backroom and sighed, leaning against the brick wall. She couldn't help but feel paranoid about the young Japanese girl. She wanted to protect her, but yet she had to keep it from her friends. It was almost as though Mushi was her child, and she wanted to love and protect her like a mother should.

Her hand went into her uniform pocket and her fingers grazed a crumpled piece of paper. Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked down at the ball of paper in her hand. She unraveled it to reveal hurried, messy script with a number and message-

_Anytime, Babe._

_Dodge x_

Fanny looked at the piece of paper in her hand, her eyes specifically on the number. She drew a deep breath and reached for the payphone next to her. Maybe _now _was the time.-

* * *

Abby looked up from the stack of paperwork on her desk as she heard a knock on her door.

"Not now Cree" She groaned, her eyes on her new assignment. "I thought we agreed on the floral arrangements."

"Sorry Miss Lincoln…"

Abby looked up in alarm at the young secretary trainee that worked on the floor, who was giving her an anxious look, her blue eyes wide. Abby frowned at her as she bit her lip.

"…But there's a man outside who wants to see you, he-he's getting very aggressive and I tried to tell him you're working and you can't see anyone but security wouldn't answer the call and I didn't think I could handle it any longer and he was starting to-"

Abby groaned and raised her hands at the girl. "It's okay, Jen. Really it's fine. I know him. Just…Just send him in." She groaned and shrugged, noticing how scared the young girl seemed to be. She nodded and backed away shakily, nodding down the hall. Abby was unsurprised to see Dingo standing in her doorway, his hands deep in his pockets and looking moody. He glared angrily at Jen before stepping forward threateningly, growling "Boo!" Jen jumped as Dingo scoffed as he walked through the door, slamming it behind him.

"How did I know it was you?" Abby groaned, turning back to her work. Dingo smirked at her as he approached her desk, having a good view from above at the sight down her blouse. He shook his head, trying not to get too distracted.

"Sheer intuition." He shrugged, gnawing on his lip. "Babe, what are you doing?"

Abby sighed and looked up at him from her desk. He looked like a teen hood- in his baggy black jeans, skater shoes and black hoodie. He even still had his hood up as it was still raining outside. His green eyes blinked down at her curiously. Abby had to give him a small smile. She couldn't help it- he looked so innocent to her.

"I'm working." She muttered, whipping out a highlighter and drawing busy circles around the article in front of her. "Shouldn't you be doing the same?"

"You're not working." He scoffed, grinning. "You're pretending to work."

Abby pursed her lips and threw her pen back down onto the desk. "Am I that transparent?"

"To me." He muttered, sitting down in the seat opposite her. He pulled his hood back and gave her a long, careful look. Abby raised her eyebrows at him as he leaned forward, biting his lip. "Babe…" he said silkily. "I'm gonna come right out and say your rack looks _fine _in that top."

"Eyes up here." Abby growled darkly, narrowing her eyes at him. She flipped open her laptop. "What do you want, Dingo?"

Dingo swallowed, feeling a lump rise in his throat and his stomach tighten. He could never remember feeling this nervous in front of a girl- usually he was the one in control. But this is why Abby was different, she was like no girl he ever met before. He bit his lip, trying to think up an excuse as to why he was so desperate to see Abby. He'd driven to her work and asked for her before he even realised what he was doing. He never thought he'd be this hung up on a chick before.

"I…" He sighed. "I just wanted to see you."

Abby frowned. "You drove all the way across town just…to see me?" She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Uh, okay."

Dingo leaned forward, his chin in his hands. Abby bit her lip awkwardly and the two sat in silence for several seconds, avoiding each other's gaze. Abby suddenly sighed, staring determinedly at the screen.

"Answer's still no."

"Why?!" Dingo growled, slamming his fist on the desk. "Dammit, Abs! You've run out of excuses!"

"We can't!" Abby snapped irritably. "We just can't, okay?! Raise too many eyebrows, everyone will suspect and you're kind of missing the fact I'm pregnant. We can't do it. I can't believe you're actually pressing it."

Dingo snarled at her. "That's just the point Abby. You are pregnant with my kid."

"Doesn't mean we have to be a couple." Abby muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Dingo suddenly hissed at her, rising to his feet. "You don't _want _to be with me? That it Abs? You're too good for me?"

"No!" Abby hissed, her head in her hands. "Dingo-"

"You're _killing_ me Abs!" Dingo groaned, running his hands through his hair and closing his eyes. He felt like he was truly losing it. Never before had someone dangled something in front of him so close and kept snatching it away. It was plain torture. He looked at the girl in front of him with confusion and desperation. He loved Abby, he knew that and she knew that. The fact that she was within reach and he couldn't grab her was getting him more and more frustrated. "Don't you…" He swallowed hard. "Don't you love me?"

"I do." She insisted glumly. "We just can't be together."

"_Please_ give me a chance Abs." Dingo growled at her, hating the fact that he was begging. He gave her an imploring look, his emerald eyes wide. "Please Baby. I have to make you mine."

Abby looked up at him grudgingly. She wanted to- God knows she did. Everytime she saw him she practically melted. She wanted to have him more than anything- as a friend, as a lover and as a father to her baby. But she couldn't. She'd always been down-to-earth and rational, and she knew that it just couldn't be. Maurice's warning, Wally's family, her friends, her family, her life…it would change everything and she knew it. Everything was playing against Dingo…it had to be for a reason.

"Why do you want me so much?" Abby had to know, snapping at him and rising to her feet. "I'm not that special! In fact I'm not special at all! I'm no different from any other chick!"

"You are to ME" He insisted, now looking furious. "I want YOU, nobody else."

"I'm sorry Dingo I can't!" She insisted back, now close to tears. She hated to admit it, now she was being forced to repeat it. "Please understand that-" She sighed, looking at him with a determined glare in her eye. "That we can't be together, no matter how hard you push it."

Dingo glared back at her, his green eyes fierce. "I'm not going to give you up Abby. You're the only one for me. You're carrying my kid and I love you…I usually hate any sort of relationship, but you Abby-" He blinked. "-You're different, you know? I'm not going to let it go that easily. I always get what I want."

Abby pushed past him, not wanting to discuss it any further. It was supposed to be simple, but nothing was simple with Dingo. "Just stop it." She snapped, opening the door. "We can't be together, okay? We can't see each other anymore. Just…that's it."

He looked at her, standing his ground. He looked stubborn, folding his arms and snarling. "That's not it. And you don't mean that."

"Maybe I don't." She mumbled, feeling tears come to her eyes. "But it doesn't matter. Everything will be better as long as we stop seeing each other."

Dingo sauntered up to her and Abby stepped back into the door, his face now inches from her. Before she'd even realised he'd kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth and massaging his lips into hers. His hands found her stomach and he gave it a loving stroke, breaking apart from her. He walked out of the room, giving her a knowing smirk.

"You'll be mine one day Abby." He grinned, his eyes twinkling. "You can't run from what we have."

With that he walked away, leaving Abby alone with a sick feeling in her stomach.

* * *

"What do you reckon is better, Dodge?"

Dodge looked up from the motor of a pickup he was working on to look at Trent, who was rambling on as he sat on the roof of a station wagon. His legs were crossed and he was smoking a cigarette as he stared at Dodge thoughtfully. "Do you reckon…blonde or brunette?"

Dodge scoffed, turning back to the oil he was checking. "Trent, it doesn't matter what colour hair the chick has. Trust me." He turned back to him. "And get off."

Trent slid off the car, rolling his eyes. "Pussy" He scoffed, kneeing Dodge as he walked past, smirking. Dodge kicked him back, right in the butt. Dodge paused, feeling his cell phone vibrate against his leg.

"Oi Trent!" He shouted to him. "Cover me!"

Trent snarled at him moodily and muttered a string of curses at him but nevertheless rolled his eyes and muttered a '_whatever'_. Dodge sniggered at him and walked outside, flipping his cell phone open cheerfully.

"Yo!"

"…Hello?"

Dodge paused, frowning.

"Is that you…Dodge?"

"Uh-" Dodge swallowed. "Yeah. Who's this?"

"Well…" Fanny paused, unsure of what to say. Dodge didn't know her name. "I'm your…friend with benefits?"

Dodge froze. "Oh…yeah…Cherry."

Fanny frowned. "Cherry?"

Dodge shrugged, but then realised he was on the phone. "Well, you have red hair. That's what I call you."

"Oh"

"Yeah"

There was an awkward silence between the two. Dodge contemplated hanging up as he kicked the dirt beneath him moodily. He heard a sigh on the other end of the line.

"Listen…I wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

Fanny bit her lip nervously, her heart thumping. "What do you want with Mushi?"

Dodge frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You...And your friend; you had her cornered! And I want to get to the bottom of it."

Dodge groaned, leaning against the brick wall behind him angrily. "Listen, Cherry…" He scowled, running a hand through his hair. "I never wanted you to get involved and its better you don't-"

"I will if it means protecting Mushi!"

"Look" Dodge said angrily. "I got no say in it. It's just how we operate. She got involved with something, and now we need something in return. I can't do anything about it."

Fanny gaped, not believing what she was hearing. "Are you serious?" She scoffed into the phone. "You're just going to stand by and _let _your friend rape her?"

Dodge growled, hating the fact he even picked up the phone in the first place. Usually he was so good at keeping his friends away from his love interests, but this one had just blown up in his face. "Look, Cherry." He sighed. "I wouldn't…It isn't like that. Me and my mates….we're very different. We're just joined through the fact that we come to each other's aid no matter what. We're always there for each other, ya know? And right now, to save our asses we have to get some money from this chick, and since her boyfriend's not coughing up-"

"Her boyfriend's gone!" Fanny snarled angrily. "He's run off."

Dodge scowled angrily, dreading informing of his friends that. "Well we're gonna have to push her for the money." He said. "Because otherwise we can go into debt."

"Debt?" Fanny scowled, frowning. "What are you guys, like a business?"

Dodge bit his lip. "I guess you can kinda say that."

There was another awkward pause.

"Gang, huh?"

"Uh…maybe?"

Fanny growled in annoyance, but felt her heart race against her chest in fear.

"Listen, Cherry." Dodge sighed. "I like ya. I really do. I don't want you into any trouble. This is kinda…supposed to be a secret, you know? Like, nobody's supposed to know about our little 'gang'. Because…if the wrong people find out, you know they'll hurt you no matter how much I like you."

Fanny felt herself shiver as she felt her blood run cold in her system. She swallowed bravely. "I won't tell anyone…as long as you stop hurting Mushi."

Dodge scowled. "I can't promise that, you're talking as though I'm running the show. I ain't."

"Look-" Fanny squeezed her eyes closed. "I barely know you, but I'm begging you to leave her alone. She has no family or anything! Nothing there to protect her, no money…she doesn't need a whole gang threatening her 24/7. Show some empathy?"

Dodge sighed angrily, closing his eyes. "Don't get your hopes up, Doll. But I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Jake tightened his fingers on the steering wheel of the hire car he was driving. He was both tired and moody from the sleepless flight he'd just caught. He thought back to years before when he was in this country- before Dingo was born and he was merely a teenager. He probably would have stolen a car back then, rather than paid for one. Not that he was that angelic nowadays- he was the reason why Dingo had absolutely no respect for the legal system at all. He smirked to himself at how much of a terror Dingo actually was. Almost everyone in the neighbourhood was afraid of him. Only Jake knew how much of a sook he really was- only Jake knew that Dingo was liable to burst into uncontrollable sobs at something as small as a grazed knee.

Jake frowned. But Dingo always surprised him. He remembered the first time Dingo really surprised him, and it came in the form of 10 year old Dodge.

"_But…Daaaad." Dingo blinked up at him, his bright green eyes pleading. "You gotta let him stay…please?"_

_Jake had scoffed then, growling at his 10 year old son in annoyance. "Dammit, Dingo." He growled at him. "You can't just bring random strangers home without telling me!"_

"_He's not a stranger." Dingo pouted, folding his arms angrily. "He's my friend." _

_Jake rolled his eyes and stole another glance at the 10 year old standing awkwardly in his hallway. He was pale and sick looking, his brown eyes wide with anxiety as he looked around the apartment. His school uniform was baggy and there was a large bruise under his left eye and a few bruises along his arms. He must have gotten into a fight or something, Dingo had a knack for getting into those. Jake narrowed his eyes at his son._

"_It doesn't matter." Jake growled. "You can't bring your friends home without telling me. I gotta have some warning- especially when he's sleeping over or whatever."_

"_But Dad!" Dingo stomped his foot in annoyance. "He's gotta stay! I want him to stay!"_

"_It's not just about what you want, D!" Jake growled at him. His friends and family were always lecturing him about how Dingo did whatever he wanted, and that Jake was too lenient on him. "You have to learn you can't always get what you want!"_

"_DAD!" Dingo suddenly dived onto his leg, sinking to the floor. Jake frowned at him, his hand on the doorknob._

"_Dingo!" He scowled at him. "Get off me! Tell your friend to leave!"_

"_Dad!" Dingo looked up at him, his green eyes wide. "You can't send him home. I want him to stay here. Please can't he stay? He's much better off here. Please Dad? PLEEEAASE? I can't let him go home!"_

_Jake frowned, pausing. "Why?"_

"_His Dad'll hit him again." Dingo scowled moodily. "He's so mean. He's safer here. You always told me to help people if they're in trouble. Why can't he stay?"_

_Jake's eyes widened as he stared down at his 10 year old son, who was looking back at him pleadingly. Jake's eyes travelled back to Dodge, who was looking glum, watching the tabletop closely. He looked so tiny and pathetic. Jake couldn't say no. He bit his lip and turned back to Dingo, who was pouting at him and blinking his huge 'puppy dog' eyes. _

"_Dingo…does Dodge's dad hit him?"_

_Dingo nodded. "Yeah. So I said you'd get him pizza." He pouted at him. "So can he stay with us Dad? PLEEASE?"_

_Jake groaned and grabbed the back of his shirt, tugging him to his feet. "Dingo" He growled. "This is heavy. I can't take care of Dodge, what if he gets into more trouble?"_

_Dingo smirked. "I said you could take his dad on. Seriously, you could smash him."_

"_So what?" Jake asked, frowning. "He's supposed to stay here the rest of his life?"_

"_Yeah" Dingo nodded. "I said you'd be okay with it." He gave him a look. "You can't let him go back to his house, Dad. I'm scared I won't see him again."_

_Jake looked down at Dingo and sighed. It was as though Dingo had brought home a stray puppy, not his first ever best friend._

"_So can we keep him Dad? PLEEEAASSEEE?"_

Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair. Sometimes he seemed to forget his baby boy had grown into a 21 year old on the run from the law. But he couldn't help it- it was something a father always seemed to do. No matter how angry Dingo got or how much he got in trouble, he'd always be the tiny little scared kid that always clung to his hand or tried to sneak into his bed when he was younger. He'd always be a kid in his eyes. Come to think of it…Jake smirked to himself. Dodge, Trent, Bandit…they'd always be the 'innocent' 13 year old hoodlums who always used to hang around his house.

* * *

As a pair of muscular arms suddenly wrapped around her, Kuki sighed, suddenly feeling so much more at peace and relaxed. He whispered something in her ear, making her shiver and giggle.

"Hey, Kooks."

"Hey, You." She greeted back, turning her head to face his. His green eyes met with her violet ones and she smiled, planting a kiss on his cheek as he rested his chin on her shoulder. He grinned widely and kissed her back, right on the earlobe. She smiled again as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and continued walking with her across the quad.

"How was class?" Wally asked her. Kuki shrugged in reply. She was trying to ignore some of the filthy looks she was getting from some people as they saw the new couple walk by. She turned to him, biting her lip. "How was…your morning?"

"Alright." Wally muttered, shrugging. "All the guys wanted to talk about was going clubbing- Rachel and Hoagie's idea."

"Really?" Kuki's wide violet eyes looked up curiously at the idea and Wally grinned at how sweet and perfect she looked. She was wearing a simple light green sundress and a cute silver chain around her neck- her hair out and straight. He loved her scent- a mixture of wildflowers and spearmint. He could hang off her forever, just breathing in how she smelt. "Are you going?"

Wally wrinkled his nose in distaste. "I'm not that into clubbing."

Kuki seemed to look down in disappointment. "Yeah, but it would be cool to hang out with the gang again."

"Yeah…" Wally mumbled, looking down. It was true, the gang had grown a bit distant over the last couple of weeks, and he couldn't help but feel like Kuki was the odd one out. "Do you want to go?" he suddenly asked her.

Kuki shrugged again, her violet eyes looking into his emerald ones. "I'll only go if you go."

"I'll go if you want to go."

Kuki smiled teasingly. "Your choice."

Wally groaned, frowning. "I'm not used to making decisions. Do you want to go?"

Kuki smiled, nudging him playfully. "You've talked me into it."

"Okay" He sighed, grinning. Kuki's smile was contagious. "They're going Friday night- Club Nine."

"Okay" Kuki nodded, but suddenly stopped, stepping in front of him and smirking. "Does this mean it'll be our third date?"

Wally smirked, wrapping his arms around her. "Yeah, I guess it will be." He suddenly frowned. "Man…I've been slack… Only our third?"

"Mmhmm…" Kuki said, shrugging. "But that's okay."

"Nah" Wally smirked at her, his green eyes gleaming. He loved holding Kuki against him, he loved holding her hand and giving her hugs…pecks on the cheek. It showed the world she was his. "I wanna take you out more…how about you come to dinner with me tonight? Just you and me…Pick you up at 6?"

"Well…." Kuki leaned forward, rubbing her nose against his. He smirked. Her body warmth was so comforting and calming to him. She smiled. "Okay, I'll see you then." She tore away teasingly, giggling. Wally groaned, grudgingly letting go of her hand.

"Yeah…" He sighed. "See you then, Beautiful."

Kuki blushed as she turned away, biting her lip as she travelled to her dorm.

_Beautiful…_She told herself, smiling. _He called you beautiful._

_

* * *

Irma's dark eyes gave her a sharp glare and she froze, trying to swallow her nerves. She'd never been to a job interview before, and now she understood how unnerving it was. Irma looked her up and down carefully, her dark eyes piercing, before she turned back to her resume, her eyebrows high._

"Any previous job experience?"

"Uh…n-no." Mushi managed to stutter. A nervous hand flew to her newly dyed hair- which was now an obvious peroxide blonde. Fanny had helped her, and it wasn't the best hair job in the world, but the 16 year old Japanese girl was unrecognizable- a new face. She was determined to get this job. She was determined not to freeload off Fanny for much longer.

"Hmmm" Irma said sternly, frowning to herself. Fanny suddenly spoke up from the side, her face smooth and calm.

"She's a fast learner, Irma." She said quickly. "Has long work hours, and is an honest person to boot."

Irma's gaze shot to her. Fanny looked back, smiling with confidence. "So you recommend her?"

"Definitely." Fanny nodded. "She's been my friend for a while…just left school and everything…ready to make a living." She gave her a winning smile and Irma sighed, folding the resume in her hands and putting it into her pocket.

"Alright." She sighed, her eyes still suspicious. "Get her a uniform and we'll give her a trial. No guarantees, but show her the ropes." She gave Fanny a look and turned back to Mushi, her eyes narrowed. "What was your name again, young'in?"

"Uh-" Mushi swallowed, looking at Fanny for support. "My name's Mu- I mean, Maddy." She told her, the first name that came to mind. She bit her lip. "Madeline…but…Maddy for short."

Irma nodded, as well as Fanny. "Okay Maddy." She muttered. "Good luck working here."

Mushi…or 'Maddy', nodded, still trembling. "Thank you."

* * *

"Dude" Dodge bit his lip, looking across at his best friend anxiously. He hadn't seen Dingo like this for a long time…so furious and yet upset…over a chick! Usually he was in control of stuff like this. He nodded to the bar and winced at his friend, who was sitting across from him at the table. Dingo's jaw was set, his green eyes dark and furious. His hands were clenched tightly as fists and he wasn't moving. "Dude…chill. Really. I'm sure she didn't mean-"

"She did." Dingo snarled, fuming. "She meant it."

"Listen-" Dodge muttered as the barman gave them two identical shot glasses filled with spirits. "Don't take it too harsh, you just need to think this through rationally, calm down….take it slow…just let her know you love her, and that you're willing to give her some space to-"

Dingo threw down both shot glasses, giving Dodge a look so murderous Dodge almost winced. "Or not."

"You don't get it, man." Dingo growled. "She's willing to drop me but not my worthless so called brother. How much of a rip is that? I mean she's pregnant with my kid. She shouldn't be pushing me away, she should be begging for my attention, isn't that how these things usually pan out?"

"Dingo-" Dodge groaned. "Abby's a strong, independent girl. She doesn't always need a man in her life."

Dingo glared at him. "Are you saying she's gay?"

"No" Dodge growled as Dingo stole another shot. "I mean that Abby can take care of herself. You're used to chicks who need attention 24/7, like Holly. Just give her some time."

"That's not good enough, Dodge." Dingo groaned. "I can't help it. I have to have her- I can't let anyone else think they've so much as got a chance at her." He narrowed his eyes. "She's mine."

Dodge groaned, rolling his eyes and taking a sip of his beer. "So what are ya gonna do? Annoy her until she caves?"

Dingo growled. "I'm not that mean."

Dodge raised his eyebrows in disbelief and Dingo smirked at him. Dingo and Dodge had known each other for half their lives. They knew each other well enough to be honest with each other.

"Seriously, what is it about this chick, D?" Dodge asked him, frowning. "You can't be that hung up on the chick, can you?"

Dingo frowned, his eyes darkening. "Abby's the only chick that's ever kinda…seen good in me…you know? She doesn't like me for how I act…she likes me for who I am." He growled to himself. "She's the only chick I've really fallen for…I think about her all the time…she's the mother of my kid." He now looked glum. "I can't let her go…I can't live without her."

Dodge gave him a small smile. "Don't go too emo on me."

Dingo rolled his eyes, suddenly scowling. "The thing that pisses me off most is the fact that my stupid brother gets off! She's still friends with him and he gets the chick!" He slammed his fist on the bar, making everyone jump. "Why the HELL does he get the glory?!"

"Well you can't help that." Dodge told him, shrugging. He took a sip of his beer as Dingo paused, brightening. Dodge winced as he saw that look- he knew it well. _"Dingo…"_

Dingo smirked. "You wouldn't happen to have Hollie's number would you?"

* * *

Hoagie sat moodily at the bar, tapping his fingers on the bench. His heart was thumping against his chest and he closed his eyes, trying to calm it. It was barely any use- he was as nervous as ever. He still couldn't believe he was doing this, but he'd made up his mind, and with Nigel and Wally's pushing he couldn't go back empty handed. He bit his lip as he saw her emerge- her hair out and her jeans on. She looked up in alarm as she saw him on the bench and she walked over, giving him a strange look.

"Hoagie…" Fanny smirked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you" He admitted, sliding off his stool. "I wanted to see you."

"Oh…" Fanny mumbled, the heat suddenly rising in her cheeks. "Um…okay. I'm just about to head to my car…"

"I can walk you there?" Hoagie offered, his hands in the pockets of his jacket. She nodded, a shy smile spreading across her face.

"Okay."

They walked out, side by side, to the darkened parking lot. They walked slowly, as if savoring the time they shared together. Fanny was gnawing on her bottom lip, trying to fight back saying something stupid or embarrassing.

"Are you going clubbing tomorrow?" Hoagie suddenly broke the silence as they paused under the streetlamp. Fanny gave him a weak smile, shuffling her shoes against the pavement.

"Uh yeah…Maybe…why?"

Across from the parking lot, under the light of the back door, a figure suddenly emerged in the shape of Trent. A cigarette was dangling from his lips as he stumbled down the steps, furious at being the last one to lock up. Bandit emerged from the backdoor and locked the door, shoving the keys back into his pocket and joining Trent at the foot of the steps.

"Wanna go to the bar?" Bandit asked him eagerly, grinning.

"Bloody Hell, Bando." Trent remarked, smirking at his friend as he leaned against the brick wall behind him. "You're either high, drunk, or on your way to get pissed…aren't ya?"

Bandit frowned defensively, pouting. Trent thought about how Bandit always used to be known as the 'baby' of the group…even though Trent was the youngest, Bandit seemed the dumbest…most innocent. "I am not" Bandit defended, growling. "I just know how to live."

"As long as you're not conscious." Trent taunted, smirking. Bandit shot him a playful punch and Trent winced, clutching his arm but continued to smirk. He suddenly frowned, looking towards the two figures that were standing directly under the streetlamp of the parking lot. He frowned.

"I was just thinking if…maybe you and I should go…together?" Hoagie shrugged. "Ya know…maybe have dinner beforehand or somethin'?"

Fanny felt her face flush as she gave him a sparkling smile that glistened in the limited light. "I'd love to."

"Aint that Dodge's chick?" Trent hissed to Bandit, who looked around with interest. Trent gave him an impatient punch in the ribs. "Over there, moron!"

Bandit winced and turned. "The ranga?"

"Yeah" Trent frowned. "That Dodge's chick?"

"I dunno" Bandit sulked, rubbing his ribcage. "Damn, Trent…that was _unnecessary."_

Trent rolled his eyes irritably as he watched the two figures part, one to her car and the other back to the diner. He frowned curiously and, as soon as he was sure the guy was out of eyesight, began walking across the parking lot casually, placing his cigarette between his lips.

Fanny walked up to her car, trying to hold back a wide grin. Her heart felt light in her chest as she walked, a slight skip in her step. She couldn't believe it. Finally, even after Abby was single, Hoagie had asked her out! She smiled to herself as she fiddled with her keys- her fingers still shaking with nerves.

"_What's a pretty girl doing all alone out here?"_

Her breath froze in her throat as she felt someone's warm breath on the back of her neck. Without thinking she gasped and turned, throwing her fist at her attacker. He caught her fist within his palm, grinning widely. _Him…_Fanny's eyes widened. The guy who'd harassed Mushi!

"You!" She growled, trying to pull her hand back. "What the hell are you doing? Get off me! I swear I'll-"

"Easy Babe." He growled, letting go. "I just wanted to talk."

Fanny shot him a venomous look. "About what?"

Trent shrugged, looking gleeful. "How's work?"

Fanny scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him. He smirked back, lighting his cigarette. "Why don't you cut to the crap and give me one reason why I shouldn't report your sorry ass to the police for harassing Mushi, you _dickhead?"_

Trent kept smirking- his face unchanged by the outburst. "_Feisty_." He licked his lips and gave her a look that sent shivers down her spine. "I like that in a chick…"

"UGH!" Fanny scoffed, glaring at him. She gritted her teeth in frustration, trying to bite back every insult she could throw at him. "Look-" She finally snarled, looking him dead in the eye. "Let's keep this simple…something even _you _can understand. Stay…away…from Mushi."

Trent blinked at her. "Mushi? Whatever do you mean?"

Fanny growled at him, folding her arms defiantly across her chest. "You know what I mean, okay? Stay away from her."

Trent sighed deeply, rolling his eyes in annoyance. He suddenly stepped swiftly towards her and blew a stream of cigarette smoke in her face. Fanny didn't move and continued to maintain eye contact. She was determined not to let this bastard intimidate her- even though it was only her and him…alone…at night…in an abandoned parking lot.

Trent grinned, giving her a sly look. "Babe…." He whispered to her, their faces inches from each other. "Don't try and rain on my parade. I just might have to rain on _yours_."

She swallowed as he gave her a knowing look and walked away, smirking to himself.

* * *

"So I was thinking with clubbing on Friday night…we could meet up and have dinner then go to the club? Or a late lunch maybe? Would you rather that? Nigel? Nigel?"

Rachel nudged her boyfriend as they walked across the moonlit lawn. She was frowning at him with her hands on her hips, agrivated that she had been talking for a total of five minutes and her boyfriend had not heard one word. Nigel jumped, shaking himself out of his stupor. He flashed her a winning smile.

"Sorry Rach, I got distracted."

"Hmph." Rachel pouted, frowning. "From something other than me?"

He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her on her temple, walking forward again. Rachel growled to herself. She couldn't shake that tiny voice inside her head that kept hinting that Nigel had his thoughts elsewhere.

_Maybe on another girl…._Her mind teased. She automatically thought back to Lizzie's words and she bit her lip, trying to clear her mind. No…that was not true.

"Hey Rach…" Nigel suddenly muttered, his brow furrowed. "Have you talked to Abby recently?"

Rachel felt herself tense as she turned to him, her eyebrows raised. "Um…yeah. Why?"

"Does she seem…" Nigel paused, not wanting to spill the beans if Rachel didn't know. He didn't want to tell people about Abby's pregnancy if it really was a secret…but it had been playing on his mind for weeks now and he had to get it off his chest. "Does she seem _different_ to you?"

"Different?" Rachel echoed, frowning. Her feet thudded on the grass as she pursed her lips in thought. Her inner insecurities were now screaming at her- all pointing at Abby. "Different how?"

"I dunno…" Nigel muttered thoughtfully, frowning. "Like…she's been acting weird?"

"Not that I know of…" Rachel said, looking into his face. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"No…" Nigel said quickly, straying from the subject as his voice drifted off. "I was just wondering…"

* * *

Abby sat cross legged on her bed, looking through all of the books she'd spread out in front of her. She tapped her chin thoughtfully and sighed, groaning. She turned her head to face her wardrobe, where there was a mirror nailed to the door. She took a good look at herself, biting her lip. She straightened and, just visible, there was a small bump- a four month old baby bump. She put a hand to her stomach and sighed, trembling slightly with nerves. The clock was ticking- and she will only grow bigger with the pregnancy. She couldn't come clean to her friends…not now after four months…

She thought of Wally and Kuki, and their relationship. They were so cute together, so happy and cheery- a match made in heaven. It made her sad to think her and Wally never had that, but she wouldn't ruin their relationship for anything- which is why she had to break it off with Dingo…no matter how much it hurt her.

She looked over to her bedside table and grabbed the forms that she had collected that morning. Transfer forms- for changing colleges. She gnawed on her bottom lip. Should she tell her friends or not?

There was a knock at her door and she froze, her brown eyes widening.

"Abby?" Kuki muttered loudly. "Are you there? Can I come in?"

"Uh-" Abby hurriedly swept the pregnancy books off her bed and hid them underneath, along with the transfer form. "Yeah!" She quickly did up her jacket and fluffed out her hair. "Come in Kooks!"

Kuki appeared, grinning widely. She was dressed up nicely, in a silver, glitzy halter neck shirt with some dark washed skinny jeans- silver strappy shoes on her feet. Abby grinned at her.

"Wow. You're dressed up."

"Yeah." Kuki grinned. "Me and Wally are about to head out for dinner." She swallowed guiltily, but tried to make sure her face didn't show it. "Hey listen…we're going…oh, by that I mean…the gang…are going clubbing Friday night…do you want to come?"

Abby frowned. "Clubbing?"

"Yeah" Kuki grinned happily, looking thrilled. "Club Nine! I heard it's pretty cool."

"I dunno…." Abby smirked, her teeth chewing down on her bottom lip. "I mean…I don't know if I should be out partying and-"

"Course you should!" Kuki smirked, sitting down beside her and giving her friend a one armed hug. "You need to get out! Shake it! Have some fun!"

Abby laughed, but she continued to gnaw on her lip nervously. Clubbing…_Her_? Pregnant four months along and going clubbing?

Kuki looked at her nervously, taking Abby's hesitation as dislike of seeing her and Wally together. She felt the guilt overwhelm her then…like she'd pushed Abby out of the group. Abby's face looked deep in thought and she was biting her lip anxiously, like she really didn't want to go.

"Is there a problem, Abs?" Kuki asked, looking deeply into her face.

Abby suddenly sighed, plastering a smile on her face and looking at her friend earnestly. "No…" She suddenly muttered to her friend. "I'm all good, Kooks. I'll go clubbing." She grinned, nudging the girl playfully. "As long as you promise to help me choose what to wear."

Kuki squealed with excitement and wrapped her arms around Abby, grateful the group was finally getting together and having fun…like old times! "You can count on me Abs!" She scraembled to her feet and walked to her closet, rubbing her hands in glee and her violet eyes wide. She pulled open her wardrobe door and started thumbing through her collection of dressy shirts and glitzy dresses. Abby watched her, occasionally giggling when Kuki would pull something out and parade around the room- striking various poses. After a few outfit proposals, Abby's cell lit up and started ringing. Kuki looked up from the slinky red number in her hand and frowned at Abby.

"Aren't you gonna get that?

Abby swallowed. "Yeah…" She reached out a hand and picked it up, stiffening as her suspicion was proven.

"_Baaaaabbbyyyy…" _Dingo slurred drunkenly into the receiver, smirking. "_Guess whooo?"_

Abby found herself gnawing on her tongue as she heard his voice. She cast a warning look at Kuki before replying.

"Um…Listen." She said as steadily as she could muster. "I can't really talk right now, so if you'll call me back-"

_"Nah. Nah! NAH! BABY LISTEN!"_ Dingo suddenly shouted, raising his voice as he stumbled across the parking lot to his car. Dodge watched him cautiously. It took a lot to get Dingo really drunk, but right now he was nearing 'off his face' stage, which to Dodge meant danger. _"Listen baby…."_ He whispered, grinning to himself. _"Listen…Baby…I have to tell you something….It's like…really, really important. "_

"What?" Abby frowned with confusion as she heard his mixture of shouts and whispers.

Dingo scoffed, almost stumbling to the ground. _"I looooove you baby."_

"I know" Abby said shortly, swallowing. "I have to go okay? So just-"

_"NO!"_ Dingo growled, attempting to stand up straight. "_I'm gonna come over, okay Baby? I'ma come over and see you and then I can show you how much I luv' cha."_

Abby felt her insides turn to ice. Dingo was clearly smashed, for lack of a better word. She suddenly heard Dodge in the background, but then again he didn't sound 100% sober either.

_"Dingo- you're…you're drunk."_

_"YOU'RE DRUNK!"_

_"Nah man- seriously ya…ya smashed. Gimmie the phone…gimmie the-"_

She heard a muffled thump and both of them erupted into drunken giggles.

"_Baaaabbyyy…" _He cooed to her again, smiling. "_Are you still there, Baby Girl? Abby Baby?"_

"Hey Abs!" Kuki suddenly squealed, making Abby jump. "How about this outfit? Too…elegant for clubbing? You think it's okay?"

Abby looked up weakly at the dress in Kuki's hands before giving a weak nod. To her dismay, Dingo heard her and automatically was in an outburst.

"_Clubbing? Baby? You…you going clubbing?"_

"_Clubbing?"_

"_Yeah mate, she's going clubbing!"_

"_Where?!"_

"_I…I dunno I-I'll ask her ay?"_

"Not now!" She hissed at him. "Friday night!" She shook her head, sighing. "Look I gotta go, okay? So I'll call you later…tomorrow or something. Bye."

"_No Babe wait don't hang-"_

Abby slammed her phone shut. Kuki looked up from the mirror. "Who was that?"

"Just…Cree." She sighed, her lips twitching into a smile. "I love it, Kooks."

Kuki grinned as she held up the chosen dress- a cute black bubble dress that was strapless. Abby loved that dress. It showed her chest and legs perfectly without accentuating her stomach or butt. She remembered when she wore it one night when she was out with her sister.

"_So will you do it?" Cree squealed over the music at the bar, grinning widely at her sister. "You'll be my maid of honour?"_

"_Of course!" Abby grinned back, rolling her eyes. "It IS an honour!"_

_The two sisters hugged and got their drinks, returning back to their table. Cree was chatting away about how Maurice proposed- exactly where they were, what they doing…what he said. Abby was given a full blow-by–blow…for the fifth time that night. She started as Cree suddenly nudged her, smirking over her cocktail at her sister._

"_Abs" She smirked. "That guy over there is totally checking you out- he's undressing you with his eyes."_

_Abby felt a blush crawl up her cheeks as she choked on her mouthful of drink. After a short coughing fit she roughly nudged her sister back. "Cree!"_

"_Well he is!" Cree said defensively, smirking and winking at her little sister. "Take a peek!"_

_Abby, her tanned cheeks blushing, subtly looked over her naked shoulder. Her heart seemed to pound against her ribcage as she stared at him. She couldn't miss him- his eyes were glued to her mercilessly. They were deep and dark- bottle green…like Wally's. She swallowed as he caught her eye and smirked, his tongue between his teeth. Abby shivered involuntary as she gazed at him, gaping slightly. Cree's giggles brought her back to reality and she glared at her, trying to ignore the handsome stranger checking her out. _

"_Shutup" Abby snapped, blushing. "Besides, I'm taken."_

"_So?" Cree grinned slyly. "You're not dead, go talk to him."_

_Abby's blush grew darker, thankfully it was invisible under the bright colorful lights of the club. "No" She scoffed. "I don't even know him."_

"_So?" Cree giggled. _

"_Cree" Abby groaned. "I'm not about to-"_

"_Hey" _

_She turned with alarm and sucked in a breath. It was tall dark and handsome- the stranger who'd been eyeing her. Abby bit her lip nervously as she felt Cree sneak off, sniggering at her. Abby felt her cheeks flush as she felt unable to look away from those big green eyes. It was remarkable how much he looked like her own boyfriend…except slightly taller and his smirk a lot more…dangerous. His green eyes were gleaming at me. _

"_Hey…" She greeted back, making an attempt to smile. "Um…do I know you?"_

"_No" He grinned. "But I'd like to know you." _

_Abby scoffed. She'd heard that line many times before and frankly she was disappointed at the fact this stunner couldn't come up with anything original. Despite her scoff, his face was still cocky. He raised his eyebrows and Abby silenced. _

"_You heard that one before?"_

"_Yeah…" She mumbled, scraping her teeth against her lip teasingly. He watched her with fascination. "I'm disappointed, I expected so much more from you."_

"_Mmm…" He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Guess I'll have to lift my game…you ain't an easy girl to please, are ya?"_

_Abby smirked, blushing under his gaze. Her eyes looked down at the floor. "Guess I'm not." _

_It was his turn to smirk, closing the distance between them. He sighed and she suddenly noticed how close his muscular chest was to her. She looked up, her lips slightly agape as her gaze met with his. He paused as he took her in- those plump lips, chocolate brown eyes, sexy yet sweet face…it had him awestruck as soon as he saw her. That dress she was wearing he'd always remember, it showed her perfect chest just enough to tease him, and her long tanned legs were attracting the attention of every guy in the room…yet she didn't know it._

_He wanted her._

_Suddenly their faces were close, and moving in closer. _

"_What's your name?" He whispered to her, his eyes now so close she was hypnotized. Abby gulped._

"_Abby" _

_Her name hit him like a wave of heat had washed over his body. "Abby…" He repeated, grinning. Before they both even realised it, their eyes were closed and their lips and teeth were scraping against each others as they kissed, right in the middle of the dancefloor. Abby was weak, completely warmed by his presence, completely taken by his kiss. He was mesmorised…the unbelievably hot chick in the black dress was his. And she tasted so good…They suddenly broke apart, Abby blinking in utter confusion at what just happened. She put a hand up to her lips and gaped, frowning._

"_I'm Dingo." He smirked at her as he leaned in for another kiss. She stumbled back, shaking her head._

"_I'm taken." She choked out before bailing, running through the crowd without another word. She couldn't believe it…she'd cheated on Wally…her boyfriend…she felt so weak and powerless…like such a whore. She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the stranger that kissed her while he stood spellbound, watching the girl disappear in a matter of seconds. _

"_Hey!" He yelled out in annoyance. His lips were still tingling from that kiss and he didn't want to let her go. She was gone. The one that got away. He bit sharply down on his tongue as he remembered her last words. She was taken…"Dammit" He hissed to himself, stomping back to his friends. Jealous thoughts were running though his head. "If I ever find that guy..."_

* * *

Nigel played with his phone as he sat on his bed, flicking it open then closing it sharply again. He repeated the action, his head swimming with decisions. He sighed, flicking open his phone and dailing the girl's number he knew off by heart. It rang twice before she picked it up, sighing into the receiver.

"Yes?"

"Hey Abs."

Abby paused, frowning. Her face lit up and she smiled in relief. "Oh hey Nigel." She greeted. "I thought you were somebody else. How are you?"

"Oh you know…" Nigel fiddled around with his bedspread as he tried to find the right words. "I'm just hanging out…are you going clubbing with us tomorrow night?"

"I guess so." Abby shrugged, falling back onto the couch and switching on the TV. "I might as well…got nothing else to do."

Nigel frowned, swallowing. "You sure that's wise?"

Abby frowned. "Uh…yeah…why?"

Nigel sighed, pausing as he took the phone away from his near. Now was the time- he was in or out. He wanted to help his friend no matter what. Even if she screamed and yelled that it was none of his business he had to know. They'd been best friends ever since he could remember. Abby swallowed and raised the remote to turn down the volume, her ears alert.

"Listen, Abby." Nigel finally sighed. "I know you're pregnant."

The remote hit the floor with a clatter as Abby's eyes widened in surprise, her face paling.

"N-But-…what?"

"We have to talk."

* * *

"You're quiet."

Kuki looked up at her date from her menu. Wally was watching her closely, a small smile on his face. It was late and they were just finishing dessert together. The two sat close at a table in the corner, listening to the music and flirting occasionally. It had been definitely one of the best nights Kuki had…but something kept playing on her mind.

"Sorry" She admitted, shrugging. "Just thinking, that's all."

"About what?" Wally inquired, stealthily stealing a spoonful of her ice cream. She smirked at him, but her face looked troubled. "You can tell me, Kooks."

"Just…" Kuki shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "It's just Abby…I know she's okay with us going out…but I worry about her, you know?"

Wally swallowed. "Yeah….I guess."

"And…" Kuki frowned. "I feel guilty…you know? Because I feel like I made you cheat on her and…" She lowered her voice. "And I didn't tell her…I wasn't honest."

"Kooks." Wally growled. "You didn't make me cheat on her…and Abby said she just knew we weren't meant to be." His hand found hers. "Don't worry."

"And…and how'd she find out?" Kuki thought out loud, frowning. Wally swallowed, his hand tightening on hers.

"Dingo sent her the photo."

Kuki looked up, frowning. "But why would he do that?"

Wally shrugged. "To spite me, I guess."

Kuki swallowed, still frowning in confusion. "Why does he hate you so much?"

Wally shrugged. "Don't know…" He frowned, he'd been pondering over the same thing himself…every time coming to the conclusion Dingo just wasn't 100% sane. "You know…he's my brother and I've never met him, so I don't know." he frowned thoughtfully.

Kuki gave him a small smile, running her fingers across his hand. "How'd you find out?"

"My Mom told me." Wally shrugged. "He was in the country and she somehow found out…I dunno." He added as an afterthought. "I don't think my Dad likes him that much."

"You think Dingo came to meet you?" Kuki asked with interest. Wally scoffed.

"No, I think if Dingo had the chance he'd probably kill me."

Kuki frowned and lightly slapped his hand with hers. She scolded at him. "Wally! Don't say things like that."

"What?" Wally said defensively. "I bet he would." He paused and checked his watch, sighing. "We better go and pay the bill babe."

Kuki sighed, kissing him quickly before he had the chance to object. He closed his eyes at the heavenly feeling of her kiss, the sugary sensation of her cherry lip gloss seemed to vanish all other thoughts from his mind. She pulled away and giggled as he opened his eyes, seeing her violet ones looking back at him sweetly.

"Okay" She grinned, and Wally happily smiled back and nodded, cupping her chin and stealing another kiss.

* * *

_*grins expectantly and points to review button* _

_;)_


	10. Chapter 10: Once a Cheater

_*WHEW*_

_I could go on forever on the many excuses as to why this chapter is so late, but in the end there're no excuses that really make it up *sigh* sorry guys, you must think I'm a horrible, neglectful biatch right? *Sad face* I'm sorry!_

_Well, to make it up to you (or it may be a curse, idk) this chapter is like, TWICE (no joke) as big as the others. I couldn't help it, I had to have this club scene done and done. And...it's done! :) I hope you can forgive me, as my love shows in length. The downside being it can be hard to read when it's MASSIVE, but do try...i tried hard :)_

_Warning- guys, I finally broke and there is going to be some serious swearing. Nothing OTT, but I noticed a lot of stories with T ratings have ALOT of F-bombs and S-bombs, I tried to avoid it as much as possible, and you find my characters use 'crap' and 'freakin' instead of...you know...nothing major, but...well...warning :) _

_WITH THANKIES TOOOOO..... *dun dudda duh!*_

**miss-black-eyeliner:**_ Aw, thankyou :D I love writing Abby, I don't know why...maybe because her postions probably the worst. Ahh poor Abs, the things I do to my characters... hehe. I hope you like this chapter! :D_

**shejams:** _Omg new reviewer! *CONFETTI!* *BALLOONS!* *CAKE* *FIREWORKS*_

_(Dingo: you think she's desperate?_

_Me: Back in the cage, you!)_

_Hope you like the update :D_

**mel:** _No, you rock! :D hehe had to say it. Thankies!!!_

**Kameko-Lullaby:** _Lol, gotta say I love writing drunk scenes :P no idea why :D And thanks *squeals!* love to know people actually find me humerous :P Hope you like the update :D_

**simi838**: _I know, I saw that ay! So I'm guessing you're on Team Taylor? I don't like her but still nobody deserves that! *sigh* old gossip, but still :D Hope you like my chapter Aussie pal ;P_

**sstoons3425:** _Aw, thanks :) I hope you like this chapter...I'm always hoping to improve my 'fluff writing skills' because I don't think I'm that good at it :) Not too much fluff in this chapter, but Enjoy!_

**Starlight Kittycat:** _Hehe, thank you so much! :D sorry for the wait! Hope you like it :)_

**hellopandaluver** : _Hehe, thanks :D I hope you like the fluff in this chapter...please don't kill me for the ending... *takes cover* :D enjoy! (if you can get through it...I almost can't *pants*) _

**itsaDoggyDogworld **: _Lol, thankyou! It's good to be back, I hope you can get through this chapter! :| Hows your stories going? :)_

**Laurie43** : _Aw, your reviews are always awesomesauce :D Dodge and Fanny...i never expected they'd be a likeable couple...maybe I should do a poll! :D Another love triangle? Hehe, thankyous :) I hope you like this chapter! Let me know what you think :P_

**camisado:** _LOL, I doubt it ay? Gosh, well at least one person out there does ;) Thanks for getting my totally lameass jokes :D_

**_OOO, btw- I make a cameo with my friend ;) I bet you can guess who I am! MUHAHA!...I'm the boring one :P_**

* * *

Hollie groaned and rolled over as she heard someone knocking on the door. She'd just been having the best dream, but instead she'd woken in the same sleazy motel as the night before, groggily opening her eyes to a mascara stained pillow. She sighed and rose to her feet, rubbing her eyes and running a hand through her long, tangled hair. She stumbled across the cheap, shag carpet, her head throbbing and her stomach aching. With a yawn, she opened the motel door, blinking in surprise at the sight she saw.

"_Dingo…"_ She cooed, turning. "_Dodge…"_ She bit down on her smeared lips as she stared at the two boys, who glared back. She smirked and ran her finger down the doorway delicately, her hazel eyes now wide and glistening maliciously. It was only early, and both boys looked as though they'd just gotten out of bed, thrown jeans and a jacket on with large aviator sunglasses- probably due to matching hangovers. Dingo growled at his ex, and looked at her up and down.

"_Hollie_" He snarled at her. "Do you _ever _wear clothes?"

Hollie frowned and looked down at the leopard print bra and small pink panties she was wearing. She only then realised what she probably looked like- her amateur dyed hair teased and her face caked in makeup, her eyeliner smudged from where she hadn't wiped it off the night before. A regular, cheap, trashy masterpiece. She grinned, her lined eyes travelling back to his.

"Like it matters." She smirked. "You've seen it all before."

Dingo rolled his eyes irritably as Dodge sniggered. He was leaning against the brick wall of the motel; his head throbbing from last night's drinking session. He'd been dragged out of bed roughly by Dingo about 10 minutes earlier, and was still half asleep. He shifted his glasses off his face and gave their old friend a look.

"_So_… can we come in…?" Dodge mumbled. "Or are you gonna leave us out here?"

Hollie sighed and pushed open the door, silently inviting them into the motel room. The boys entered and were automatically overpowered by the strong scent of perfume. Dingo grimaced as he recognized that smell- he hated that smell, it reminded him only of Hollie. The bathroom door opened and a gust of swirling steam escaped. Bonny stepped out, a small white towel wrapped around her dripping wet body. She grinned widely at the two visitors and skipped up for a hug, wrapping her damp arms around Dodge, who stiffened.

"Hi Stranger." She whispered sensually into his ear. He felt a cold drop of water drip down his neck and he shivered, giving his ex a snarl. Dingo lowered his sunglasses as Hollie bent over for her sweatpants, slipping them on and yawning. Dingo groaned to himself and rolled his eyes. Just being in his ex-girlfriends company brought him back to who he used to be. A few black and white, ugly memories flashed into his mind as he looked around the trashy, cheap motel.

* * *

_19 year old Dingo stood in the bathroom of his apartment, chugging down a glass bottle of straight vodka so sloppily the clear liquid was dripping down his chin and down his neck, all the way down his chest. He slammed the empty bottle down on the counter and shivered, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked a total mess and his head would not stop buzzing…his eyes itched and his skin was tingling. His vision blurred and his stomach ached. _

_He muttered a curse as he slammed his forehead against the mirror, clawing at the glass. He felt so screwed up…whatever he took it mustn't have been good. It didn't agree with him. It wasn't a good hit and this wasn't a good buzz. He ran a few fingers through his hair and began shaking uncontrollably, stumbling his way back to bed. _

_Holly suddenly walked in, looking irritated and twitchy. Dingo snarled at her. It was her fault...she was the one who got the junk in the first place…unreliable whore. God he was starting to hate her. She was such a bitch, always passing out at parties and ending up in the emergency room. She wailed for his attention and always screamed at him. Every time they were together they fought, and since both were just as stubborn they didn't go easy on each other. _

"_Where the HELL were you last night?!" She screamed at him, her eyes wild and her face pale. She had a smear of dried blood under her nose and leaned against the doorway hauntingly, her pale fingers splayed out against the plaster. Dingo snarled at her, his lips twitching and his head pounding._

"_Where was I?!" He sneered, matching her volume. "WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?! YOU BITCH! YOU LEFT ME AT THAT CRAP CLUB JUST SO YOU COULD MAKE OUT WITH SOME ASSHOLE!"_

"_AND YOU AND YOUR CHEAP SLUTS ARE SO MUCH DIFFERENT?!" She hollered back, now sobbing. "I HATE YOU! YOU HYPOCRITE! I HATE YOU! WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE?!"_

_The lovers lunged at each other, hoping to cause as much damage to the other as possible. Dingo's hands wrapped around the girl's neck where as she fought tooth and nail to kick, scratch and bite him, screaming every insult she could. Both had been together ever since they were about 14 years old, and would never have dreamed they would be like this…but due to Holly's 'connections', Dingo's 'business' and the couple's constant substance abuse this was almost regular in their relationship. It was a destructive hell for the both of them, only staying together because they couldn't imagine being apart. Even their own circle of friends had gotten used to the constant bruises, scratches and injuries the couple seemed to have on a regular basis._

_Dingo roughly threw Holly against the wall and backed away, trembling and whimpering as his head throbbed. Holly coughed roughly, blood appearing on her lips. She wasn't backing down, and threw herself against Dingo, pushing him roughly into the bathroom door. He retorted by smashing his fist into her lip. She fell to the floor and scrambled back up, screaming and clutching his arm as he made his way to the front door._

"_Don't leave me!" She was screaming, grabbing his leg as he ignored her, the redhead dragging across the floorboards. She stubbornly refused to let go as she screamed like a toddler throwing a tantrum. She loved this boy…it would work out. "Don't leave me Dingo! Please don't leave! DINGO!"_

_He roughly threw her off and grabbed his keys, stumbling out into the hallway. All that was going through his mind was how much he needed to talk to his father._

_

* * *

_

"So Dingo." Hollie said silkily, approaching him. He was knocked roughly out of those repressed, hideous memories as he glared at her, watching the way she purposely allowed her leopard print bra to show above her skimpy shirt. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah" Dingo bit back, hating himself at that very moment. He looked to Dodge for support, who was thankfully facing the same problem. Bonny was practically serving her damp naked body on a silver platter. Dingo could tell it was making him uncomfortable and irritated- Dodge was showing one of his rare signs of fury, his lips twisting awkwardly and his eyes darkening dangerously. "I need your…help."

Hollie grinned triumphantly as she approached her ex, running a delicate finger along his collarbone. He glared at her and she smiled sweetly back. "My help…" She sighed serenely. "I always knew you'd come back to me."

It took all his strength not to lash out at the girl in front of him. She always seemed fake to him, and she brought back the bad blood from the life he tried to leave behind. Everything from her dyed hair, raccoon-ed eyes and curvy, milky body brought back hideous flashbacks of their previous lives lead in Sydney. He swallowed, suddenly thinking of his brother and Abby. He calmed down, his mind back on the task. "Not quite, Hollie." He muttered darkly, folding his arms and knocking her hand away. "I need your help, it involves my brother."

She smirked. "A little sibling rivalry, D-Day?"

He gave her his traditional devilish grin, his bright green eyes gleaming as he pulled off his glasses. "Ha ha, Hollie." He muttered, folding his arms. "Not quite."

Hollie sidled over to him, leaning over the bedstand to the small collection of liquor bottles that made up the motel mini bar. She grabbed for the tiny bottle of vodka. "So…what?" She questioned, her eyes scanning his face carefully. She smirked. "You need little ol' me? And what may I ask for?"

Dingo scoffed, knowing the look on her face. "Just for you, Hols" He cooed back, hoping to draw in the bait. "I'm going old school."

She grinned widely, licking off the remains of her red lip-gloss. "Like old times?"

He shrugged moodily, his eyes flashing slightly. "Not quite, doll." He smirked. "But I need your body, and not for me this time."

She sighed and pouted, looking up into his jade eyes. "Okay" She shrugged, smirking. "I'm listening"

* * *

Mushi arrived at work early, brushing her long newly dyed blonde hair and putting it up into a neat bun. She sighed, preparing herself for the day that lay ahead. It was her second day at work, and it was the day she was set out to prove that she could handle a job like this. She was beginning to doubt herself, as after a night without sleep she felt sick and exhausted.

She walked to the counter, where the bell was already _ding_ing for a pick up. She picked up the plates, balanced them carefully and delivered them to the table, walking back across the deserted diner emotionlessly, smoothing out the creases of her uniform.

Irma snapped her gum loudly as she looked over her glasses at the young girl, who was pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"I'm impressed." She remarked, raising her eyebrows. "Hardly anyone comes in this early."

"Yeah, well…" Mushi shrugged, adjusting the name tag that read 'Madeline' on her shirt. "You know, I'm desperate for cash."

"Consider yourself hired." Irma shrugged, giving the girl a careful look. Mushi stiffened, hardly daring to believe it. "I was once like you, young'in." Her steely eyes suddenly softened on the girl as she gave her a curious look. "Young and by myself, out for cash…Anytime you need a hand, sweetie." With that she actually smiled and walked off into the back room, leaving Mushi standing in amazement. A smile spread across her pale face. _A job, she got the job! All by herself! If only her parents could see her now…_

She suddenly stepped back into the wall and hit it with a thud, her hand over her mouth as she stared out of the diner window. She blinked, hardly daring to believe it. She thought it was all over, this was it- it was- She gulped.

Outside the diner a slumped, hooded figure was just outside the window, leaning up against the brick wall and smoking a cigarette. A regular teenage hood, she'd thought at first, then she'd noticed the physique, the stance, and then he'd turned- Mushi's heart leaped in her throat as he recognized those distinctive cold, grey eyes. He turned to look in the window, exhaling a plume of swirling smoke into the crisp morning air. She could swear his eyes were on her, the boy she dreaded to meet again had found her. Instead he merely put the cigarette back to his chapped lips and kicked the cracked pavement beneath his sneakers. He pulled down the hood of his jacket to reveal tousled, rust coloured hair that hung into his face. He shook it off and threw his cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath his foot. Mushi caught a quick glimpse of his pale, slightly scarred face before he turned and walked away, across the car park and out of sight.

"MADELINE!"

She jumped, the tray she was holding clanging to the floor. She turned to see Irma giving her a careful glance, her hands on her hips.

"You alright?"

"Y-Yeah" Mushi choked out, feeling herself shake. "I'm fine."

* * *

Maurice tapped his pen on his desk mindlessly, staring into space. He had completed all of his work an hour ago, and was now twiddling his thumbs and thwacking his pen as he waited for his next assignment. Chad, who was working beside him, kept shooting him nasty glares.

"You right there?"

Maurice glanced over to the blonde, who raised his eyebrows in annoyance.

"Yeah" Maurice growled back. "I'm fine."

The truth was that he was far from fine. Maurice was finding it hard to overcome the massive guilt trip over the Dingo/Abby problem. When Cree wasn't discussing wedding plans she was fretting over her 'baby' sister, and how worried she was about the pregnancy, and the father of her baby. Cree had no idea that Maurice knew about Dingo, and Maurice wanted to keep it that way.

Maurice was stuck. Cree was fretting about Abby's choices, Abby was stressed about the pregnancy and about Dingo, and Maurice labeled himself as the cause of it all. He knew all about Dingo, he knew the things Dingo didn't want Abby to know. He could tell Abby, his friend and sister-in-law, but that would mean giving up everything he'd worked towards.

"What's up with you?" Chad scoffed, grinning at his friend from across the desk. Maurice gave him a look of dislike.

"None of your concern." He snarled back before returning to his paperwork. Chad perked up with curiosity and slid closer to his workmate, grinning eagerly.

"_C'monnn…_" He smirked, raising his eyebrows. "You can tell me."

Maurice rolled his eyes at the cocky blonde, who was giving him a not-so-trusting look.

"Chad, don't you have some corrupting to do?"

Chad chuckled darkly. "Not today."

Maurice groaned and looked around the busy office, where phones were buzzing, papers were shuffling and the chatter was near deafening. Their conversation went by unnoticed by their fellow police officers, and Chad knew this.

"I heard Abby's pregnant."

Maurice choked on the cold coffee he had been drinking as Chad gave him an innocent look from across the desk, smiling sweetly. Coughing, Maurice wiped hastily at his tie as he gave him a furious, surprised look.

"Wh-_what_?"

"Well…_now _I know she's pregnant." Chad said triumphantly, bursting with laughter. He stopped and gave his partner a wide grin. "I saw her the other day and she looked pregnant, you just confirmed my theory."

Maurice frowned, glaring at him with fierce dark eyes. "What do you mean? I never said Abby was-"

"I take it nobody's supposed to know." Chad said with a roguish wink. "Otherwise you wouldn't have sprayed coffee everywhere at the suggestion."

Maurice hastily mopped up the coffee stained files in front of him with a napkin, feeling his cheeks burn furiously. Just perfect…of all people to know about the pregnancy…

"Secret's safe with me." Chad chuckled, grinning from ear to ear.

Maurice growled at the look of triumph on his partner's face. He could feel a migraine coming on with the amount of stress he could feel piling on top of him. Nobody was supposed to know about Abby's pregnancy, for the simple reason her own parents didn't know, she wasn't even 20 years of age and the baby's father was most probably a not-so common criminal, who is her ex-boyfriend's brother. He ran a hand through his hair and groaned, his head in his arms.

"_When did life become such a soap opera?"_ He growled to nobody in particular. Chad gave him a half-hearted shrug before turning back to his computer screen. Maurice frowned as he felt something land beside him. He looked up, jumping as he saw his supervisor gazing at him suspiciously.

"Mr. Duvall, I was just er-"

"There are the files you wanted."

Maurice blinked in confusion, suddenly groaning a vague _"Huh?"_

"The files" Mr. Duvall told him slowly, as if he was slow on the uptake. He shook his head, rolled his eyes and ticked something off on his clipboard before moving on up the aisle. "You ordered them a couple of weeks ago."

Maurice frowned, rubbing his tired eyes and groaning as he saw the quite large bundle of files on his desk. He untied the first one and withdrew a slip of paper. Focusing his eyes, they widened in surprise as he was faced with a faded photograph of a small teenager, wide eyed and scared looking. He was a handsome looking young teenager with light brown hair and an innocent, frightened face. His dark eyes were wide and seemed glassy, as if he was holding back tears. His hair hung in his face limply and he was holding up a sign, a police number where a bunch of details were hastily scrawled where they took him into custody.

_No. 098299902_

_Name- Dodge C. Mathers  
Age- 13  
Date- Aug. 9__th__, 2001_

Maurice suddenly bit down harshly on his tongue, staring at the seemingly pathetic looking young Dodge. He flipped the old photo over, where someone had scribbled a number of notes on the back, probably relating to the occasion at hand.

_Found with:_

_098299901- Bandit A. Madden  
098299842- Trent Atwood  
098299781- Dingo S. Beatles_

Maurice swallowed, grabbing a similar looking photo of another teenager. He was, too, handsome- but in that sly, mischievous way. His green eyes seemed to gaze at the camera and he was smirking, holding the sign before him as if it was a trophy. His raven hair was ruffled and he still wore a black hoodie. Maurice didn't need to read the scrawled note on the back of the photo to realise it was the young Dingo Beatles snickering at him.

"_Jeese_" Chad suddenly sighed, shuffling through some of the papers. Maurice jumped in alarm as he tore his gaze from the photo. Chad gave him a look. "Why'd you get these for? We were supposed to _overlook_ these, not _look them up_!"

"I dunno…" Maurice lied, swallowing. "I guess I just had to know what we'd let in, you know?" In all truthfulness he'd completely forgotten that about a month ago he'd ordered the files in, but just about Dingo, not the rest of his gang. He needed to know what Dingo was really running from, and what his sister-in-law was really getting into. He looked back at the faded photos, shoving those of Dingo and Dodge out of the way and instead looking at a dazed looking teen, his icy blue eyes half-lidded and the tie that was wrapped around his head as a scarf askew. The sign labeled him as Bandit Madden.

"Well I, for one, don't care." Chad dismissed, throwing the pile back on his desk and looking at them with disgust. "It's over, we can forget it."

"Maybe you can." Maurice mumbled darkly before glancing at another photo. This one almost made him flinch, as the young kid in the photo looked so venomous and daring Maurice felt he was more staring into a lion's cage, not into the eyes of the young Trent Atwood. "I can't…so much." He frowned as he put the four portraits together, finding it strange how they came together.

"You need to let it go, man." Chad muttered, leaning back in his chair and casting his partner a cautious look. "It's over, okay? We got the money, you can get your designer tux. Now ya gotta tell me…am I your best man?"

Maurice ignored the joking remark and instead rolled his eyes, spreading the photos of the young offenders across his desk and looking at them closely. The young faces stared back at him. Bandit's dazed expression, Dodge's frightened eyes, Trent's dangerous glare and Dingo's handsome smirk. He sighed and pulled a loose leaf document from the file curiously. As Chad chatted on behind him obnoxiously, he turned his attention to what he judged was a poster, one they plastered on police notice boards to alert the station of situations. Staring back at him was the same four faces- Dingo's gang, looking older but otherwise just the same.

He felt his blood run cold as he saw the poster.

_WANTED FOR QUESTIONING  
Dingo Beatles  
Trent Atwood  
Bandit Madden  
Dodge Mathers_

It was a group photo of them all together casually. They looked about 18 in the photo- Bandit was slumped over Dodge, grinning stupidly as he looked up at him, his head on his shoulder. Dodge was smiling too, shyly and sweetly as he glanced nervously at the camera. His eyes were wide, but no longer nervous. Trent was on the other side, leaning on what looked like a brick wall casually, scowling at whoever was taking his picture. Maurice barely noticed the trio, he was staring at the person in the centre, who seemed to be staring back at him with familiar emerald green eyes, a sly smirk on his handsome face and his arms folded. It caused Maurice to shiver involuntarily, and he found he couldn't look away from the picture of Dingo, and the writing beneath the photo.

_WANTED- Suspicion of Murder_

* * *

The two friends sat in silence as they avoided each other's gaze. They sat across from each other, a beautiful, but sad looking brunette with downcast chocolate brown eyes and a tall handsome dark-haired boy of 19. Both were staring into their cups of coffee carefully, awkwardly trying to avoid any type of conversation. The girl wound a shaky finger around a wavy strand of hair, her brown pupils wide as she looked up.

"So…you wanted to talk?" She mumbled in a shaky voice. "Nigel?"

Nigel's eyes locked with hers and Abby almost flinched.

"Yeah" He mumbled, running a hand through his hair. He sighed as he looked at her from across the table, the awkward silence almost suffocating him. He was used to being the leader, the one always in charge and always knowing what to do. Not this time. "I kinda did…"

Abby bit her lip, trying to stifle the urge to cry. She could hardly pull herself out of bed this morning, she was so nervous. It seemed to her that her pregnant stomach was growing bigger and more noticeable every day. Her oversized off-the-shoulder gray sweater covered it well, but a couple more months and she'd have to give some answers. Her secret was already out.

She sighed, and said the thing she knew they were both thinking. "You know I'm pregnant" She said shakily, looking back to her coffee. Nigel swallowed.

"Yeah." He looked up at her, a serious look on his face. "You have to tell Wally, Abs."

She shook her head automatically at the suggestion, her brown eyes wide and glassy. She looked so glum and depressed Nigel sighed and grabbed her hand. "Abs," He murmured to her, nibbling on his bottom lip. "You have to trust me on this, we've been best friends since forever."

"I know" She said glumly.

He looked at her closely, his stomach clenching nervously as he watched her. He didn't want to say it, but he felt he had to. "Abby…" He finally sighed, watching her. She raised her head to look at him, her brown eyes wide and vulnerable. She looked so sweet and innocent, so susceptible- so unlike Abby- that it hurt him to say it. "This baby…it's not Wally's…isn't it?"

Nigel's stomach dropped as he saw his friend's chocolate brown eyes fill with tears. She sniffed, suddenly bursting into quiet sobs as he jumped from his seat to slide into the booth next to her. Abby couldn't help it, she just continued to cry as Nigel hugged her close. She felt so ashamed, like a regular trashy whore who'd been caught cheating by her boyfriend. She couldn't believe it, this wasn't like the real Abby. She cheated on Wally, her friend…with his _brother. _She was knocked up, and now one of her best friend's knew. She felt like a real failure.

"I-I-I'm so sor-ry Nigel!" She sobbed as Nigel held her close, unsure of what else to do. It seemed like all the pain, stress and fear she had felt over the past few months escaped her system at those truthful words. She sniffed and sobbed into Nigel's shirt, completely saddened at the position she was in. "I don't-t know w-w-what to do! I n-never meant f-for it t-to hap-p-p-pen! I never wanted to h-h-hurt Wally! It-It just happened!" She looked into his face, her face blotchy and her bloodshot eyes wide. "Y-you hate me now, d-don't you?"

Nigel sighed sadly, hugging his friend. He didn't know what to say, he'd never been good at talking. Giving speeches, yes. Making jokes, yes. Planning the best strategy, yes. But he was never good at talking, especially when someone was crying. He truly felt for Abby, and the pain she must have felt at keeping her pregnancy a secret. Her face showed so much guilt and pain, and he wasn't sure what to say to make her feel better.

"I don't hate you, Abby." He said sternly. "I could never hate you."

"I feel like such a slut." Abby sniffed, a few more tears escaping her cheeks.

Nigel swallowed, unsure of what to say. "You're not a slut, Abby." He muttered, patting her shoulder awkwardly. "You're just… in a rough patch."

Abby scoffed, a new wave of tears flooding down her cheeks. Nigel tightened his grip around her as she cried into his shoulder, grateful for someone to finally cry to. Nigel gnawed on his bottom lip.

"So…you're not sure who the father is?" He asked her. She emerged, wiping at her eyes and sniffing. Sadly she shook her head.

"No" She coughed out, her brown eyes looking deep into his face. She looked like a scared little girl, much opposite to the Abby Nigel knew. "I…I don't- I can't be sure" She babbled, her bottom lip trembling. "Wally and I- we…well…" As she caught sight of Nigel's expression she swallowed. "It's over, me and the guy."

"You broke it off?" Nigel asked, cocking an eyebrow. Abby stiffened, thinking back vaguely to her and Dingo's previous conversation, and his stubborn refusal.

"We- well, I broke- he, I…." She sighed, dropping her gaze. "Well, we're over."

Nigel gave her a careful look, trying to look into the face of his best friend. He still saw her as the old Abby, the fearless cool character who always seemed to be the rational, careful one of the group. He knew she had changed over the years, much more sophisticated, sly and sexy…but he never saw her as one to cheat on her boyfriend, one of their best friends. Abby looked lost and upset, overpowered. Whoever this guy was, Nigel judged, he clearly had stolen something within her.

"He's gone?"

She nodded numbly, staring at her coffee cup.

"Do your parents know?"

She shook her head and Nigel gave her a grim look.

"I'm gonna tell them…" She mumbled, already wincing at the thought. "…Soon."

Nigel sighed, looking down at his friend with pity. "What are you going to do Abs?" He finally asked her. "You're not even 20, how are you going to raise a kid by yourself?"

Abby swallowed, her mind suddenly filling with a faint vision of her and Dingo, together happily raising a baby. Then Wally suddenly entered the picture, a look of betrayal and hurt all over his face. Abby shook these thoughts out of her head. A happy family? As if.

"I'll manage" She mumbled strongly to Nigel, wiping away the last of her tears and trying to steady her shaking voice. "I'll stay with my aunt and uncle."

Nigel suddenly paused, blinking down at her with a look of shock on his face. "You're not leaving us…" He frowned, trying not to sound too desperate."Are you Abs?"

Abby shrugged her slim shoulders and ran a hand through her brown locks, which reached her elbows. "I have to…" She mumbled shyly, unable to look into her friend's face. "It's the only way."

"But-" Nigel swallowed, unable to find the right words. "You can't leave! You can't give up college!"

"I'm not" Abby muttered, and extracted a slip of paper from her pocket. She gave it to him, her face still down and glum. Nigel opened it with fumbling fingers, and upon spying the basic information written down, he gave it back to her. He growled lowly.

"You're transferring."

"I have to Nigel." Abby muttered. "I want this baby…"

"How can you want it?" Nigel bit back, hurt. "It's a mistake."

Abby shrugged, gulping. "It was my mistake, not the baby's."

Nigel scowled. "Who exactly _is _the father, Abby?"

She shrugged again, unsure of what to say.

"How far are you…ya know…along?"

"17 weeks" Abby mumbled.

Nigel swallowed, looking down at the loose, off the shoulder gray sweater she was wearing, which was tucked into her jeans. "You don't…look it."

Abby shrugged, raising her eyebrows. "Thanks."

"Abby…" Nigel ran a hand through his hair awkwardly as he gazed at the girl beside him, who finally looked up. "You don't have to do this."

Abby gave him a small smile, scoffing as she gave him a look. "Nigel…" She sighed. "I haven't got a choice."

The two friends gazed at each other stubbornly, their long silence only broken by the shrill ringing of Abby's cell phone. She groaned an apology before flipping it open, the voice of her older sister not making her feel any better.

"Hey Cree"

"_Hey Baby Sister!" _Cree squealed back as she raced down the street, Shana trailing behind her. Her high heels scraped across the sidewalk as she hurried to her favourite clothing store. "_How are you?"_

"I'm fine Cree" Abby lied, groaning to herself. "What do you want?"

"_What makes you think I want something?"_ Cree asked with a dazzling smile as she lowered her sunglasses, walking through the automatic glass doors. _"Can't I just ring up my knocked up little sister and ask how she's doing?"_

Abby rolled her eyes and sighed. "Not when it's you, Cree." She muttered. "By the way, thanks for makin' a girl feel special."

"_All right, fine."_ Cree sighed as she jumped on the escalator. _"I need you to meet me at Mademoiselle Danielle's Boutique _ASAP_"_ She checked her designer watch. _"Like now"_

"Now?" Abby groaned, also checking her watch. "But Cree, I have to-"

"_Please Abs?"_ Cree begged, her lower lip protruding into a pout._ "I have to show you something! It'll only be for a tinsy tiny wittle second! Please?"_

Abby groaned, slapping her palm to her forehead and sighing deeply. "Okay fine, but you owe me." She hung up before her sister had a chance to reply and threw her cell phone back onto the table. "I gotta go."

"I figured." Nigel mumbled in annoyance. He gritted his teeth before he sighed again, pulling her into a one armed hug. "You going to the club tonight?"

"Yeah" Abby said, pulling her bag onto her shoulder.

"Even when you're…" Nigel swallowed, unable to finish. Despite his awkward expression, Abby smirked.

"Yeah, I can handle it." She sighed, sliding out of the booth. "Besides, I won't get to hang out with you guys that much more so…" She shrugged, her face looking grim. She bit her lip as an important thought entered her mind. "And…Nigel, you can't tell anyone."

Nigel groaned. "Abs-"

"I mean it" She said sternly, her brown eyes darkening. "I don't want anyone to know, I can handle it, it's my business."

"Ok, ok." Nigel groaned, rising to his feet. "Don't go givin' me no attitude."

Abby grinned, her smirk lighting up her face. The two friends shared a few seconds silence before Abby finally hugged the Brit, sighing into his shirt.

"Thanks for being a friend, Nigel." She mumbled into the fabric. She swallowed nervously. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Nigel bit his lip. "Just…" He sighed, kissing her lightly on the forehead. "Just take care of yourself, Abs."

A couple of tables away, a girl watched them closely behind her thick rimmed glasses, hiding her camera phone behind the magazine she was pretending to read.

* * *

Kuki skipped down the hallway and bounded towards her boyfriend's door happily, a smile on her face as she flattened her hair and wrapped her knuckles on the door. Her smile only widened when the door opened a few seconds later to reveal her sleepy, shirtless boyfriend. Wally rubbed a fist into his eye as he yawned, frowning as he noticed the angelic figure in the doorway. He must still be dreaming…

"Morning!" She chirped happily, clutching a pink box to her chest as she nibbled on her bottom lip sweetly. "I hope I didn't wake you."

Wally smirked, taking in her radiance. Her long ebony hair was sleek and shiny, flowing all the way down her back. Her face was shining with happiness and her bright violet eyes were wide like her glowing smile. Just the side of her caused him to beam.

"You're the best thing to wake up to" He said truthfully, pulling her into a hug. She blushed as she was pushed against his muscular chest and she smiled, holding up the box in her hands.

"I bought donuts!"

"That's the magic word in this dorm!" Hoagie grinned happily, exiting his bedroom and rubbing his hands in glee. Kuki smirked and offered him one.

"Are you going to work today?" Wally asked his roommate, frowning at Hoagie's uniform. Hoagie nodded, chewing happily on a glazed donut Kuki had offered him.

"Yep" He mumbled. "It's pretty busy at the moment."

Wally rolled his eyes. He was still pessimistic about Hoagie working so close with his brother. He doubted it was anything but a good influence on him. Every day he grew more of an Australian accent. Not to mention the fact that Wally still hadn't spoken to Dingo since that picture fiasco occurred, and he didn't trust himself to make the first move.

"Righto!" Hoagie licked his fingers as he grabbed his bag from the floor. "I'm off!"

"Wait, are you going to the club with us tonight?" Kuki asked him. Hoagie nodded at her and Wally smirked at him.

"He wouldn't miss it, he's got a date."

Hoagie blushed and quickly flipped his friend off as he walked out the front door. He could still hear their muffled chuckles as he made his way down the hall.

* * *

The redhead stranger twisted her lips in annoyance as she glared at her friend who was sitting beside her. Her gaze swiveled upward to the revision mirror, where she could just see the snoozing form of the hitchhiker they'd picked up a couple of miles ago. She growled in annoyance.

"Dammit, Alexa." She growled at her friend as she watched the highway, driving stiffly with her fingernails clawing into the leather of the steering wheel. "We shouldn't have picked him up."

Her blonde friend sighed, blowing her long hair out of her eyes. "Lis, he's harmless."

"He's a total stranger." Lisa argued back. "I knew it was a bad idea from the very beginning. Do you know how many serial killers pick their victims by who picks them up on the road?"

"Of course _you_ would know." Alexa sniggered, rolling her blue eyes and smirking at her best friend. "You worry too much."

"Its people like you who are killed first in horror flicks" Lisa remarked darkly as she drove along the highway. Alexa rolled her eyes at her friend's paranoia and continued to read the gossip magazine in front of her, occasionally looking behind her to the hitchhiker they had picked up. Alexa had suddenly squealed in excitement and grabbed her friend's arm as they exited the interstate diner an hour ago. Before Lisa could so much as protest Alexa had already invited the stranger into their rental car.

The stranger was in fact Jake, and he'd introduced himself to the ladies with a charming smile and his hopeful expression. The truth was he'd gotten sick of paying for fuel on the way, so instead adopted his familiar method of hitchhiking the way there. The added bonus was he could stretch out in the back of their car and snooze, which he did automatically as they drove. He was spread out along the backseat with his hands behind his head, his chest rising and falling as he slept soundlessly against the hum of the motor. Alexa frowned as she stared at him from the front seat. She could have sworn she'd seen him before.

"You know..." She frowned. "He looks familiar..."

Lisa smiled, winking slyly. "Funny how those things happen."

_

* * *

_

Rachel sipped on her familiar banana smoothie as she turned a page of the fashion magazine in her hands. She knew she was openly procrastinating- having the magazine cover her history books- but she couldn't help it. The blonde found it hard to concentrate.

As she read about the current gossip surrounding Robert Pattison and Kirsten Stewart, she occasionally looked over to her cell phone, which was lying by her history notes ominously. She was half hoping it would ring any second, but as well she was hoping it stayed silent. The early morning text message she received was still fresh in her mind.

_Hey Rach, can't make it to lunch 2day. Something came up :(  
Sorry, love you!  
Nigel xo_

Something came up…isn't what they all say? She frowned and sucked up the last of her smoothie violently as she looked around the college cafe. She was being paranoid and she knew it. Nigel would never blow her off for some sleazy girl, not like Chad did. She shook the thoughts out of her head and laid the magazine to one side, going over her history notes for the upcoming test. She scribbled down a few measly notes before throwing down her pen in frustration. It was no use, she couldn't concentrate.

"Rachel."

She didn't even have to look up. She groaned as she recognized that voice. "Lizzie."

The girl sat down opposite her, grinning like a cat that had just cornered a mouse. "How are we, Rachel?" Lizzie blinked at her from behind her glasses, a fake look of concern on her face. "Are we all fine?"

Rachel scowled, but gave her a fake smile back. "'_We' _are fine, Lizzie." She said back, returning to her notes. "And yourself?"

"Oh, couldn't be better." Lizzie remarked, playing with the gold chain around her neck. "Where's Nigel?"

"Wow, Lizzie." Rachel remarked, her eyes on the page. "It took you a whole 6 seconds before my boyfriend came into conversation." She looked up at the girl. "A personal record, you should be so proud."

Lizzie gave her a slight scowl before her fake smile returned. "I'm merely concerned, Rachel, for Nigel's well being. I've heard his eyes have _wondered_."

Rachel looked up, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

"Surely you must have noticed." Lizzie said silkily, waving her hand around. "That your boyfriend isn't here?"

"I don't need to keep him on a leash, Lizzie." Rachel shot back, her cheeks reddening. "Nigel was busy today, and I like to have time by myself."

"Oh" Lizzie remarked, her eyebrows disappearing into her bangs. "Busy, was he?"

"Yes" Rachel retorted, growling. "Now Lizzie, if you're done pestering me, would you mind getting out of my breathing space?"

"No need to be hostile, Rachel." Lizzie simpered back, smiling. "I'm merely looking out for you." With a flourish she pulled out her plump, pink cell phone. It jingled obnoxiously, a long thick chain attached to it with a large heart-shaped charm on the end with the letters _L.D + N.U _on it. She smirked as Rachel looked at it with distaste.

"Looking out for me?" Rachel echoed, scoffing. "As if, Lizzie." She narrowed her eyes at the girl suspiciously. "What are you really up to, Lizzie?"

"Oh…" Lizzie grinned widely, blinking her eyes at the blonde innocently. "It's not _me _who's up to something…" She pulled open her phone, and watched as Rachel's hazel eyes widened at the picture. "It's your boyfriend who's up to something."

Rachel felt herself go numb as she stared at her fears. Her boyfriend, it couldn't be anyone else, dressed in his familiar red tee and favourite dark blue jeans, cuddling with a girl and it looked as though he was kissing her on the forehead. They were snuggled up close in a booth at some restaurant, the girl's long brown hair the only thing visible as her face was pressed against him as they hugged.

"Wha-" Rachel gaped, frowning. Then Lizzie clicked a button and it went to the next snaphot, Nigel smiling at the girl he was sitting with as she looked at him, smiling as well. Her brown eyes, her brown hair, her tan skin- It was Abby.

"I always knew to look out for _her." _Lizzie remarked, smirking. "You've been a bit lax, haven't you Rachel?"

Rachel shot her a filthy look, and in one fluent movement she'd scooped up her books and study notes and stomped out of the café, leaving Lizzie sitting alone at a table. Lizzie smirked as the blonde slammed the front door shut. Lizzie sighed happily and shut her phone proudly.

* * *

It was a long, dreary morning at work for Hoagie, who was polishing and cleaning tools instead of doing something exciting. The most thrilling event that had happened so far was Dingo and Dodge's late arrival, where Bandit had decided to throw a bucketful of soapy water right onto the pair as they walked through the door. They'd spent the next hour watching the cat-and-mouse chase between Dingo and Bandit and betting on who would win. In the end it was Dingo, having the upper hand as he dumped the entire contents of the soap dispenser on Bandit's head. Hoagie smirked as Bandit walked past him, muttering furiously about how he smelt like a McDonalds bathroom.

Hoagie's thoughts wandered to tonight- he and Fanny together. He started mentally preparing himself for the conversation- interesting topics, funny jokes…he had to impress his date.

"Sup Rookie?"

Hoagie jumped and turned, frowning as he saw it was Dodge who blinked back at him innocently, smirking.

"What is it with you guys and sneaking up on people?" Hoagie muttered darkly, picking up the tool he'd dropped from the floor. Dodge shrugged and hoisted himself onto the work bench, swinging his legs serenely. Hoagie liked Dodge; he could trust him much better than he felt he could trust any of the others. He never saw him stoned or buzzed and he never shot him death glares like Trent always seemed to do.

"It's fun." Dodge grinned. "You're an easy target."

Hoagie rolled his eyes and shot his workmate an exasperated look. "Whatever." He suddenly grinned at him. "What are you? Eye Candy of the day?"

Dodge shot him a confused look before looking down. He was shirtless. "Well I couldn't walk around with a soapy t-shirt on." He snarled, but then grinned. "Besides, you love it."

Hoagie punched him playfully as they both sniggered. Hoagie's eyes suddenly travelled to the various amounts of black untidy scrawl that adorned Dodge's upper body. All the guys had tattoos, some of them didn't even make sense to Hoagie, and a lot of them were similar. He frowned, pointing to Dodge's shoulder blades thoughtfully as Dodge lit a cigarette.

"I gotta ask you, man." He mumbled thoughtfully at the tattoo. It was a phrase, and he noticed all of the guys had it- Bandit on his arm, Trent on his wrist and Dingo…he didn't want to know. But for Dodge, it was scrawled right across his shoulder blades. "What is that? What does it mean?"

Dodge eyes flickered to his shoulder, but then upon realizing he couldn't see he smirked. "Such is Life."

"Huh?"

"_Such is Life."_ Dodge repeated grandly. "We all got it one night, first tattoo we ever got together."

Hoagie rolled his eyes at him. "What does it even mean?"

Dodge grinned eagerly. "It was the last words of Ned Kelly." Upon seeing Hoagie's questioning look he groaned, rolling his eyes. "He was an Aussie criminal back in like…I dunno. He was a bushranger that robbed people, kinda like Robin Hood…Uh…Anyways he killed some people, mostly coppers and they got him in the bush and hung him." Dodge shrugged as Hoagie gave him an incredulous look.

"You've got the last words of a condemned criminal on your back?"

"He's an Aussie legend to some people." Dodge smirked. "He's seen as either a hero or villain."

Hoagie rolled his eyes. "No offence, Dodge, but how is some gangster a hero?"

Dodge frowned, swallowing. "I dunno." He muttered. "You kinda have to be Aussie to get it. He's like…a hero 'cuz he was different and stood up to society. He was like, judged because he wasn't all snooty, and he only stole 'cuz he needed to, ya know? He stood up to the authorities and took a shot. It's…well, to us it's true Aussie blood. That and he kind of stood up for a lower class. Robin Hood…kinda, but a bushranger with a gang of outlaws. He was daring, with guts."

Hoagie sniggered and folded his arms. "You guys actually see a common criminal as an icon?"

Dodge shrugged, a tiny blush appearing on his cheeks as Hoagie's words hit him. "You kinda…have to be Aussie to get it, Hoagie."

"I don't get you guys at all." Hoagie muttered, but he grinned all the same. "You can get anything tattooed on your body and you choose the last words of a common criminal. I mean, you don't see anyone with the last words of Al Capone on their body."

"Well…" Dodge shot him a smirk. "It proves not all criminals are bad, some stand up for good reasons-"

"_Ugh_" Dingo suddenly appeared, wiping at a black grease stain on his cheek. Hoagie noticed how irritable and tired he looked- his handsome face sporting dark shadows under his usually gleaming green eyes. "You with the ethics talk Dodge!" He snapped to his friend. Dodge rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"You okay, Dingo?" Hoagie muttered, frowning at him. "You look kinda…tired and-"

"He's _hung-over"_ Bandit snickered from the other side of the garage. "Up all night drinking 'cuz his _lady friend _got into a fight with him." Dingo gave him a furious look over his shoulder and Bandit blinked innocently. "Well you did!"

Hoagie cracked a smile, turning to Dingo with a knowing look. "No way, you have a girlfriend?"

Dingo swallowed, giving him a defensive look. "Yeah…why?"

Hoagie shrugged. "I dunno, you seemed more of a…you know, more of a….uh-" He bit his lip nervously as Dingo's look hardened.

"Womanizer." Dodge nodded in agreement as Dingo snarled at him. Hoagie smirked.

"Well, to put it blankly…"

Dingo ignored this, instead lowering his gaze to his finger, where a fresh cut was now bleeding profusely. He sucked on it thoughtfully, frowning at the taste of blood. He thought of how much he missed Abby…he couldn't lose her. Hoagie perked up with interest.

"So who is this chick?" He asked. None of the guys had mentioned her like they did the other girls they hung out with. "Your girlfriend, what's she like?"

Dingo's eyes widened as he turned to him. "Um…" He imagined what Abby would do if she found out he blabbed. "Uh…well she's-" He ran a hand through his hair, trying to make up something off the top of his head. Dodge looked on with amusement. "She's…great she's got uh…brown eyes and uh-"

He paused as Dodge began to hum _"Baby Got Back"_ loudly and clearly, causing Hoagie to break out into laughter. Dodge shot him a sly look as Dingo snarled at them both, stomping off in annoyance as he blushed. Suddenly Bandit started drumming on the roof of a car, chiming in on the first verse.

"_I like Big Butts and I cannot lie, you other brothers can't deny…when Dingo's girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round thing in yo' face you get-"_

"_Sprung!"_ Trent and Dodge cheered as they attempted to carry out the infamous 'butt dance'.

Dingo gave him an evil look as Bandit continued, smirking. _"So fellas…"_

"_Yeah!"_ Trent and Dodge answered.

"_Fellas-"_

"_Yeah!" _

"_Has Dingo's girlfriend got the butt?"_

"_Hell yeah!" _Dodge and Trent echoed, dancing. The three all did their best to shake their 'thang' as Bandit carried on.

"_Shake it, shake It, shake it, shake it, Shake that healthy butt! Baby got back!"_

* * *

"Ugh, Holls!" Bonny whined as Hollie walked confidently ahead, almost flying across the mall. "Can we stop please? We've been shopping for _hours! _I need Maccas or _sumthin'_!"

"Suck it up, Bon!" Hollie dismissed, rolling her hazel eyes carelessly. She dragged Bonny along the busy mall walkway, her eyes scanning expertly for a store. Bonny wasn't exaggerating, they'd spent all morning looking at various and copious amounts of clothing from at least 30 different stores, but still Hollie wasn't satisfied. Tonight was the night for her time to 'shine', so to speak, and she had to look her best if she were to impress the guys. Bonny was less than impressed, she was happy with her favourite denim mini and blank tank top. "Ooo, this one!" She suddenly squealed, dragging Bonny into a nearby boutique. Bonny groaned in protest.

They stepped into the dress store, looking around at the various colours and materials that shone at them. The shop was big and well known, sporting dresses of all types- from short and sassy to long ball gowns. Hollie frowned in concentration and automatically headed to a rack of short dresses in satin material. She needed to look good for tonight, and to do that she'd need a whole new look.

"I don't understand why we have to be here." Bonny whined in annoyance and pouted as she reapplied her lip-gloss. She followed Hollie around the store, wrinkling her nose and widening her eyes at the various dresses Hollie picked up. "Ooo! That one!" She squealed, pointing at a short, skintight red number Hollie chose off the rack. Hollie rolled her eyes and put it back.

"Too bold." She dismissed, thumbing through the dresses again. "I told you, Bon. New Image!"

"What do you mean by new image?" Bonny muttered at her, frowning. "You mean you hope to get attention by dressing like a total prude?"

"No" Hollie said simply, judging on a gold dress. She shook her head and put it back. "Just not as…daring. We need something subtle, simple…innocent."

Bonny groaned as Hollie suddenly dove into the rack, suddenly pulling out a number of dresses and grinning proudly before making her way to the dressing room.

A couple of changing rooms away, Abby twisted her hands nervously as she pulled back the curtain and felt the two judging pairs of eyes watching her, more specifically her stomach. It was the fifth dress she'd tried on, and already she was seeing the entire expedition as fruitless. The first- a pale blue- was dismissed as 'too revealing'. The second -a deep olive green- 'too ugly'. The third- a pale pink- 'too cute' and the fourth- a satin red- 'too short'. She stepped out into her sister's watchful gaze and waited for the judgments to pile in about the navy blue knee length dress she was wearing.

"I don't like it" Cree dismissed, wrinkling her nose. "It will not go with the decorations at all. It has to match the bridesmaids and the bouquets."

"Of course" Shana agreed, scribbling something on her clipboard with her fluffy pink pen.

"And it's way too tight across the chest." Cree added and Abby sighed, watching the way her sister gazed at her, trying to find something else wrong. Cree blinked at her sister in mild amazement, her eyes wide. "Wow Abs, they say boobs get big during pregnancy but yours have _ballooned!"_

"Cree!" Abby hissed, her arms going to said chest. Her tanned cheeks flushed a deep pink as she glared at her sister. "Do you mind?! You're as bad as Mom while shopping!"

"I am not" Cree muttered, rolling her eyes. "I'm just sayin'…" She turned to Shana thoughtfully. "Shana, take note- bust size _up_."

Abby groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead. "Cree, I don't need this right now."

"Well I don't need this either!" Cree said defensively, looking at a couple of dresses nearby. "I should be getting my massage, pedicure and manicure- it comes with the pre-bridal package I bought myself- But instead I have to do it tomorrow because of _your_ dress."

"Well I'm _sorry _I'm such a _bother." _Abby snarled, her brown eyes flashing. "To think, a pamper package booked one day late."

The sisters glared at each other silently, their matching brown eyes flashing dangerously. Then Cree sighed, turning to Shana. "Shan, can you go and check out the purple dresses in the corner? They'll go with the bridesmaid dresses."

Shana nodded obediently and scampered off, leaving the two sisters alone in the changing room. Cree sighed guiltily, giving her sister an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Cree sighed, putting an arm around her. "I've just been hung up on how stressed _I _am…I can't imagine what it's like to be you at the moment." She bit her lip, giving her a careful look. "Are you okay? You look like you've been crying."

"I'm fine." Abby muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just a little stressed, that's all."

They looked over briefly at the girl who'd just entered the changing room, a slim tanned girl with shoulder length brown hair. She was nibbling on a Subway cookie as she guiltily looked around the room, trying to hide the food from the shop assistants so she wouldn't get thrown out. Cree turned back to her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm fine." Abby dismissed, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it."

Cree looked down at the discarded dress she was holding and threw it back on one of the chairs. She nibbled her bottom lip nervously as she looked back at her sister. She could hardly recognize her anymore; she'd grown up so much since they were children. Cree remembered how they used to fight any time they could, battling for reasons they'd long forgot. Cree promised herself that would never happen again, she'd always be there for Abby and Abby would always be there for her. She gazed into her little sister's face- her lost, downcast and slightly bloodshot brown eyes and her chapped, slightly trembling lips. Abby truly looked sad and stressed, she was far from fine.

"Listen, Abs." Cree sighed at her, nervously nibbling on her bottom lip. "Your chest isn't the only thing that's changing, and I don't mean that in a mean way."

Cree looked over at the giant floor-to-ceiling mirror that was a couple of feet away and Abby followed her gaze, looking at them both in the mirror. Cree's tall, model like slim figure was a lot like Abby's- only Abby was much curvier and a little shorter than her sister. Abby could see in the shape of the dress she was wearing, from the side, the evidence of a protruding baby bump. She drew in a sharp breath as her hand went to her stomach protectively.

"When are you going to tell Mom and Dad?" Cree asked her in a hushed voice. "You have to tell them sooner or later."

"Soon" Abby snapped, swallowing. "I just…I want to wait until I can change colleges."

"I can't believe you're running away." Cree told her sternly, growling. "The Abby I knew would never do this."

"Cree" Abby groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't need this, she felt bad enough leaving her friends behind, but she'd decided long ago that she couldn't tell them- especially Wally- what happened. "I can't."

"This baby" Cree muttered darkly. "It could just as easily be Wally's- you know that right?"

"Yeah" Abby snapped back. "And there's no way to tell until the baby's born, I know. But I can't put them through that…" She bit down hard on her bottom lip. "And even if it is Wally's, which I doubt, I wouldn't tell him."

Cree's eyes widened. "You wouldn't? Abby-"

"I wouldn't because he's happy." Abby muttered back defensively. "He's happy with Kuki, happier than he's ever been with me. No matter how much that hurts it's best for both of us if he just stays that way."

"And what about this other guy?" Cree asked, folding her arms. "Is he going to support you?"

"Dingo would if I let him." Abby muttered. "I don't want him involved."

"So what?" Cree growled. At the other end of the change room, both sisters were completely unaware that Hollie's hazel eyes were now watching them closely from behind her changing curtain. Bonny jumped at the mention of the name and spun around to the two girls. "You're going to leave him?"

"I don't want to…" Abby muttered, as the Subway cookie girl suddenly dived into a random change room. "But what else can I do? I can't keep this secret forever and I don't want to bring him down too."

…

"_That's Dingo's knocked up chick!" _Bonny hissed at Hollie as they hid in the change room. Hollie snarled at as she sprayed cookie crumbs all over her.

"_I know! Shutup!" _Hollie whispered back.

…

"Don't you love him?" Cree muttered, frowning. Abby looked down at the plush carpet.

"Of course." Abby sighed, realizing how much of a truth it was. "But, I have to put my baby first."

"I can't believe you're giving up everything for this baby." Cree told her darkly, narrowing her eyes. "What's going to happen in five years? You're going to have to give up complete contact with your friends, you know. You'd have some explaining to do if you came back with a toddler."

"I know, Cree!" Abby suddenly snarled, tears forming in her eyes. "I know, okay? I know." She sighed deeply, shaking. "I _know_ what kind of mess I've made, I _know_ what the consequences are, I _know_ what everyone will think, I _know_ what I'm getting myself into, I _know_ what I've _got _myself into, I _know_ what an idiot I am, and I just…I know, Cree." She looked up at her sister and sighed shakily. "I know."

Cree pulled her sister into a supporting hug, which Abby returned. They pulled apart, Abby sniffing slightly. Cree swallowed, putting an arm around her sister.

"How about you hang with me tonight?" Cree offered. "We could hang out, you know? De-stress. We can do pedicures, manicures, do our hair- anything you want!" She leaned in, smirking. "We can watch _Police Academy…_

Abby laughed, sniffing and wiping at her face. "Thanks, Cree. But maybe tomorrow…" She sighed. "I'm going clubbing tonight."

"Clubbing?" Cree echoed with disbelief, snorting. She gave her sister a dark look. "In your condition?"

"I'm pregnant Cree, not dead." Abby smirked back. "Besides, I only have a limited time before I have to act all motherly, I might as well have as much fun with my friends as I can now."

Cree smirked. "You got a point."

Both turned as they heard the excited squeal of Shana, who appeared waving a deep royal purple silk dress at them excitedly, beaming. "I have it Cree!" She squealed happily. "The perfect dress!"

* * *

"There!" Wally announced, holding his arms up in a 'victory' stance as he sat at his computer. Kuki looked up from his bed, where she was spread out reading a book. She smirked.

"You've done your essay?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No" Wally muttered, rolling his eyes. "I got to level 10 on Tetris." He rolled his computer chair backwards and proudly showed his girlfriend the flashing Tetris score on his laptop screen. Kuki's playful violet eyes narrowed as she gave him a lecturing look.

"Wally" She growled at him. "You're supposed to be working on your paper!"

"Well in my defence, I can't concentrate when there's a beautiful girl spread out on my bed." Wally smirked, giving his girlfriend a pout. Kuki blushed and threw a pillow at him.

"Get to work, you!" She scolded, laughing. "Or we can't go out tonight."

Wally groaned, opening his half-done paper on the computer with an irritated look. "I don't see why you're so excited about paying to get into some overcrowded, typical nightclub scene just so we can be shoved in a cramped room of other sweaty, grinding college kids." Wally scoffed and gave Kuki a wink from over his shoulder. "We could just stay in…"

Kuki smiled that radiant, natural grin he loved to see. It seemed to light up his dreary bedroom and sent a light tingle through his body. "Nice try." She scoffed at him. "I never turn down a party. Besides, I love hanging out with my group of friends."

Wally sighed loudly, turning back to his laptop and typing quickly. "I guess I'll have to accept the fact that I have to share you."

Kuki giggled, falling back onto his pillows. She rolled over onto her side, snuggling her face into her boyfriend's sheets. She decided on the spot she loved his room, it would have to be up there with her favourite places of all time. It smelt so much like him- a little like aftershave, spearmint, and that smell all guys seem to have. She loved his scent.

She frowned, looking across at his bedside table drawer, which was open slightly. Reaching in, she pulled out a faded photograph that seemed to have attracted her attention. It looked about 10 years old, and it was a picture of five friends- huddling and hugging together as they laughed. Kuki could barely recognize her own self in the centre, smiling with her arms around Wally- who was grimacing. She smiled as she stared at the five in the photo- Her, Wally, Nigel, Hoagie and Abby, laughing and clutching each other. It looked as though it was taken at Wally's house, by the pool. She smirked as she remembered that day.

"I found that the other day." Wally remarked as he watched her. "It's weird seeing it now…"

Kuki swallowed, putting it back in his drawer. "Times have changed, huh?"

"Yeah" Wally mumbled, returning to his typing. "Tell me about it."

Kuki sat up, frowning as she pulled her boyfriend's drawer open and pulled out a similar photo, but instead she wasn't in it. It was a picture of the gang, but looking much, much different. They were dressed up, the boys in tuxes and the girls in long, flowing dresses, all smiling and posing together for photos. Kuki's heart ached when she saw Wally in the centre with his arm around Abby. They were smiling, Abby looking beautiful in a sparkling navy blue dress and silver jewelry. Wally was dressed in a matching tie, looking gorgeous in a simple tux (yet his shirt was untucked). Nigel and Lizzie were beside them, Lizzie grinning widely and Nigel looking almost pained, but yet still grinning all the same. Rachel was on Abby's side, posing with Fanny and laughing. Hoagie was in between Nigel and Wally, his arm on each of their shoulders and posing for the camera. A bunch of other kids from school were with them, grinning at the camera- about 10 all together. The dresses, tuxes and corsages told her it was Junior Prom, and looking at Wally and Abby made her frown.

"You were Prom King." Kuki muttered out loud, looking at the matching crowns on Abby and Wally's heads. She didn't know how it sounded so unbelievable, in fact it made sense, but still Kuki was amazed.

"Hmm?" Wally muttered, looking up. "Oh yeah."

He went back to typing like it was nothing, but still Kuki couldn't look away from the photo in her hands. Everyone looked beautiful. Even Lizzie, in her tacky aqua blue dress and long white gloves, looked like a movie star. What hurt her most was the couple in the middle, the couple everyone was surrounding. They were picture perfection- a perfect couple, like a king and queen. The crowns proved it.

"You look so happy." She bit her lip, wishing that she hadn't found the stupid prom photo.

"Hn?" Wally looked over at Kuki, who was still hunched over, her eyes on the photo in her hands. "Well…" He shrugged. "It was a pretty fun night."

Kuki nodded, and Wally bit his lip awkwardly. "I still wished you were there, though."

Kuki gave him a small, watery smile as she put the photo back on his bedside table. "You couldn't have missed me all the time."

Wally rose from his seat and jumped on his bed, causing Kuki to fall back onto the bedspread. He hovered over her, grinning widely.

"You'd be surprised." He remarked, swooping down and giving her a kiss. She smiled at him as he lay down beside her, running his fingers through her hair. "You okay?"

"Yeah" She said back automatically, blushing. _How embarrassing…your boyfriend catching you getting upset over a photo! "_I'm fine."

He smirked, scooting closer to her and kissing her ear, causing her to giggle. "You sure?"

"Yeah" She mumbled, playing with the hem of her shirt. "I guess I'll just…" She sighed, looking into Wally's deep green eyes, which gazed at her. "I guess I'll just never forgive myself for…missing out on 10 years with you."

Wally smiled, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her neck. "You're back now…" He said into her ear. "And that's all that matters."

Kuki smiled, her heart lifting as she rolled over and kissed him. He kissed back passionately, running a few fingers down her face. The two embraced each other on his bed, Kuki taking in his scent and Wally taking in hers. Kuki gave him a sneaky kiss on the neck and pulled away, rolling off the bed and issuing him with a smirk.

"I better go." She grinned as he pouted at her. "I have to get ready for tonight, and you have a paper due." Wally sighed at her, pouting in annoyance.

"Fine" He groaned, but beckoned her closer. "But I need some writing inspiration."

* * *

Trent sat, cross legged and hunched, on the roof of his camaro. Bandit, who was beside him, sighed deeply. A plume of thick smoke escaped his pierced lips and swirled into the evening air. He passed the joint to Bandit, who accepted and sucked on it deeply.

Dodge leaned against the front door of the car, chewing on his bottom lip casually. He looked up into the sky, where streams of black, navy, orange and yellow littered the horizon. Stars were just beginning to litter the black night sky. He looked over at Dingo, who was tapping at his phone, dialing Abby's number one last time. Dingo could already tell she wouldn't answer, he just wanted to hear her voice on the voicemail again.

Of course, he wouldn't ever tell his mates this.

"Does anyone else get the feeling of Déjà vu?" Dodge asked openly. The three mumbled back agreements to this statement as Dodge turned to them, smirking and cracking open a bottle of beer.

"No answer" Dingo muttered, throwing his phone back onto the driver's seat.

"Typical." Trent scoffed, taking another drag. Dingo shot him a dangerous, but at the same time lazy look.

"Hey, Dude." Bandit suddenly said, frowning. "So if your chick's pregnant, that mean you're gonna keep it?"

Dingo frowned. "Yeah, course I am." He muttered. "Why wouldn't I?"

Bandit gave him a concerned, confused look. "So, you're gonna have a kid?"

"Yeah" Dingo scoffed, snickering. "That's basically what it entails."

"That mean you're gonna tell Jake?" Dodge suddenly asked, giving him an innocent look. Dingo glared at him.

"Shutup, Dodge."

"Are you gonna walk out on us?" Trent asked, frowning. "I mean, I heard kids are a lot of work."

"Nah" Dingo scoffed. "I'd never walk out on you guys."

"Maybe you would for _Abby." _Bandit teased playfully, sniggering. Dingo growled, unable to come up with a retort.

"Unless she wants to join us." Dodge smirked, cackling. "Think she'll be willing?"

"She'd be better than some…" Trent put in, grinning. He looked up, much like a dog does when he smells a live animal. "…Speak of the devil…s…"

The four boys looked over at the familiar sound of high heeled shoes clicking against the cement ground. A second later the two girls they had been waiting for appeared from around the corner, strutting towards them. They didn't look much different than the last time they saw each other- they were both heavily made up. Hollie's long dyed hair was out and straight, falling across her face and down her back neatly. Her eyes were heavily lined in dark black eyeliner and her face was plastered with pale foundation. Bonny was much the same, her eyes covered in electric blue eye shadow and her hair curled and waved. Both girls wore short dresses, newly bought. Bonny threw on her familiar sky blue skin tight dress that reached mid-thigh, and Hollie had chosen a short white dress, looking surprisingly tame with thick straps.

There was an awkward silence, where the boys looked at the pair up and down. Finally Trent broke the silence with a loud, stoned scoff.

"What are you supposed to be?"

Hollie pouted, folding her arms across her chest. "What?"

Dingo frowned. "You're wearing a white dress."

"You look a bit like an angel…" Bandit remarked, causing Hollie to beam. "You know like, a hooker dressed as an angel." Hollie's smile disappeared; instead she growled at him and flipped him off, her acrylic nails gleaming threateningly.

"Simple and innocent, right Holl?" Bonny snickered, grinning at her friend.

"Can we just get this over with?" Hollie snapped, walking forward towards the car. "I call shotgun!"

"Hell no!" Dodge glared at her. "I get shotgun!"

"I called it!" She pouted at him. They proceeded to wrestle for it while the rest looked on in mild amusement. Dingo rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette. They were wasting time…they'd be at the club by now.

Trent slid off the roof of the car calmly, landing beside Dingo. He looked over the deserted parking lot. It was closing time at the diner across the street, and he could just see the last of the employees walking out. He frowned as he saw a frail, slim figure emerge from the back door, walking under the light of the streetlamp. Her long blonde hair was out and messy, around her elbows. Her face was dainty and pale, from what he could see. She was still clad in her waitress uniform. She looked down as she walked…little things Trent seemed to notice, he could swear he remembered her from somewhere.

Then again, it might be the drugs talking.

"Trent!" Dingo called to him. "You comin' or what?"

"Yeah" Trent muttered, glaring at the girl who had disappeared around the corner. "I'm coming…"

* * *

Kuki gripped onto her boyfriend's hand tightly as he weaved around the crowds of people. She was so excited; her violet eyes were wide and awed at the club she had just entered. Rachel was behind her, wearing a bright peach sundress and gold jewelry. She was looking around the jungle of heads, trying to find her boyfriend. Her stomach was twisting and writhing with nerves. She couldn't believe what Lizzie showed her, and what it meant. Either way she had to face Nigel and ask him about it point blank, and she wasn't looking forward to it. Behind Rachel was Hoagie, trailing behind nervously. He'd infuriated Wally right before they left by taking an hour deciding what to wear. He anxiously thought about meeting his date, as he wasn't sure what to say or do, and if it didn't work out he feared what their friendship would be like.

Club Seven was everything Bandit promised Hoagie it would be- A bunch of people dancing around to loud music, half drunk and obnoxious looking for a one night stand. The lights were blinding, the music was deafening and there was hardly any personal space, but to Kuki it seemed a world of excitement and adventure. To Hoagie it appeared daunting, to Rachel it was just another club, for Wally it was just annoying. The music was blaring, lights were flashing and fellow college kids were dancing and grinding around them. Wally shouted over the blaring club music.

"They said they'd meet us by the bar!" He clenched onto Kuki's hand protectively and lead the group through the crowd to the bar at the other end of the club, where already a large crowd was gathering. Friday night was always the busiest night.

Kuki gripped her boyfriend closely, aware of all the eyes that seemed to be on him by various girls. Clearly, they were on the prowl tonight. Kuki was well aware that Wally was 'delicious', and he'd abandoned his orange hoodie for tonight and now showed off his muscular physique with a plain white shirt and jeans.

Wally was aware of this as well, he glared at any guy who seemed to check out his girl. He couldn't blame them for staring, however. His eyes came close to falling out of his head when he saw his girl all dressed up. She was wearing a cute lavender dress that fell to her knees and silver shoes. Her hair was up, exposing her sleek, elegant neck and shoulders. His eyes scanned the room carefully, suddenly noticing a flash of bright orange hair and heading over. Fanny was waiting nervously at the bar, her flaming red hair out and wavy, wearing an emerald green dress. She was waiting with the rest of the gang at a secure spot by the bar. Nigel and Abby were next to her, chatting over the music.

"Hey" Wally greeted, grinning at them. "Thought we'd never find you guys."

"You got here in one piece." Fanny smirked, her eyes quickly finding Hoagie's. He sidled up to her and put an arm around her waist, whispering something in her ear. Her freckled cheeks flushed a deep pink and she giggled in a very un-Fanny like fashion. Kuki grinned at them, holding her boyfriend's hand tightly.

Rachel's eyes travelled to her own boyfriend, who was still talking to Abby in a low tone. Rachel felt a flash of fear go through her body as she noticed her boyfriend's hand on Abby's upper arm. Abby nodded and whispered something back before the couple even realised Rachel was watching them. Nigel jumped and quickly greeted his girlfriend, flashing her a smile.

"Hey, Rach." He grinned. "How're you? You look great."

"Yeah" She muttered back, folding her arms. "Thanks."

Abby edged away from the scene as Nigel frowned in annoyance. She looked around at the happy couples glumly, realizing she was the seventh wheel. She sipped her mocktail anxiously, feeling totally out of place and self conscious. She'd realised upon putting on the dress Kuki had chosen for her that if she flattened the dress her bump showed ominously. She was concentrating on keeping the dress fluffed out at all times, hiding her growing stomach.

Kuki noticed the out of place girl and her violet eyes grew wide with concern. She reached out a hand and touched Abby's arm.

"Hey Abs" She gave her a wide smile. "You wanna come dance with us?"

Abby sighed, hearing the pity in Kuki's voice ring clear. "Yeah Kooks, I'm just-"

She suddenly froze, and everything and everyone in the club seemed to stop and grow quiet as she caught sight of a pair of green eyes from across the room. It wasn't just the eyes that caught her- it was that watchful, protective look in those emerald pupils. It was the shock of messy black hair and that black, tight shirt he loved to wear so much. From across the room of dancing bodies she saw Dingo, and he saw her. He smirked and disappeared. Abby could sense trouble.

"I just…need to go to the…bathroom." She finished, frowning. She hurriedly finished her drink and waved off Kuki's insistence that she can accompany her as she disappeared into the crowd. Kuki blinked, frowning. It was as if Abby had just disappeared into thin air.

"Where's Abby?" Wally suddenly asked her, snaking a muscular arm around her waist. Kuki sighed, leaning into his form.

"To the bathroom. I feel bad, Wally. She's the only one here without a guy."

Wally frowned, trying his best to shake off his guilt. "She could have had one if she wanted." He muttered, referring to the amount of guys who'd asked the newly single Abby out on a date. "Besides, she seems okay with it. Maybe she spotted someone she knew." He suddenly smirked. "Maybe she's got herself her own date."

* * *

Feeling at ease with the thumping, heavy club music Dingo easily pushed through the crowds of people, the guys and girls following him with ease. He grinned to himself as he thought of Abby, and what she must have thought when she saw him. She looked beautiful, as always, and when her big chocolate brown eyes had widened upon seeing him it reminded him of a doe- an innocent, precious doe. His grin suddenly turned into a frown as he thought of what effect this would have on the 'plan.' He didn't want Abby to know about the so called 'plan'. He didn't even want her to know he was associated with the two girls who were following him.

"Alright, Baby…" Hollie's obnoxious voice suddenly reached his ears and he winced at the stupid pet name she insisted on calling him. She sidled up to him, sucking on a lollypop. She smirked. "Where's the intended target?"

"Round here somewhere." He smirked back at her, his green eyes flashing. Back when they were in high school, they did this regularly- playing pranks and setting people up for further drama. It was a strange sort of thrill the whole group was still up for, and it was an obvious solution to the problem that had been bugging him- his stupid brother. "Settle down."

She sighed impatiently and leaned against him, swaying slightly to the music. A brief thought crossed Dingo's mind whether to push her off or not, but she was like an infuriating, buzzing mosquito that refused to leave until it had latched onto something. Besides, he needed her on his side at the moment.

"Okay guys" He managed to growl to the others, who were trailing behind casually. "We all good with the plan?"

Hollie nodded, eagerly licking her lollypop. Bonny grinned, her tongue between her teeth. Trent gave him a corny' thumbs-up' and Bandit nodded eagerly, half distracted by a bunch of college girls. Dingo swallowed, now anxious and paranoid.

"Right" He muttered, grabbing Hollie's arm and pulling her close. She obliged and moved closer to him, her grin widening. "You know what to do right? I want it done quickly." He looked down at her fiercely, his emerald eyes gleaming evilly as he moved through the crowd. He pointed out the target and Hollie nodded, her eyes on him.

"That's the guy?"

Dingo nodded. "Yep."

Hollie seized him up, licking her lips as she pulled the sweet out of her mouth and handed it to him. Her smirk matched his. "Piece of cake."

Dingo shook off that feeling of déjà vu as he instead sucked on Hollie's lollypop. "Hope so" He growled at her, folding his arms as he chewed on the stick fiercely. "Fetch."

* * *

Nigel chomped on his bottom lip anxiously as he eyed his girlfriend, who had barely uttered two words to him since she arrived. He could read the signs- the folded arms, stiff stance and the twisting of the lips. He could tell his girlfriend was angry about something…most probably him.

"Rach…" He said carefully, getting closer to her. "Are you alright?"

"Fine" She said stiffly, staring ahead. "Why do you ask?"

Nigel rubbed the back of his neck. "I dunno…" He shrugged. "You seem…distant."

Rachel twitched, and in one swift movement she'd whipped her head around to face him, an incredulous look on her face. Her hazel eyes were livid, and her bottom lip trembled. "You, Nigel Uno…" She hissed to him, loud enough for them to receive some surprised looks- "Are the distant one! You blew me off today and left me by myself so you could hang with some…" Her cheeks flushed as she tried to find the right word. "On-the-side attraction!"

She stomped off through the crowd, furious and upset. Nigel blinked in confusion before starting off after her. "Rach!" He yelled at her. She ignored him, attempting to get away. She was furious and tired, unsure of why she came to the club in the first place if she knew she would be faced with this. He grabbed her hand and she looked back at him, her eyes dewy.

"Rach" Nigel frowned at her his face full of concern. "What's wrong?"

* * *

Fanny shuffled her feet nervously, feeling awkward on an unfamiliar pair of black high heeled stilettos. She was so nervous, and kept finding herself chewing on her fingernails, her nervous habit. Hoagie looked absolutely drop dead gorgeous, always smiling, joking, being courteous and charming…and what was she? Some awkward childhood friend with a weird accent. She continued to catch various attractive girls checking Hoagie out and it automatically made her feel self conscious, especially when she felt Hoagie's own eyes were wondering.

"How's work?" She made a stab at a conversation as she sipped at her juice. Hoagie shrugged, gulping down his own soda.

"It's a'ight." He said back, shrugging. "Same as always- fixing cars…you know. It's a bludge most of the time."

Fanny blinked, pausing. "Uh…" She muttered, confused. "What?"

"A bludge." Hoagie repeated. "You know it's- Oh." He chucked, as if realizing what he'd just said. "Don't worry, it's nothing."

"Um…okay." Fanny mumbled, sighing. She was never any good at conversation, and it seemed to her that she was just digging herself a deeper grave with every stab at a conversation she attempted. Hoagie sidled up to her, his grin glowing against the dark lighting of the club.

"You wanna dance?"

* * *

Kuki laughed as Wally twirled her around on the floor, and he couldn't help but crack a smile as well. Usually he hated dancing of any kind, and he barely liked being out of the house or the club scene at all. But on the dance floor with Kuki seemed like his own sanctuary. Kuki looked beautiful, her silver dress whipping around her as she pranced innocently, not caring if she looked like an idiot or not. Her smile sparkled just like her dress seemed to, her raven black hair flowing beautifully with her body. She danced closed to him, close enough so he could smell her flowery, heavenly perfume. He couldn't stop chuckling with her as he twirled her around under his finger to the music and he pulled her against him. She wrapped her arms around his stomach and grinned at him widely, trying to catch her breath.

* * *

Dingo's eyes wondered around the club as he downed another shot of tequila easily, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. Trent sat moodily beside him, looking stiff and dangerous. His light charcoal coloured eyes were no longer wide and excited, instead they were hard, dark and solid. He scanned the room as well, as if targeting anyone who looked as though they were challenging him.

"Loosen up, man." Dingo grinned at his friend, nudging him. Trent barely moved, instead he just stared straight ahead. "What's up?"

"Nuthin'." Trent mumbled back, looking solemn. He frowned, as though working through a difficult problem. "I'm good."

Dingo smirked knowingly, his face relaxing as the alcohol flowed through his system. "Trent man" He scoffed, grinning. "I know you, dude. The only time you shut up is when you're up to something."

Trent bit down on his pierced lip, racking his brains to come up with a response. Dingo was one of the few people he could never cross; he always looked up to him even though there was never a big difference between them. He was loyal to Dingo no matter what, and if Dingo knew what he was thinking he knew he'd never hear the end of it. To avoid a massive lecture, ge gave his friend a reassuring grin back.

"Trust me, D." Trent smirked. "It's nothing."

Dingo frowned, and gave him a searching look as if judging whether or not to trust him. Before he could reply, Dodge appeared and Dingo immediately perked up.

"How's it goin'?" Dingo asked him, his expression suddenly becoming stormy. "I know that look. Something's up."

Dodge shook his head, his cinnamon coloured eyes looking across at the dance floor guiltily. "Nah…" He muttered. "It's not that, nothin' like that…it's just uh-"

"Well…?" Dingo asked, raising his eyebrows sarcastically. "Spit it out."

Dodge groaned, rolling his eyes moodily. "Abby's here."

Dingo scoffed, smirking. "I know, I saw her. She came with _him." _He growled in annoyance as he grabbed another shot. "Sucks, huh? But lighten up, man. I know she's here. She won't suspect anything-"

"It's not that" Dodge suddenly interrupted, folding his arms. He gave Dingo a knowing look, one that made Dingo cringe and drop his cocky demeanor. Without words Dodge nodded shortly to the dance floor and Dingo followed his movements. His deep, watchful green eyes scanned the club closely, through the dancing bodies and the flashing, colorful lights he could just see his girl in the middle- and a guy with his hands around her.

Within what seemed like a millisecond Dodge was simply blinking at empty air. Trent frowned, looking over at Dingo's retreating back as he disappeared from sight.

"Ace!" Dodge hissed in annoyance. "Don't do anything stupid! You don't want to mess up the plan! Dingo! Are you listening to me? Oi! Dingo I swear if you blow our cover-"

Dingo elbowed and pushed his way through the crowd, his eyes dangerous and his jaw set. All common sense and sensible thought seemed to have been ripped from his mind as he aimed for the girl that seemed to stand out above all the other people in the room. With ease he reached her, and with no further acknowledgement he grabbed her swiftly by the forearm and dragged her forward.

Abby's eyes widened, tottering forward as a sudden force seemed to sweep her away from the guy who'd been chatting her up. He'd picked her from the crowd randomly as she'd walked across the dance floor. He looked at her in alarm, his hand still outstretched.

"Um, uh…Sorry!" She managed to squeak before she was plunged into the crowds of people, sailing through with ease as the powerful hand that grabbed her made a clear path. She didn't even have to look her assailant, she knew who it was. She helplessly tried to pull him off with annoyance, growling at him as he pulled her off the dance floor.

"Dingo- would you- get- off me!" She hissed, narrowing her eyes. She pulled at her arm, growling. "For crying out loud-"

He stopped as they reached the back end of the club, where the limited light and quieter atmosphere made it much for private, and made it a better place for them to talk. Abby almost winced as she looked up into Dingo's face. She'd never seen him look so infuriated.

"_What" _He hissed, his voice a low, animal-like growl. "The _fuck _was _that?"_

Abby swallowed, straightening herself to full height and narrowing her eyes at him firmly. Both gazes were so powerful it was hard to tell who was winning.

"What are you talking about?" She asked back, her eyes stubborn. "And what's with the abduction?"

Dingo's hands became tight fists as he loomed over her powerfully, his handsome face contorted into a snarl. He glared at her, his muscular chest heaving. "_Abduction?" _He repeated, looking furious. He raised a finger and pointed it back to the dancing crowds. "That…That dickhead had his hands all over you! You were practically serving it up to him! What the Hell Abs? What's your Goddamn problem? What the fuck are you doing here?"

Abby looked up at him in alarm, her brown eyes widening as she matched his furious stance. "I can be here if I want!" She hissed back darkly, glaring at him. "What is _your _problem? Are you trying to get us caught?" She took a deep, shaky breath as she stared at him, beginning to falter under his enraged glare. His words stung. It was as if she had been caught cheating on him. She turned away before her pregnancy hormones went completely out of control and she began to cry. Dingo immediately grabbed her back, pulling her towards him.

"Let go of me!" She growled, pushing him away. He growled back, hugging her close and instead pushing her against the wall behind them. She fought back, attempting to push him away. He snarled and pushed against her, forcing her to lift her chin and look at him.

"Dammit, Abby." He growled harshly, grabbing her neck softly. She stiffened as his thumb ran along her jaw line. His intense gaze lowered to her body; eyeing the black dress she was wearing. His favourite dress. He stiffened, drawing in a shaky breath as he looked back into her teary face. He weakened, pushing his forehead into hers and swallowing. Abby knew his fury had completely diminished. "You…you're killing me."

Abby swallowed, trying her best to hold in her tears. "I…I'm sorry." She choked out. She closed her eyes as she felt Dingo's cheek brush against hers as he buried his face in her hair. She raised a feeble hand and ran it down his arm. A few tears travelled down her cheeks. Dingo embraced her tightly, as if afraid to let her go. Abby let him, grateful for the loving embrace.

"_You're mine, Abs." _He whispered into her ear as he held her. _"All mine…nobody else's."_

Abby nodded, her eyes half closed peacefully as she relaxed in his grip.

Dingo suddenly froze, blinking as he realised the situation he was in. He'd been so impulsive on getting Abby out of a handsome stranger's clutches he'd completely forgotten the delicate plan he'd thought up. He cursed silently and let her go reluctantly, looking sheepish.

"You gotta get out of here Abs." He scowled, looking venomous. Abby frowned at him.

"Why?" She said suspiciously.

Dingo clenched his fists angrily, growling. "'Cuz I said so, that's why!"

Abby scoffed. She was never the one to take orders, always the stubborn and prideful one she considered it ludicrous for her to take demands from Dingo. He had no _real_ authority over her. "Yeah, Dingo." She scoffed, raising her eyebrows. "Sure."

Before she had a chance to turn Dingo gripped her arm firmly in his grip and growled at her. Abby glared at him, just as ferocious.

"I don't think you understand what I'm saying" He snarled at her lowly, growling in her ear. "You have to leave."

"I don't think you understand what I'm saying." Abby retorted, pulling away. "I'm staying."

"Abby" He snarled menacingly. She stood her ground. "I say you have to leave, even if it means dragging you out of here!"

Abby blinked at him and frowned, examining the fierce and stubborn expression on his face. His fists were clenched and his muscles tensed. He looked as though he was ready to do that exact promise if he had to, but still she refused to back down. She sidled up to him and raised her head so she was looking directly into his eyes. Her face broke into a cocky smirk.

"_Do it then."_ She dared him.

* * *

Fanny carefully padded her flushed cheeks carefully with her makeup sponge, smoothing out the flesh coloured cream she'd smeared onto her face. Her hair was slightly damp with sweat and her lips were dry and chapped from laughing and talking. As she gazed at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but smile at her reflection. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so hyped up, excited and happy. Her pulse was racing, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were wide and bright. Her cheeks slightly ached from smiling too much. Hoagie and Fanny were never the best dancers around, but that didn't stop them from having a blast as they laughed and stumbled all over the club, dancing to the music while Kuki and Wally giggled at them.

Fanny grinned stupidly at herself in the bathroom mirror as she reapplied her mascara. Things were finally looking up, she was finally happy. Kuki was standing beside her at the sink, fluffing out her hair. Her porcelain cheeks were tinted with a deep pink and her bright violet eyes were wide and gleaming with excitement.

The door opened and Rachel walked in. Fanny gave her a friendly grin as she took her place next to her at the sinks.

"Hey you" Fanny said, swallowing. "What's up?"

Rachel shook her head in reply, her face solemn as she spread some gloss over her lips. "Don't worry" She sighed. She combed a few fingers through her hair as she twisted her lips, as if thinking. "Hey girls…"

"Yeah?" She looked up, as did Kuki.

"Do you believe…" Rachel frowned, her hazel eyes gazing into her reflection. "In…_'once a cheater, always a cheater_?'"

Fanny frowned, stuffing her makeup back into her clutch. "I dunno" She said truthfully, shrugging. "I've never really…you know, had that dilemma." She turned to Rachel. "Why? You think Nigel is cheating on you?"

Rachel didn't respond, she only lifted her slim shoulders half-heartedly. Kuki acted as though she couldn't hear the two girls, she just busied herself with her cherry flavored lip moisturizer. She didn't know what to think or what to say. Technically Wally cheated on Abby to be with her…what did that mean?

"I wouldn't count Nigel as a cheater, Rach." Fanny said, smiling reassuringly. "You guys were only dancing together when Lizzie started that fight. Nigel never really cheated on Lizzie."

"Yeah" Rachel muttered, swallowing. She forced a smile and chewed her tongue thoughtfully. "Yeah, you know…I was just wondering, really."

Fanny gave her a small smile, as she could recognize her friend's troubled expression anywhere. "C'mon..." She grabbed her hand. "Let's go dance, just us girls."

* * *

"Lighten up, Uno." Hoagie smirked at his bud as he gulped down a beer at the bar. Nigel gave him a dark look and looked back down. Both Wally and Hoagie had noticed the Brit looking as though he was at someone's funeral. To cheer him up, they'd bought him a drink (thanks to Hoagie's trusting grin) that he'd left untouched.

"Something's up with Rach." He muttered darkly, frowning. Wally and Hoagie shot each other a look and shrugged, thinking it best if their friend drowned in his own pity. Wally sipped at his drink, his head becoming much more buzzed and clouded as the alcohol slowly swum through his system. He chuckled, a goofy grin already gracing his handsome face.

"How's Kuki?" Hoagie asked him, winking slyly. "Having…fun?"

"Yeah, Man." Wally nodded, taking another gulp of his drink. ""It's going really great. How's you and Fanny?"

Hoagie smirked sheepishly. "Great." He was walking on air, so to speak. He and Fanny were getting on like a house on fire. She was one of the prettiest girls in the club, and she was all his.

"Hey!" The three girls made their way over, each grabbing the other's hands so they wouldn't lose each other within the crowds. Rachel still looked solemn, but still managed to have a smile on her face. Kuki and Fanny were beaming as they made their way over, giggling and waving.

"We're gonna go find Abby" Kuki yelled over the music. A new song was starting, and upbeat Pop number by the Veronicas that she knew. She gave Wally a quick kiss and whispered how they'd be back. In a flash they'd disappeared within the crowds, weaving around the masses of people looking for Abby.

* * *

Abby refused to drop her gaze, as did Dingo. His deep, fierce emerald pupils gazed into her determined, solid chocolate ones for what felt like hours before he finally blinked, looking reluctantly to the ground and back into her face.

"What are you even doing here?" Abby asked, narrowing her eyes with suspicion. "What are you up to? You want me out of the way for something."

Dingo froze, his mind working furiously. Only his father could look into his face and see past that cool, calm exterior he always showed. Abby could see his guilt, panic and tactics. She could almost see the sick bastard within him, and the thought made him stutter.

"W-what?" He choked, being swallowing and composing himself. "I'm not doing anything Abs, I just object to my pregnant girlfriend walking around something as dangerous as a bar."

Abby swallowed. "I'm not your girlfriend." She muttered. "I told you it's over."

Dingo gave her a look, a wide eyed innocent look that was matched with his sweet smile. He sighed, cupping her chin in his hand before she had the chance to object.

"Babypie…" He cooed into her face, smiling. "You're having my baby. It isn't over until I say it is."

Abby pushed him roughly, stepping away before she sobbed on him, jumped on him or kicked him where the sun doesn't shine. She couldn't help sometimes but feel totally under his power whenever he was near, he was just so dominant, so robust that she couldn't help but want to melt into him, do whatever he says. It was one of the reasons she fell so hard for him. But now she was pregnant, she had another responsibility besides her libido. She had a baby to look after. She had to be strong.

Dingo frowned as she walked away, and his arms automatically made a grab for her, pulling her back to him. She shook him off, frustrated and furious. With a low growl he seized her gently around the stomach and pulled her tightly to him, turned her face and kissed her.

Abby felt as though she was melting, about to collapse in a blaze of fire and passion. Her cheeks flushed and everything seemed to slow down as their lips met. His kiss was hard and lustful, his teeth scraping against her lips as he hugged her tighter and closer to his body. He pulled her face closer, his tongue slipping in and fighting for dominance. Abby closed her eyes as she felt her legs go weak, her knees shake as they kissed, occasionally drawing in a rushed breath before going in for more. She tasted rum, coke, spearmint, lemon- a tangy mix of sour and sweet. She tasted warm and sugary- sweet tastes of chocolate, vanilla and coffee.

With a gasp she finally broke the spell he'd cast on her and she pulled away, breaking from the trance. She blinked and pulled out of his grip weakly, stumbling into the crowds of people. Still awed by her presence he was slightly dazed, blinking in alarm as he found she was no longer in his grip. He growled and followed her, but Abby had already run into the one place he couldn't follow her. The ladies room.

* * *

"Oi! Dodge!"

Dodge weakly managed to tear his awed gaze away from the redheaded girl in the emerald dress and look at Trent, who was giving him a cocky grin.

"You right there?"

"I'm fine." Dodge growled defensively, finishing his beer.

Trent gave him a knowing look and returned to his own drink. Nearby, Bonny and Hollie were waiting patiently amongst the crowd, swaying and jumping to the loud music. Dingo had disappeared, so Dodge was waiting for an opportune moment for the prank to take place. Dodge slammed his empty bottle on the table and looked towards the bar, where three familiar guys were standing by idly. He sighed.

"Now's probably good." Dodge muttered to the girls, who instantly perked up. A sly smile spread over Hollie's face and Bonny giggled to herself. "Try not to be too _conspicuous."_ He added with a low growl.

"Yeah yeah" Bonny remarked, laughing. "Always paranoid, right Dodge?"

"Just like old times…" Hollie smirked, and with that they pushed through a gaggle of people and made their way over to the bar just as a new song started."Brace yourself, Bon." She grinned. "We're going in for the kill."

* * *

Nigel sat glumly by himself and hardly looked up as he felt someone sitting beside him. He suddenly looked over as he saw a glimpse of blonde hair and lightly tanned skin…soft lightly tanned skin. He swallowed.

"Hey Rachel"

"Hey Nigel" She looked down at the bar, meekly tapping her fingers against the hard surface. She swallowed nervously before casting her boyfriend a nervous glance out of the corner of her eye.

"Weren't you dancing with the rest of the girls?" Nigel asked, raising an eyebrow. Rachel shrugged.

"I thought I'd sit with you instead." She mumbled, swallowing.

Nigel nodded, and the pair slipped into another deep, awkward silence that was only broken by the now pounding dance music around them. Rachel bit down on her bottom lip, thinking back to when she was only 10 years old, and the only highlight of her day at the moonbase was seeing the bald British leader on the screen, adjusting his sunglasses importantly and telling her about the latest update. She loved his voice, his authority, everything he did seemed logical and perfect. Sometimes she'd get lost in a daze and completely forget Sector F were under attack, just because she was thinking about Nigel Uno.

Had the times completely changed?

"Nigel…" She finally sighed. "Would you ever cheat on me?"

Nigel looked up in alarm, his face troubled and his eyes worried. "No" He said, his voice so strong and firm Rachel was straight away filled with guilt at doubting him in the first place. He growled. "I would never cheat on you, Rachel. You're everything to me. Why would I want to give that up?"

Rachel swallowed, her face now glowing a bright red. "It's just…" She broke off, already regretting what she was about to say. "I saw a picture today…of you and…Abby…kissing and I-"

"What?" Nigel's face was stormy, and he seemed to bristle with anger. "Me and Abby never kissed…I mean, I saw her today and gave her a peck but she was upset and it was just as friends!" He stiffened, turning back to the bar. "Jeese, Rachel."

Rachel swallowed, blushing guiltily. "Look…" She sighed quietly as she spoke. "I just…I'm paranoid okay? And you just have to accept that about me… My last relationship…it left me a little scarred after my first boyfriend cheated on me." She twisted her hands together, a few tiny drops of tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry I'm such a bitch."

Nigel turned, and his heart automatically swelled with love for the girl beside him. She looked so sad, but yet so beautiful in the dimmed lights. Her hair, wavy and soft, fell to her shoulders, shaping her heart shaped face. Her hazel eyes were wide and warm, already filled with tears. He sighed, unable to be angry with her even slightly. As he watched her, a tear ran down her cheek and dripped into her lap. Without words, he cupped her face with both hands and brought her into a passionate kiss.

* * *

Hollie and Bonny worked their way through the crowd, stopping as they spotted the two men by the bar, chatting and laughing together. As the new song blasted through the club they began to dance, not taking their eyes off them. They knew the "sticky eyes" technique was virtually 100% reliable.

_The lights are out and I barely know you  
We're going up and the place is slowing down  
I knew you'd come around_

The two girls began to dance and sway, closing their eyes and smiling as they moved their bodies to the beat of the music. They were drawing a lot of attention, but they kept their eyes on the target. They mouthed the words of the song, the music fitting the two girls perfectly.

_You captivate me, something about you has got me  
I was lonely now you make me feel alive  
Will you be mine tonight?_

Wally looked over at the two girls a couple of feet away. A bodacious redhead and her slender brunette friend. He couldn't ignore their gaze, it was as their eyes were glued to him and Hoagie, who was gawking at them not so subtley.

_Take me on the floor (dadada da dadadada)  
I can't take it any more (dadada da dadadada)  
I want you, I want you, I want you to show me love_

The redhead's hazel eyes were wide, deep and mischievous as she eyed him, winking and smirking shyly before looking away, only to look back. She was beautiful, as any guy could plainly see, and she was watching him so intently he couldn't ignore her. She moved her curvy body to the music, mouthing some words as she swayed her hips, waist and chest, her long hair flowing behind her.

_Just take me on the floor (dadada da dadadada)  
I can give you more (dadada da dadadada)  
You kill me, you kill me, you kill me with your touch_

The other girl, the brunette with the chopped, shoulder length hair, was eyeing Hoagie as she danced closely with her friend. They seemed to whisper and giggle at each other as they watched the two, who seemed to be spellbound into silence. The brunette moved her hands over her body sensually, never taking her eyes off of the lean, brown haired boy. The redhead was the first to move as she took a step towards them, licking her lips.

_My heart is racing as you're moving closer  
You take me higher with every breath I take  
Would it be wrong to stay?_

Both (taken) boys watched, frozen, as the two hotties moved closer to them, their eyes ready and their faces set- sexy smirks on their faces. Hollie approached them, with a walk that drove any guy crazy, and nervously chewed on her bottom lip. She played with the tiny silver chain around her neck as she looked downcast, approaching her target with a nervous, shy demeanor that no guy could resist. She pouted at him as she pushed her body to him, trapping the blonde Aussie against the bar. She smiled and somehow Wally found his hand gripping hers loosely. She pulled, and he numbly followed. This was all happening too fast.

"Dance with me…" He thought he heard her say.

_One look at you and I know what you're thinking  
Time's a bitch and my heart is sinking down  
You turn me inside out_

Wally frowned with confusion as he found himself back on the dance floor, amongst the other dancing and grinding couples. Hoagie and the brunette were beside him, but he barely noticed. His eyes were on the redhead, and the numb, sharp thought entered his head. Kuki. He resisted, but her grip suddenly tightened and she wound an arm around his hard body. Her gaze was powerful and trusting as she gave him a slick, sugary sweet smile. She danced, innocently and sweetly, but her look was still powerful and dominating. Wally stiffened with nerves as he found the strange girl get closer and closer with every sway of her hips.

_Take me on the floor (dadada da dadadada)  
I can't take it any more (dadada da dadadada)  
I want you, I want you, I want you to show me love_

All through the chorus, her eyes never left his face, her hands never left his body. She lay a hand on his chest, heading lower and lower. Out of the corner of his eye Wally noticed the brunette and Hoagie were incredibly close, her fingers gripping the collar of his t-shirt protectively.

_Just take me on the floor (dadada da dadadada)  
I can give you more (dadada da dadadada)  
You kill me, you kill me, you kill me with your touch_

Wally swallowed, trying to regain of what was left of his common sense. The music changed, became louder, pumping and throbbing in his head. He was faintly aware of the redhead's hands, she was everywhere, her eyes, her lips, her chest… It was a blur as she and the brunette suddenly danced closer together.

_I wanna kiss a girl  
I wanna kiss a girl  
I wanna kiss a boy  
I wanna ..._

The brunette and redhead danced together seductively before returning to their chosen boys, gripping them close again. The two boys were stunned, mesmorised by the two girls. Wally faintly tried to tug away. This wasn't right, this wasn't innocent. He knew the look in her eyes. Wally looked around the club with worry, looking for a life preserver to grab onto. The girl's hands slid around his torso, his back, his shoulder blades…he froze, her hands sending nerves jolts through his body.

_I wanna kiss a girl (do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya)  
I wanna kiss a girl (do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya)  
I wanna kiss a boy (do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya)  
I wanna kiss a (kiss a, kiss a, kiss a)_

Suddenly, time seemed to stop as the music did. The redhead was close, closer, way too close as her hands trailed his neck, her arms eventually finding home around his neck as she drew him closer, those intense eyes, those plump lips, she held him close as he frowned in confusion. She pulled his lips to meet his.

_dadada da dadadada  
dadada da dadadada  
dadada da dadadada…_

Wally froze, his heart in his throat as he was vaguely aware of her tongue swirling around his mouth, swiftly and quickly with expertise. He pulled away, her arms still firmly around his neck. She opened her eyes, her lips curling into a smile as she mouthed the word just in time with the music.

"_Oh"_

Wally's eyes widened with fear as Holly drew him in for another kiss, this time she completely lost her seductive demeanor and threw herself onto him, her legs firmly latching around his hips and her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders as she kissed him, her lips locking onto his. A few feet away, two girls stopped dancing to stare, their mouths open in shock and horror. A pair of violet eyes widened, and her breath quickly escaped from her lungs.

_Take me on the floor (dadada da dadadada)  
I can't take it any more (dadada da dadadada)  
I want you, I want you, I want you to show me love  
Just take me on the floor (dadada da dadadada)  
I can give you more (dadada da dadadada)  
You kill me, you kill me, you kill me with your touch_

Wally pulled away from the girl and she gazed at him, dazzled. A wide smile spread across her face as she clung onto him. Wally stared back at her in shock, her face completely broke into a joking laugh, her eyes gleaming.

"_Damn…"_ She whispered to him. A foreboding shiver travelled down Wally's spine. She leaned forward, her eyes boring into his own. "You're as delicious as your brother."

"What?" He choked out. Amongst everything- the song, the dancing, the people- he heard one noise that made him completely stop. The sound made his heart stop and leap into his throat. He wanted to vomit as he turned to that sound. The sound of his own girlfriend sobbing. He turned, his hands still on Holly's hips, and saw Kuki standing amongst the crowd, her violet eyes completely lost as she gazed at her boyfriend across the dance floor. She let out a choked sob as the tears ran down her face, her violet eyes wide and pleading. In a split second she'd run, leaving Wally with the strange girl still clinging to him. He pushed her off and ran after the love of his life, his heart heavy with deep regret and fear of losing his one true love.

Fanny looked on, her heart sinking as she saw her date, a brunette's arms wrapped around his neck and her tongue down his throat. She found she couldn't look on anymore, seeing Hoagie barely notice her as she looked on, and she followed Kuki's distressed steps into the bathroom.

Abby's mouth fell open as she watched the scene from the other side of the club. Having saw everything, she was amazed at how quickly it had all happened. The two girls, all over the two boys. They had no chance to even think, to even consider what they were doing, when suddenly Fanny and Kuki had approached them at exactly the wrong moment. Abby watched the two girls, both beautiful, curvy girls- one with red hair and one with brown hair. They had been so strategically poised, so prompt and precise. They'd planned it all. And Abby knew it. She saw the brunette break away from Hoagie, disappear into the crowd. She saw her follow the redhead, right into the back of the club. She switched her gaze to the bathroom, where Kuki and Fanny had hidden. She saw Rachel and Nigel meet the boys, rushed and questioning looks on her faces. The two girls had disappeared into the back of the club.

Abby swallowed. All Hell had broken loose within one song. It had all happened in front of her. She frowned, watching the two girls disappear from the scene as if they had disappeared into thin air. All in one quick second, two girls had knocked out two relationships with one hard blow. Abby growled, her hands becoming tight, enclosed fists.

And Abby knew who was behind it.

* * *

;) You know what to do


	11. Chapter 11: Showdown

_Heyyyy Guys! :D_

_I know, it feels like it's been ages! Well let me tell ya, I have some very reasonable excuses! Try a bout of writer's block, add 6 assignments (all due within a fortnight of each other) and add my P's test (!), as well as work AND school- AHH! _

_Well, this chapter was orginally 25,000 words long, but I trimmed it in half so I could make the second part better :D I hope you enjoy this one, it feels like I haven't been writing for AGES so I feel a little rusty :S Anyways, let me know! :)_

_This chapter's a little dark, very little romance involved (yet...I still managed to squeeze some in) And I feel it's way too short... but the next chapter will probably be up much quicker as I already have it basically typed out, I just need to edit it and think about where my story's heading...I don't want too much going at once...then chapters will end up 50,000 words ;)_

_Anyways...ENJOY! :D_

_*FANFARE!*_

_Foxy-chan09: OOoo! Thanks :D *blushes* _

simi838: _Lol you're reviews are always so fun to read :D I hope you actually like my update. Gosh, wouldn't want to disappoint! :| Enjoy, ma Aussie mate ;)_

_itsaDoggyDogworld: Lol, sometimes i can't resist a good cliffy! I hope the suspense was worth it :P and worth the wait! 9 Months should be out soon, I'm really getting fussy about that one :S hope you enjoy!_

Starlight Kittycat: _Hehe, I'm glad you like Dingo's gang, because I know how yawn-worthy some OCs can be :D I hope you like the update :)_

_mel: Aw thanks :D I hope this one's just as good! Hope you like it :)_

sstoons3425: _Lol, I did create him to be evil *evil laughter* but I can't help but show a soft side in him *sigh* Gotta love Abby as my superwoman, loved writing her in this chapter :D I hope you like it (:_

Kameko-Lullaby: _Hehe, I shall teach you, master, when you teach me how you come up with those awesomely written cute one-shots you do with Kuki and Wally ;) I actually tried to do a one shot but...I write too much! Argh, I can't end it :S I am not good at endings...maybe that's why I'm good at suspense? Lol. Hope you like the update :D_

TheNocturne: _Aw! Thank you!! :P You are too kind (: I hope you like this chapter! :D _

hellopandaluver: _Hehe! Thankies! I love your reviews, they make me want to jump around with excitement just reading them! :D I hope you like this chapter ;) Let me know what you think!_

Katie: _Really? You like my fluff? Wow, I don't think I'm really good, so thank you! :D I've been practising! ...not much fluff in here though ;)_

Laurie43: _Hehe, I'm glad you like my humour. I had to admit I was giggling when I wrote that...probably because of the image I got in my head :D I LOVE your long reviews :D they are oh-so fun to read, I hope you like this chapter! (:_

* * *

A muscular boy of 19 was leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom doors pathetically, his head lowered and his long blonde hair drooping into his face. He was frozen with emotion, the night's events playing and replaying in his mind. He didn't know how this happened, how he got there; all he knew was that it was his entire fault.

Nigel Uno stood next to him stiffly, his arms tightly folded across his chest and his dark eyes eyeing the blonde Aussie dangerously. He bit down on his bottom lip firmly as the two stood silently in the bustling hallway of the club, listening to the faint club music thumping and throbbing faintly behind them. Behind them in the club, people were still laughing, dancing, drinking, and having a good time. It was then that the overwhelming, hopeless guilt washed over Wally as he leaned against the wall glumly, his lips still moist from the redhead's passionate kiss.

Nigel cleared his throat slowly, trying to break the awkward silence he and his friend shared between them.

"What the fuck-" He finally said, "Were you thinking?"

Wally looked up. His deep, gloomy emerald eyes gazing through the blonde strands of his hair as the club lights illuminated and danced around them. The pounding beats of the sound system thumped loudly, sending pulses through the walls and through the two boys' bodies. He swallowed hard, looking back to the dance floor where this whole disaster seemed to unfold in one quick kiss.

"I-I…Dude!" His eyes closed in one quick movement and opened again, but still all he could see amongst the flashing lights was Nigel's fierce glare. "It…It meant nothing! I never- look, she…that chick- she just came at me! I would never cheat on Kuki! You-You saw it right?"

"I saw you with your tongue down some chick's throat." Nigel corrected solemnly. He raised his eyebrows. "Is that close to what happened?"

"No!" Wally pushed himself off the wall furiously, his fists clenched as the white hot anger burnt through his chest. "She…she set me up for it! She was…" He shook his head, his wild blonde hair swishing around his face. "She…she said something about…my brother…and then disappeared." He ran a hand through his hair, thoughts thumping through his head at a million miles an hour. "She just…she caught me out! She wouldn't let me go! She forced me…on-onto her! She wouldn't let me go and I…." His frown deepened. "My brother-"

Nigel shook his head gently, his brown eyes deep with concern as he cut into his friend's rambling. "Wally, what the Hell are you talking about? What you need to concentrate on is Kuki, not Joey or whatever-"

Wally looked up, his green eyes locking with Nigel's own brown ones. Nigel's own voice froze on his lips as he stared into Wally's face- that fierce, dark look in his eyes, the way his jaw locked, his expression beyond dangerous.

"Not_ Joey_" He snarled under his breath. "Dingo."

* * *

Rachel watched with immense shock as she stared at the two girls in front of her, completely torn at which one to tend to. Kuki's girlish, shaky sobs as she cried and blubbered over the sink loudly, or Fanny's quiet, depressed tears that gently slid down her face every couple of seconds. Rachel stood between her two friends, unsure of what comforting words to blurt out.

"Girls…" Rachel began weakly, swallowing. She reached out her hands to the two girls. "Girls…it'll be okay, you know it may not have been what it seemed-"

"It was" Fanny suddenly snarled, her voice a low, shaky growl. She looked up, her face and eyes red and blotchy from tears, and she sniffed. "I saw…my own date…lip-locking with some random... _whore_."

At this point Kuki began to cry louder, and even Fanny's dangerous look softened as she looked over at her heartbroken friend. Fanny didn't know what to think, or how to feel. She was furious, of course, and stung at the fact her 'dream' date with Hoagie had barely lasted 2 hours before he'd locked lips with some skinny brunette. Fanny had automatically found herself tearing up.

She swallowed, looking at the sobbing girl beside her. Fanny wasn't that girl, she was never that girl. She was the strong one, the determined, unbreakable one. She sniffed back her tears and looked back into the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed and blotchy, her eyes were bloodshot and her makeup was smudged. She quickly began to fix it, rubbing off the smudged mascara and applying a new layer of blush to her cheeks.

Kuki looked up as well, but winced at the reflection that stared back at her. Seeing herself break and cry at the hands of a boy just made her feel more and more pathetic. She couldn't believe it; she just couldn't even comprehend what she saw. Flashes of her and Wally together appeared in her memory with the new vision of replaying in her head.

_She weaved through the crowd of people, swaying to the beats that were playing on the stereo. She grinned to herself as her friends followed her, laughing and joking. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so accepted, so connected with her friends. She couldn't keep the smile off her face. _

_She looked up._

_Amongst the crowds of people, in the midst of the flashing club lights and throbbing music, squeezed between other dancing couples was her boyfriend. It couldn't be, but it was. His strong, protective arms were wrapped around another girl, her slender and curvy body pressed against his. Kuki frowned, her heart suddenly stopping within her chest. The girl was way too close to her boyfriend, Wally's emerald eyes were watching her closely…they were getting closer…_

A fresh wave of tears flooded down her cheeks as Kuki remembered. She remembered the exact moment when that girl's lips had met her boyfriends, the love of her life's tongue locking with another's. She remembered that feeling of betrayal, and it seemed to seep into her and suck her dry. She began to cry again, her chest shaking and trembling with sobs.

* * *

Abby was far from tearful, she was on the warpath. She cut through the crowds like a duck through water, her chocolate eyes narrowed and her face set. She wasn't sure whether it was the pregnancy hormones or general stress, but she felt like wringing someone's neck, and she wasn't afraid to do just that. She was so concentrated on heading for the exit; she barely noticed when she ran into Hoagie, who was miserably drowning his regrets in a glass of bourbon. He looked around awkwardly before returning to his drink, the strange brunette on his mind. He suddenly frowned, staring across at the slumped figure beside him.

"Dodge?"

Dodge jumped, a few drops of tequila landing on the wooden bar counter. His large blue eyes widened before looking over cautiously at the voice beside him. He gripped his tumbler as he swallowed.

"Oh…" He mumbled awkwardly. "Hey Hoagie."

Hoagie frowned, his light blue eyes watching his co-worker carefully. It seemed weird for Dodge to be the one hunched over at the bar. "What are you doing here?" He finally asked suspiciously. Dodge bit down on his lip, quickly attempting to think up an excuse over the thumping of the club music. He really didn't want to tell his co-worker the real reason he was here.

_Oh yeah, _He thought to himself, _I'm just on the lookout, you know? I'm keeping an eye on these two girls- one's my ex, you might have seen her…you were pashing just before..._

"Eh…" He swallowed nervously. "Ya know…break from work."

"I hear that." Hoagie mumbled, his gaze lowering to his beverage. Dodge turned, anxious to find a way to slip away unnoticed. The truth was he felt low, lower than low. These pranks they used to play when they were teenagers didn't have the same thrill as they once did. Dodge saw the whole scene unfold before him. The so-called plan worked, Hollie got her target, just as Dingo wanted her too. Once again Dingo received happiness at another's sadness. But Bonny… she was just doing it for fun.

Dodge bit his lip as he looked over at Hoagie- his chin in his hands, the lost look in his eyes. Bonny targeted him, just as she'd targeted Dodge all those years ago. Dodge had seen it, and automatically the feeling of guilt followed. He took another deep gulp of his drink and looked up from the bar. Amongst the crowd of still dancing clubbers, Bandit was beckoning him over, a sly, drunken grin on his face. Dodge groaned lowly, rising from his post and giving his friend an apologetic look.

"Gotta go…" He mumbled, swallowing as he walked by. He turned back to Hoagie. He couldn't ignore the lost, pathetic look on the young guy's face. Dodge couldn't ignore the guilt, the knowing feeling lodged deep in his stomach that he'd caused it. Well, Bonny had…but Bonny was his ex, and therefore he felt it his responsibility to _control_ her, not set her loose. "I'll…I'll see ya later, ay?"

"Yeah" Hoagie mumbled. "See ya."

Dodge disappeared into the crowds towards where his crowd was hanging around near the front door. He cringed as he felt a headache coming on.

* * *

Hollie skipped ahead happily in her stilettos, wrapping her fingers around Dingo's upper arm tightly and snickering in his ear. She stood on the tips of her toes to reach.

"So…" She grinned widely as Dingo felt her hot breath snake into his ear. "Did I do good, Baby?"

Despite his she-devil of an ex clinging to his arm, Dingo smirked. His lips curled into a devilish grin as the group made their way out of the club, walking along the brick wall of the club to the car. It was a relief that the group hadn't lost their 'touch', they still managed to pull of evil pranks every now and then when they felt like it. It took him back to high school days- where they were free to do whatever they wanted.

"Yeah" He muttered, rolling his eyes. "You did good. Want a gold star?"

"I wouldn't mind one…" Hollie said silkily. She slid a finger into her cleavage and pulled out a rolled up cigarette, placing it between her lips. "Anyone got a light?"

The group paused underneath a nearby streetlight, the luminous circle of light highlighting the group as they huddled together in a circle, gathering in what seemed to be the traditional act of lighting up. Bandit, Trent and Dingo still clutched their liquor bottles protectively. As Dodge looked around the group, it looked as though they hadn't grown up in 5 years; they were still the same rough, deliquent, rebellious teenagers, locked in adult's bodies.

Dingo pulled up the sleeves of his black hoodie as he inhaled, scowling to himself. He couldn't shake the suspicious feeling that crept over him- even though everything had gone as planned, it was just more reason for him to ensure something would go wrong.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned.

_SMACK!_

* * *

"Where's Abby?"

Hoagie looked up from the depths of his drink, and instead jumped as he stared into Nigel's face. His brow was furrowed with concern, and his deep brown eyes were narrowed suspiciously.

"Huh?"

"Where's Abby?" Nigel muttered hurriedly. "Wally's muttering about how he's going to kill Dingo, or something. I was hoping I could at least get Abby to talk some sense into him."

Hoagie shrugged, frowning as he noticed Wally seething in the corner, his hands furiously pounding at the cell phone clutched in his hand.

"I dunno…" Hoagie muttered. "I haven't seen her…" His face suddenly worked into a frown. "Why is he looking for Dingo?"

"Hell if I know." Nigel snarled, folding his arms across his chest. "By the way, in case you're wondering- Fanny's locked herself up in the bathroom. Your concern _overwhelms _me."

Hoagie growled back, returning to his drink instead of looking into the face of his former leader. He knew Nigel was giving him the 'disappointed lecture' look, and right now he was in no mood.

"C'mon" He muttered lowly. "You know I wouldn't do that. That chick set me up! She kissed me once and left. She was just looking for trouble." He growled to himself, not wanting to dwell on the fact he trampled all over Fanny's trust before he even had the chance to earn it. He'd been used. He thought better to ignore it than think about it. He hated thinking about it- his failure, how he'd been so taken just because a girl wrapped in tan legs, slender body and big brown eyes had winked at him and practically thrown herself at him. He snarled, gulping down his drink angrily. Nope- he'd rather drink his sorrows away.

Nigel rolled his eyes. Hoagie could have sworn he groaned something like '_honestly…You and Wally…'_ under his breath. The Brit suddenly frowned, having seen a flash of long brown hair rush to the entrance of the club door and out into the darkened parking lot. He shook his head. No…couldn't be…

"Abby?"

* * *

Abby silently stomped out of the club, not caring whether her raging emotions were pregnancy related or not. She was furious, saddened and hurt at what she saw, not sure whether to act or not. She swallowed, stomping across the car park as quickly as she could. Her long wavy brown locks danced in the cool nighttime breeze as her stilettos stomped against the concrete. Her hands became tight, enclosed fists and she gritted her teeth in frustration, twisting her lips in annoyance. As she looked up, her dark chocolate brown pupils found her intended target. She quickened her pace, and without a second thought stomped towards the crowd of figures huddled in the limited lighting of the almost empty lot. Her hand reached out to tap the leader on the shoulder before she even counted how many there were.

_Think rationally Abby… _A sensible voice whispered to her from the back of her mind. _Think with your head, not your heart or your gut…you're supposed to be the levelheaded one here-_

It was a quick decision, barely a second to spare as Abby debated over her pounding heart, clenched stomach and sensible thoughts. But as soon as Dingo's eyes met hers, immediately her heart overpowered every sensible thought that was going through her mind. Before she even realised it, she had smashed her open palm directly into Dingo's cheek.

_SMACK!_

"_AH! JESUS FUCKING HELL!"_

His eyes widened, as did hers, as he winced with unmistakable pain. He gripped the bottle in his hand protectively as he swore, his emerald eyes blinking rapidly as he attempted to distinguish who'd caused the large handprint on his cheek. His free hand became a fist as he straightened, glaring at Abby with ferocity.

"Abby?" He snarled, his face now showing painful confusion. "What the fuck was_ that_ for?!"

Abby didn't answer; she simply looked up at him, her chest heaving and her hand stinging. Her eyes were bright, wide and dangerous. Even Dingo faltered under that furious glare she possessed. She stood up straight and tall, not feeling threatened under the watchful glare of his followers. Somehow, the two of them was all that seemed to matter.

"What the fuck is wrong with _you_?" She snarled dangerously at him, shoving her face into his. He blinked back nervously. He'd never heard her sound so dangerous- especially towards him. "Why did you do that!?"

"Do what?" Dingo growled defensively. He felt a flustered blush crawl up his cheeks as he felt the group stare at him with amusement. Dingo caught in a domestic dispute-as the victim- they never thought they'd see the day. He raised a few fingers to his cheek, where he was still stumped that she'd slapped _him. _"Fuck, Abs…I-"

Abby laughed a sarcastic, furious giggle as her cold eyes stared into his. She was furious, and just to show it she crept closer to him, snarling.

"Don't play stupid with me; it's just an insult to my intelligence!" She growled, now positive it was the pregnancy hormones that were causing her to be so emotional. She didn't care. She suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt, dragging his face to meet hers before Dingo had even realised what she was doing. "You planned this- this whole cheating break up thing with Wally AND Hoagie! You basically sent your whores to go _'sick 'em'_ didn't you?!"

At this point Hollie's mouth fell open at the insult. She was about to lay a string of insults on Abby but held back, somehow sensing even this wasn't a girl to mess with, especially when she had Dingo by the collar of his shirt. He wasn't even bothering to fight back. He looked like a rabbit does when it's suddenly caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. And this girl was showing no mercy.

"Abby!" Dingo growled at her, stuck on words to blurt out. "Baby- you have to hear me out for a sec-"

Abby growled furiously, finally pushing him away and holding back, stepping away from the group.

"No" She growled at him, her eyes now blazing. "You know what? I'm done with you. I-I was stupid to think you were anything better than this."

She felt tears at the corner of her eyes as she turned, hating the idea of him seeing her cry. She didn't get far, with a new found strength Dingo had grabbed her and pulled her back to him, his eyes wide.

"Just one second Babe!" he growled lowly, pulling her closer. She resisted. "Just one fucking second! I didn't plan to have you in this! It was for the best, Babe, for the both of us! That Hoagie had nothing to do with it, it was all my bro and you know that! I…" He growled at her, pulling her chin up to his face. "He deserved it."

Abby growled at him, escaping from his hold on her. "He did not!" She argued back furiously, her long hair now falling into her face as she yelled at him. "Who are you to decide who deserves what?! What the hell is wrong with you!? You can't…You just can't DESTROY lives like that! You can't ruin things for other people just because YOU throw a TANTRUM!"

Dingo's eyes widened as he gave her a furious look, growing defensive at her hysterical accusations. They heard a sniggering behind them however, and turned to see Bandit snickering to himself. He stopped as soon as Dingo's dangerous glare fell on him.

"_Tantrum…"_ He muttered, still smirking. Dodge and Trent began giggling too, thinking back to memorable moments with the gang when Dingo would throw a tantrum, which would only heighten with Jake and the group's teasing. In the end he would stomp off in a huff and refuse to talk to them for days. He'd give in eventually though; Dingo always came back in the end. It was a constant trend within their little group, and it had been like that since first grade.

"Shut the fuck up!" Dingo growled at them as they all broke into sniggers. He turned back, seething. "I do _not _throw tantrums, Abby! I get mad for very logical and understandable reasons!"

"And _then _he throws Bitch Fits_." _Bandit added under his breath, smirking. Dingo turned to him again, his hands fists and a murderous look in his eyes and Bandit bit his lip, gathering his friend was very, _very_ angry.

"And _anyway." _Dingo added furiously, snarling. "I consider it revenge, and we're not close to being even yet."

"What do you mean _even?" _Abby spat, blinking with confusion. She scoffed. "You've caused enough hurt for tonight! A-And he's done _nothing _to you! These people are my _friends_, you know!"

"I consider it fair play." Dingo growled coolly, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly. "He keeps stealing what's mine, I fuck it up. Seems fair."

"What do you mean _fair!?" _Abby growled, now close to tears. "You destroyed two perfectly good relationships that had nothing to do with you!"

Dingo opened his mouth to retort, but before he could they heard a voice. Abby froze in her position, replaying the conversation he might have heard and her heart pounding in her ears. Dingo froze, frowning as he recognized the voice he'd heard. The group froze behind him, as they had been too caught up in the furious argument between the lovers they had neglected to notice Wally Beatles standing close to them, emerging from the shadows and looking dangerous.

"Yeah, _Dingo."_ He snarled under his breath, his deep green eyes now narrowed. "_You_ destroyed two perfectly good relationships that had nothing to do with you…and you consider it _fair_? Well I don't."

Abby's heart froze within her chest, her immediate reaction being that her ex had put the pieces together- they were busted, her and Dingo were gone, they'd been found out. Nigel and Hoagie emerged from the darkened parking lot into the light as well. Both looked shocked and confused, but their eyes were on Dingo, not on Abby. Abby swallowed, realizing what it looked like- she'd rushed to Wally's defence and she'd faced Dingo before anyone else had worked it out. Now the focus was only on two people- Dingo and Wallabee, face to face and their matching green eyes glaring furiously at each other. Abby gulped.

_Oh, Crap._

_

* * *

_

Kuki numbly stumbled out of the girl's bathroom, her shoulders hunched and her form broken. Rachel could barely look at her- the girl was usually happy, dancing and full of energy. Right now, there wasn't a trace of happiness in the young girl. She looked thoroughly depressed. Her long black hair was limp and shapeless, her bright violet eyes were dull and bloodshot and her lips and shoulders were trembling as she clutched Rachel's arm, as if scrambling for support. Rachel swallowed, a sudden urge to kick Wally in the groin entering her mind.

Fanny walked beside them, her nose in the air and sniffing. To the naked eye, it was as if nothing happened. Kuki had sobbed and cried on Rachel's shoulder, asking over and over why Wally would do this to her, Fanny had remained silent, coming to the simple conclusion that Hoagie was…a bastard. And leave it at that.

"I think we should just go home…" Rachel mumbled, a hand patting Kuki's arm.

"Why?" Fanny demanded, suddenly reaching for a drink. "The night is young, right?"

Rachel rolled her eyes at the stubborn girl, and her gaze softened as she looked towards the heartbroken Kuki.

"Do what you want, Fanny." Rachel snapped at her irritably. "I'm taking Kuki home."

The two snuck through the crowds to the exit as Fanny growled to herself, folding her arms tightly across her chest. Why was it so difficult? When she was younger it was so easy to hide what she felt, she just yelled and fought and all other emotions seemed to melt away- how easily it had been covering up her crush for Hoagie! Now that she was older, every emotion that seemed to flow through her showed like an elephant under an umbrella. She scowled and shrugged in defeat, following the two girls out of the club.

* * *

"You set those whores on us?!" Wally scowled, his hands becoming fists. His eyes travelled to behind Dingo, where Hollie and Bonny stood guilty. He growled at his brother, his face contorted with fury. "You set us up?!"

Hollie instantly saw her chance and slinked forward, stepping in front of Dingo and putting on one of her champion smiles.

"Hey…" She said silkily, grinning and fluttering her thick eyelashes. Wally glared at her with immense disgust, which Hollie ignored. "Can't a girl get her input? I went after you, babe, I can think for myself. I wanted you so I got you." She shrugged, uncaring. "No need to put others in the firing line because you couldn't resist."

Wally growled at her, completely ignoring the fact she had four threatening looking guys behind her ready to pounce on him if he made one false move.

"I heard my own brother confess it." Wallabee growled, his eyes travelling past the girl and onto Dingo, whose stare was just as challenging. "And I have no doubt he would sink that low."

Dingo's rage seemed to pump through him faster as he stiffened, his jaw set and his fists shaking. He stomped past Hollie, pushing her aside and instead closing the distance between he and his brother, snarling.

"Oh…" He said dangerously. "You think I'm low, do ya?"

Wallabee stiffened and straightened as Dingo stomped forward, both readying themselves for a fight. Abby swiftly stepped between them before she even realised what she was doing. Before she knew it two clear sides had formed across the parking lot- Dingo's side lined up and ready and Nigel and Hoagie standing behind Wally- both looking alarmed at the situation that was unfolding before them. Abby gulped, her hands held out shakily at the two sides.

"W-wait." She mumbled, looking at them both sincerely. "This…this isn't right guys, you shouldn't be fighting, look it- it was a simple misunderstanding and I'm sure if we just explain civilly-"

"Abby." Wally growled lowly, dangerously. "Get out of the way."

"You never really did appreciate her, did ya Wally?" Dingo immediately muttered, a sly grin spreading across his face. Abby stiffened, as did Wally.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He spat furiously at his brother. His jade green eyes suddenly narrowed, daring him to answer. Dingo's grin widened, his matching eyes glimmering mischievously as he saw what nerves he was treading on. Abby looked up at him, her eyes wide and vulnerable. She silently begged him not to tell…

"A girl as fine as she is…" Dingo murmured, just loud enough so only the three of them would hear. "And you throw her away…"

Wallabee advanced, his patience finally snapping as he stepped forward, ready to rip Dingo limb from limb. Only problem was Abby, stubbornly blocking the two brothers from any harm. Dodge had instantly grabbed the back of Dingo's black t-shirt, holding him back from causing any damage. Nigel had done the same for Wally. The Brit had a firm hold of his white t-shirt as Wally struggled against his grip. Abby struggled to keep them away from each other, her eyes wide and her hands outstretched. Dingo's smirk never left his face, if anything he looked happier at Wally's fury. His smirk glinted maliciously in the limited light as he snickered lightly.

"Aw, little brother…" he cooed in mock sympathy. "Did I hit a nerve? You a little sensitive about your ex? Shouldn't you be concerned with your Jap slut?"

Trent, Bandit and the two girls seemed to burst with laughter as Wally simply shook with anger. His fists trembled with visible fury as he glared at his brother, who glared right back. Their stares were intense. Abby could practically feel the heat radiating off the both of them. She turned to Dingo, infuriated, but Hoagie was the one who spoke, so silently nobody appeared to hear him. Dingo turned to him, frowning.

"What?"

"I said- don't talk about my friend that way." Hoagie repeated, looking up. His face had changed; he was no longer looking downcast and solemn. His bright blue eyes had darkened and his jaw had stiffened. He looked across at him calmly as he stepped forward. "Your girl's the slut, not Kuki."

Dingo's furious gaze had suddenly switched to Hoagie; his eyes alight with visible anger. "What…" He hissed. "What did you say?"

"Your girl-" Hoagie pointed to Hollie, who was standing obediently at Dingo's side. "Is the slut." He spoke slowly, as if Dingo was slow on the uptake. His eyes never left his, and he snarled as he spoke with visible anger. "Not Kuki."

Dingo scoffed, a joking smile suddenly appearing on his face. He was about to quickly blurt out that Hollie wasn't his girl, she hadn't been for a long time now, but Hollie stepped forward, a scowl sullying her pretty face.

"Wasn't so cocky before!" She spat at him with venom. "If I wasn't much mistaken, you were enjoying it!" She gave a shrill, mocking giggle as Hoagie swallowed awkwardly. She grinned, inhaling on her lit cigarette slyly. "You guys are all the same, you know that?" She flicked her hair. "Always the girl's fault…never the guys. You wanted it, you got it. Now I hear complaints!" She heaved a great sigh, grinning at the three boys and Abby with great satisfaction. "I didn't hear you complaining before…" She eyed Wally especially. "Ain't that right, Wally?"

Wally stiffened, opening his mouth to yell a furious retort, but Hollie's attention shifted elsewhere. She was looking past the boys, into the darkened parking lot with suspicion. Her eyes narrowed and she was smirking smugly.

"_What_, Girlie?"

Everyone's attention turned to the three figures that now stood behind the three boys. One, a tall cross looking blonde, a furious looking redhead and the girl in the centre- whose wide lilac eyes were watching Hollie closely. Hollie stepped forward, her face challenging. Both Bonny and Dingo had hung around Hollie long enough to know exactly what she was doing, and Kuki was her target.

_"Kuki-"_ Rachel whispered from behind her. "_Don't let her get to you, just-"_

"WHAT?" She snarled her hands out at her sides. "What are you looking at, whore? You wanna fight me? C'mon, what you staring at, bitch?"

Wally felt a surge of anger flow through him as Kuki's eyes widened. She stood very still, looking extremely vulnerable and insignificant against Hollie, who was edging closer preparing to fight. Hollie smirked, sensing weakness in the girl's eyes. She'd seen this all before, it was second instinct to her.

"What, little Jap girl?" Hollie asked, raising her eyebrows mockingly. "Cmon, what? You gonna cry or something?" She turned back to the group behind her, all of whom who were watching with intense amusement. Abby stiffened, her eyes now flashing dangerously. A sly smirk suddenly appeared on Hollie's lips as she neared closer to the silent girl, who was now trembling. Hollie tilted her head sarcastically, sniggering.

"What, little baby?" She smirked, her eyes challenging. "You angry I stole your man?" Fanny snarled at her, wanting nothing more than to stab her in the eye with one of her stilettos. Hollie simply giggled at the tension she knew she was causing, yet Kuki couldn't find the energy to reply. Instead she just looked up at the girl laughing at her. Her lilac eyes now so dark and fiery they looked almost indigo, her lips twisted and her left eye twitched in warning- and with all her strength she drove her fist into the bridge of Hollie's nose.

And that's about when all hell broke loose.

* * *

Jake stared blankly out of the window at the suburban area they were now entering. Rows upon rows of repetitive housing passed by as the two strange girls drove, bickering on where to stay for the night after they dropped him off. Jake was beginning to regret his decision on hitching a ride with them, even though they appeared harmless.

"I have to eat, I feel like I'm about to faint." The blonde, Alexa, complained loudly to the driver. "Do they have a Maccas around here?"

The redhead behind the wheel, Lisa, groaned loudly as she stopped for a traffic light, rolling her eyes at her friend. "Lexa, this is North America. They invented McDonalds."

Before Alexa had the chance to retort, Jake had suddenly leaned forward between them, his eyebrows raised curiously. "So where abouts are you guys from?"

"Sydney." Alexa answered calmly, now playing with the radio. "What about you?"

"Same…" Jake answered, frowning slightly. He looked at the two girls before him suspiciously, a dark look in his eyes. "Have we met before?"

"It would appear so…" Alexa mumbled, sniggering slightly as she attempted to find a radio station without a hindrance of static. She switched the dial, and suddenly Tom Jones' famous "Sex Bomb" blasted through the speakers of the hire car. Lisa suddenly perked up with excitement, dancing and singing off key as she yelled out her own lyrics.

"Lex Bomb, Lex Bomb…you're my Lex Bomb…." The redhead sang off key as she drummed on the steering wheel, sniggering. Alexa joined in on the singing, pointing to herself as she danced.

"Lex Bomb Lex Bomb…you're my Lex Bomb…and baby you can turn me on…"

Jake raised his eyebrows curiously, a sly smile appearing on his face. He couldn't help it; he joined in on the chorus of 'Lex Bomb' as they drove closer and closer to his destination.

* * *

Abby gasped, as did the rest of the crowd as Hollie fell to the ground with a yelp of pain. She landed, sprawled across the concrete, with blood pouring from her nose. Her hand quickly became drenched in the warm liquid as she attempted to stem the flow. A shocked silence fell over the group, broken only by Kuki's quick, shocked breaths. Her arm was still outstretched, her hand still curled into a fist. Everyone froze, shocked and amazed, at the quick move. They barely had time to register Kuki's quick punch before Hollie was suddenly on the ground, her eyes wide with pain and horror. She glared at her hand- now covered with blood- and gritted her teeth, looking up at the girl with pure venom.

"Dude…" Bandit broke the thick silence suddenly, smirking. "CATFIGHT!"

Before Kuki had realised it Hollie had scrambled to her feet and thrown herself on the girl, quickly slamming her body to the ground. Kuki coughed, completely winded by the blow. Her head throbbed numbly as it met with concrete, and suddenly Hollie's face was inches from hers, blood still streaming past her lips. Hollie's hands became fists, and she began slamming them into Kuki's face without a second thought, screaming every insult that came to mind.

"YOU STUPID SLUT!" She screamed, landing a punch into Kuki's cheek. "I'LL TEACH YOU TO FUCK WITH ME!"

Everything was a blur. Kuki began to scream in shock, trying to fight back against the hysterical girl. Rachel, Fanny and Wally all seemed to make movements to her, but Abby got there first. With one quick movement she'd slammed her high heeled shoe into Hollie's side, throwing the girl off Kuki and sending her to the ground again. Bonny immediately charged forward in her friend's defence, but Dingo immediately grabbed Abby and pulled her out of her firing line protectively. Instead Bonny ran straight into Fanny, who quickly punched the girl in the face. Bonny blinked with mild shock before fighting back, grabbing a handful of her red hair. Fanny was ready, however, and instead stepped on her foot, causing Bonny to scream. The boys watched as two separate fights unfolded in front of them. Abby wrestled in Dingo's grip, anxious to run forward and help, but Dingo held her tighter and passed her to Dodge, with a quick snarl.

"Don't let her go." He muttered quickly before turning to the fights.

Wallabee watched with horror as Kuki made an attempt to fight back against the redhead who was trying to pin her down, trying every attempt to punch or kick in her defence. He was frozen with shock and fear, his mind completely blank. He shook his head numbly as he dived forward, anxious to wrap his arms around his girl and hold her protectively. Instead something was holding him back. He turned.

It was Dingo.

His emerald eyes flashed dangerously beneath his long black bangs as he held his arm tightly. He smirked.

"Let's go." he hissed, before slamming his fist into Wally's mouth. Wally stumbled backwards, tasting blood and feeling faint. A blaze of hot fury went through his chest as he growled with anger, his eyes on Dingo. He slammed into him with all the force he could muster, and both of them crashed to the ground, caught in a furious battle of fists. Amongst all the screams and curses of the people around them, Wally could still hear Dingo's furious snarls as he struggled against his grip. Trent began cheering and yelling with Bandit as they watched them, awed.

"Get him Dingo!" Trent was yelling as a crowd of strangers began to form around the fighting couples. "GET HIM!"

"Get off me!" They could hear Bonny scream as she thrashed against Fanny's tough hold. "GET OFF ME!"

Kuki yelped and screamed as she closed her eyes, not wanting to see the furious glare of Hollie anymore. Instead she kicked and wrestled out of the young girl's grip, feeling tears at her eyes as she felt the girl's nails at her neck.

_"I'll kill you"_ She could hear Hollie rasp. "I swear to God I will…"

With a great strength Kuki never knew she had, she pushed the girl off her and sent her sprawled out onto the asphalt. She scrambled to her feet as Nigel quickly leapt forward to hold Hollie back. Hollie screamed and kicked against his restraint, absolutely feral. "LET ME GO! GET YOUR... HANDS... OFF ME!"

Abby fought against her own restraint as well, not caring whether she hurt Dodge or not. She watched the two brawling brothers with wide, frightened eyes as she saw blood. A voice was heard, over and over in her head, telling her that it was all her fault. She kicked and squirmed against Dodge's grip, feeling tears appear in her own eyes. She watched as Dingo gripped onto Wally's shirt- now stained with red- and slammed his body into the ground, over and over again, not caring whether how much pain he felt.

"He's gonna kill him…" Abby suddenly squealed, fighting harder to be free. "He's gonna kill him!"

But Dodge's eyes were elsewhere, he was watching the scuffle between Fanny and Bonny. Just as brutal. Hoagie was trying hard to rip the girl's apart, but they lashed out at him every time he tried. Rachel was screaming, suddenly running back to the club. With one quick movement Dodge had shoved Dingo's treasured possession into Bandit's arms.

"Hold her." He snarled gruffly, before throwing himself into the crowd that had formed. The crowd was screaming and cheering, all of them thrilled as the prospect of a brawl. Dodge growled and mercilessly pulled Bonny off the redhead girl, shoving her to the side. Fanny stumbled to her feet, half-conscious from the blows to the head. Without another word he made a grab for her and directed her away from the scene, disappearing into the crowd with her.

Abby struggled against Bandit's protective grip, infuriated at being tossed around like she was some possession. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the disaster unfolding in front of her- Dingo and Wallabee wrestling on the ground, punching and ripping at each other at every available opportunity. She could hear the yelps, grunts and snarls throb in her ears as she began to cry, guilt overcoming her.

"Lemme go!" She growled, struggling against him. "They're going to kill each other!"

"They're not…" Bandit mumbled, but he frowned all the same as the crowds around the two brothers gaped and winced. Rachel was running towards them, security guards at her heels. Bandit froze, he couldn't let his best mate be caught by security guards, he would likely spend the night in a jail cell. Poor Bandit immediately took his eyes off the dame he was supposed to be holding and Abby elbowed him right in the stomach, running off as Bandit hunched over in visible pain.

"Dammit…" he coughed, coughing. "It's a lucky she's hot-"

"What the FUCK is wrong with you?" Wally was suddenly spluttering, blood pouring from his split lip. He was pushing with all his might against Dingo's chest, where he was pinning him to the ground. Dingo didn't look too good, half his face was covered in blood from where Wally had hit him, and Wally could tell he was growing weaker. Dingo was a fighter, Wally could tell, the way he refused to back down and never stopped lashing out. He was experienced too, and managed to dodge and block some of Wallabee's best moves. They were equally matched, but still Dingo wasn't backing down. He snarled and grabbed a fistful of his hair, smashing his head into the hard ground. Wally quickly kicked him off, shoving him into the ground and punching him in the chest. Dingo coughed, spitting blood and growling menacingly. Before he had another chance to advance Wally grabbed the collar of his shirt and threw his fist against Dingo's lip again, drawing more blood. Dingo responded by blindly grabbing Wally's next, throwing him against the hard parking lot surface and tightening his grip.

_He's going to kill me…_ Wally thought blindly as he felt his airways constrict. He could see the images around him grow faint as his head began to throb painfully. _He's got the chance and now he's going to…_

_"Let him go!"_

Wally heard a faint scream and a second later the pressure on his neck and chest were released. He blinked as his vision cleared. He panted painfully, his lungs expanding gratefully. He rolled over and coughed, blood escaping his lips as he groaned, unable to move anymore. He heard footsteps and scuffles around him, people screaming and gasping. Suddenly the security guards came into view, muttering something about ambulances and young hoodlums in burly voices. Hoagie appeared beside him, asking over and over if he was okay. Everyone ran off, suddenly the parking lot was almost deserted.

He passed out.

* * *

Fanny groaned and rolled over as she awoke from her light slumber. She frowned as she felt her surroundings. Rough…Hard…her eyes suddenly jerked open and she froze, unsure of where she was. She looked up to gaze at the off-white ceiling fan that hung above her, circling slowly high above her head. She groaned, her memory hazy and her head throbbing. She turned and saw she was sitting on a worn leather couch, where someone had spread her out elegantly as she rested. Her frown deepened as her heart froze within her chest.

Where the Hell was she?

A face suddenly appeared above her and she jumped, her eyes widening in surprise as a matching pair of blue eyes suddenly blinked at her from above curiously. She gasped in surprise, then frowned suspiciously as she gazed at the stranger. He wasn't a stranger… she knew those eye- those playful, icy blue orbs that seemed to glisten innocently. A very small smile seemed to flicker on her lips.

_"You again..."_ She muttered, "Where am I?"

Dodge smirked back, looking down at the girl that was sprawled across his couch. He couldn't tear his eyes away, and he wasn't sure why. Her wavy red hair was out at all angles, her body curved in all the right angles and her milky skin was so soft and smooth. He couldn't get over how cute her freckles were- it reminded him of when he had them when he was younger. He gave her one of his best smiles as he gazed down at her cockily.

"My apartment…" He muttered guiltily. She looked around; lifting her head off the pillow she had been sleeping on. She frowned and raised her eyebrows at the grungy, but relatively neat, apartment she was housed in.

"I expected worse…" She muttered.

"You should see my roommate…" Dodge mumbled under his breath. Fanny rose from her position, groaning in pain as she did so. Bonny hadn't done much damage, but still left a few well placed cuts and bruises across her body, not to mention a splitting headache. She frowned and looked up at Dodge, who was still watching her from over the couch.

"Why'd you bring me here?" She asked him suspiciously. He shrugged again, looking away.

"Dunno…" He muttered. "I didn't wanna leave you at the club." He gave her a sheepish grin. "You were out of it."

"Was not" She snarled stubbornly, massaging her head. "I was a bit concussed."

"Damn right."

Their eyes met, and for a second Fanny was sure she felt a tingling sensation travel through her legs, growing steadily more intense the more she stared into those big blue eyes. Dodge stared back at her, studying her closely. Fanny eventually broke away, looking around the room she was in again with a cautious glare.

"Saw you fighting with Bonny." Dodge mumbled, shrugging. "You're pretty good."

Fanny scoffed, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned against the couch. Her head was aching. "Thanks…" She mumbled, snarling. "That thing has a name…"

"You're telling me" Dodge muttered, a small smile flashing across his handsome face. "Used to go out with her…"

Fanny's eyes suddenly snapped back to him, her eyes darkening. "What?"

"Used to go out with her." Dodge muttered, smirking. "Worst thing I ever did…well…one of the worst…"

Fanny raised her eyebrows in disbelief and scoffed. Dodge looked back at her with a guilty expression.

"Now you get why I don't do relationships."

Fanny shrugged, nibbling on her bottom lip. "I think I'm going to take a leaf out of your book." She snarled under her breath. Dodge perked up with interest and vaulted over the couch, landing next to her swiftly and leaning forward. A shadow of a smile crossed her face as she looked down, her freckled cheeks now a light shade of pink."You know…give up on the whole relationship concept."

"Aw, Cherry!" Dodge smirked shyly, looking down at the couch rather than her. "That's only for people like me who can't get secure a girl…not for chicks like you-"

"Like me?" Fanny piped up, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Dodge faltered as he felt his heart thumping within his chest. He choked up, feeling the back of his nek grow hot. "Nah! Aw- nothin' like that!" He muttered awkwardly under her furious glare. "I…I just mean, well ya know…"He snarled awkwardly, playing with the loose stitching in his jeans. "You can get any guy…with a girl like you; you can make any guy happy in a relationship ya know? You need to stick with a guy 'n make him happy…With looks like yours-"

He looked up and stopped short as he eyed her cocky grin, her eyes flashing mischievously. His cheeks grew hot again as he was rambling. He cursed himself silently as he realised what a tool he was probably coming off as. He couldn't understand it- he was never this nervous and awkward in front of a girl…

Fanny smirked cockily, watching the boy in front of her with interest.

_"Dodge…"_ She said carefully, giving him a playful nudge."Do you think I'm sexy?"

Dodge chuckled, returning her cocky grin. "Suppose I do?"

She laughed, her own cheeks now a bright scarlet. She played with the hem of her dress, chewing on her plump bottom lip nervously. She tried to ignore the feeling of Dodge's blue eyes on her. She could feel his stare.

"Seriously though…" She sighed. "No strings attached…sounds easier…I mean…" She leaned back in the chair and drew her knees to her chest. "I mean you get your hopes up for a guy…just one guy, you know? You think he's the one…you wait and wait and wait, and when you think he'll never come he comes! Then it all comes crashing down and life's suddenly shit." She planted her chin on her knee, sighing to herself. "Your idea sounds much better. No emotions- in and out, you know? You never have to see that person ever again, so they can never let you down."

Dodge watched the girl in front of him, feeling his heart sink lower and lower as he heard the despair in her voice. It really cut into him to see her like that; he could feel more than a bond falling forming between them. He felt he had to protect her- not only in that fight but from heartbreak too.

"Don't talk like that, Cherry." He mumbled, sneaking closer to her. "It doesn't suit 'chya."

Fanny looked up through the thin sheet of red hair that covered her face. "You have an accent…" She mumbled, grinning.

"Aw, yeah." Dodge mumbled awkwardly, smirking. "I'm Aussie."

"Really?" Fanny's face lit up. "I'm Irish."

"I figured…" Dodge whispered back, grinning. "I find that sexy."

"I always thought Australian guys were babes…" Fanny confessed with a slight blush. As Dodge gave her a cocky smirk, she added "Too bad you were such a letdown."

Dodge's mouth fell open in mock horror as his eyes suddenly narrowed. He playfully crawled towards her, snarling. "You take that back, Cherry, or you'll regret it."

Fanny giggled, a single eyebrow rising challengingly. "Make me."

Dodge pounced forward, pinning down the girl and sitting on her legs in one quick movement. Fanny squirmed under his hold but Dodge hung over her hauntingly, a playful smirk on his face and his chestnut brown hair hanging into his bright blue eyes. Fanny couldn't help but notice he still had that same sweet trait- placing his tongue between his teeth when he smirked. She smirked back. Dodge closed the distance between them as he guided his face to hers, pinning her arms above her head.

"Like this angle?" he asked her, his blue eyes twinkling. Fanny shrugged, hoping her blush didn't give her away.

"Maybe…" She mumbled, biting down on her lip. "I know you do."

She had to giggle as she said this, because she knew the old Fanny could have never, ever said this to a boy. Too scared and too shy. Something within her had changed, she had grown, she had matured, and she liked it. She gave him a knowing look, her eyes wide and innocent. Dodge frowned before looking down at his jeans pressed against her body.

"Oh…" He muttered. "That much of a giveaway huh?"

She grinned sneakily. "Yep."

Without another word shared between them, she reached up and grabbed the collar of his t-shirt, pulling his lips down to meet hers. She kissed him sweetly, their lips sailing against each others as they embraced, her hands entwining in his hair. She closed her eyes as fireworks seemed to fire behind her lids, she felt so warm...comfortable…loved… She opened her mouth and deepened the kiss, her grip on him becoming harder and more demanding. Dodge gave in, he knew he wanted to and he knew he wanted this girl more than ever. She never left his mind. Ever since he laid eyes on those legs, that hair, those fiery eyes and even fierier personality he wanted her.

He couldn't help it, he didn't even know the girl's name…yet he couldn't deny he was falling in love with her.

* * *

Wally frowned, his head feeling numb and his skin itchy. He opened his eyes to a blurred, eerie white room, a white sheet beneath him, a white pillow under his head. His body was suddenly covered in a cold chill and he shivered, the voices around him reaching his ears.

"_Are you sure he's going to be okay?"_

_"He'll be fine, he just needs rest-"_

_"And the cuts and stuff? They'll heal right?"_

_"Its fine, thankfully they aren't that deep and the dental damage is minimal. Some required stitches which will be need to taken out soon but other than that…"_

Wally blinked, his vision suddenly becoming sharper. He saw his hand in front of him, a needle taped to the back of his hand and an IV attached, and suddenly his eyes widened. He sat up in the hard mattress, frowning at his surroundings. Hoagie was standing next to him and suddenly jumped at the sudden movement of his friend awakening. The doctor looked over, surveying his patient with curiosity.

"Wal!" Hoagie grinned at him. "You're back with us!"

"What the Hell?" Wally snapped drowsily, reaching a hand up to touch the bandages around his forehead. "What the…"

"You were bleeding like mad, dude." Hoagie remarked, biting his lip. He knew his friend hated hospitals, and right now Wallabee was giving him a murderous look. "The security guards said we should bring you here…"

"Where is everyone?" Wally groaned, scratching at the bandages on his face and wincing. "Where's Kuki? Where's Abby, Where's Din-"

"I don't know." Hoagie muttered sheepishly. "I didn't see anyone."

Wally groaned unhappily, tugging at the needle in his arm and growling. He hated being here…of all places…on a Friday night. He just wanted to sleep, in his own bed in his own room.

"So when can I get outta here?" Wallabee muttered, sitting up with his shoulders hunched. The doctor gave him a quick look over, inspecting his bandaged wounds with caution.

"Tonight- if you sign here." He told him sternly, handing him a clipboard. "Keep the wounds covered, get plenty of rest, and I'll see you in a couple of weeks." He gazed at Wally carefully as he scribbled his signature on the bottom line quickly. "And try not to get into any more fights, okay?"

Wally growled slightly as he handed back the clipboard. "Now that I can't guarantee."

* * *

A large SUV pulled up to the curb and the backdoor opened, Jake stumbling out of the backseat and onto the sidewalk. He hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and slammed the door, walking up to the driver's side to talk to the redhead that had driven him this far. She, as well as Alexa, was still sipping on their McDonald's cokes cheerfully.

"Thanks for the ride." He said, smirking. "It's been…interesting."

Alexa smirked, unknowing of whether he was referring to their 'Lex Bomb' lyrics, constant bickering or their riveting game of 'Spotto' that they'd played on the way there. Alexa had won.

"It's alright, buddy." She grinned giving him a cheesy thumbs-up. "You take care of yourself huh?"

Jake raised his eyebrows, nodding. "Yeah, sure." He smirked at the strange girls as he began to walk away towards the suburban area he had been dropped in. Lisa's voice made him turn.

"Hey Jake!"

Jake frowned, turning to face the redhead with a suspicious look on his face. He didn't remember telling them his name…

Lisa winked, her hazel eyes flashing knowingly as she pulled the car into 'drive'. She grinned. "Try not to give Dingo too much grief, okay?"

Jake frowned, unable to reply as she pulled away, that knowing grin still spread across her face. The car disappeared into the line of traffic as Jake stood in the sidewalk, stumped and confused, in the familiar American suburban district at 12'o'clock at night.

He blinked, shook his head slightly and walked on. Somehow, he knew the direction to go, he knew where to travel. The destination was etched in his brain. He passed more and more identical houses, his heart sinking lower and lower at every American dream he passed- the white picket fence, fluffy white dog and patriarchal flag at that effect on him. It sent him back 20 years, back when this country to him was a landscape of adventure which any teenager would love.

Now, 20 years later, to Jake it wasn't such an adventure…more of a memory.

* * *

Allie lay in bed, tossing and turning as she squeezed her eyes closed, attempting to get some sleep. It was fruitless; she felt as though it was mother's instinct that something was wrong, and automatically she couldn't fall into a deep slumber, despite it being late at night. She groaned with frustration, finally opening her eyes and sighing as she glared at the ceiling. It was no use. It was obvious she was going to get no sleep tonight with the worried thoughts echoing in her consciousness. She couldn't shake it, the guilty feeling that was going through her, along with this strange sense of foreboding. She swallowed nervously as she remembered, a memory she'd hoped to forget after all these years, yet she could still hear Dingo's 2 year old sobs and cries echo in the night, something a mother would never forget.

_"But I don't want him!"_ She could still remember Dingo sob, the way he would pout and growl when he was angry or upset. He reminded her so much of Jake that sometimes it hurt to see him like that, as if Jake was almost haunting her. She could remember herself, an everyday stupid 20 year old girl with 'no direction and no common sense' according to her mother, and she could remember the way she'd attempt to calm him down- to no avail.

_"We can't get rid of him, baby." She would sigh, hugging Dingo close as he squirmed and cried. "He stays, he's your baby brother and you have to-"_

_"NO!"Dingo would growl, pushing against her. His green eyes darkened furiously. "Take him back! I don't want him here! I hate him!"_

_"Dingo…" Allie felt tears in her eyes. "Don't say that, you don't hate him-"_

_"I do!" Dingo insisted, his tiny hands balled into fists. "Dad likes him more than me! He ignores me! I hate him!" He blinked his large deep green eyes at her pleadingly as he pouted, his bottom lip trembling. "Get rid of him, pease?" _

_Allie sighed, her mind working furiously as she tried to soothe her baby, before he did go into full tantrum mode. "Dingo…We can't take him back." She tried to tell him gently, but his dewy eyes widened dangerously at being denied something he wanted. "He isn't something you buy and can return if you don't want it, he's here to stay."_

_Dingo snarled at her, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at her stubbornly. "I don't want him here." _

_"Well…Dingo…" Allie sighed, pretty much giving up. "You can't always get what you want."_

_Dingo's eyes widened again as his mother rose from the ground and walked away, leaving him standing alone, stumped and shocked. He remembered when his mother used to get him anything he wanted- from food to toys to hugs and attention…now mostly he was left alone, everyone fawning over the new baby, it was as if Dingo didn't exist. Nobody really paid much attention to him anyway, leaving him alone or with his mother instead. Dingo tried time and time again to play with his 'dad', but instead all Derek did was make every attempt to ignore him or make up some excuse. Not with Wallabee though…Derek always held him, pulled faces at him and made him laugh... Dingo hated that. He hated his new brother. _

_Dingo sat down on the floor, tears dripping down his cheeks and his nose running. He sniffed and clutched one of his favourite toys soothingly, hugging it close. His eyes travelled to a strand of black hair that was hanging loosely in front of his face. He frowned at it, pushing it away from his face. He knew he was different from the rest of his family…he just wasn't sure why._

_"Derek" He could hear his mother say faintly from the next room. "We need to talk about Dingo…"

* * *

_

Abby shivered in her little black dress, shaken and distressed from the night's events that seemed to unfold. The parking lot was now completely deserted- everyone had been there for the climax yet nobody wanted to be around for the aftermath. She swallowed, trying to calm down. Wally was going to be okay, as was Kuki and Fanny, everyone had left, they'd been taken care of…yet she couldn't ignore the guilty conscience that kept slipping onto her train of thought.

It would never have happened if it hadn't been for me.. She thought to herself glumly. She felt tears in her eyes as she stood in the dark, shivering against the brick wall she was leaning on. Dingo would have never set those girls onto her friends, the fights would never have happened…

It's all my fault…She winced, fat tears now flooding down her cheeks.

_"Abs..."_

She jumped, gritting her teeth as she recognized that voice, that tone. She turned towards the voice, unsurprised that Dingo was leaning against the wall next to her, looking in bad shape. He clutched his rib cage painfully as he rested against the wall, wincing with pain. His face was still bloody, cut up and bruised, and he was visibly trembling. He looked up at her pathetically, reminding Abby of a lost puppy that had been kicked multiple times in the street. Those eyes were hypnotizing her, they made him look almost innocent, vulnerable. It almost caused her to forget the fact that a second ago he was ruthlessly smashing someone's face into concrete. Abby swallowed, unable to tear her eyes away from him.

"Dingo" She growled at him, sniffing. "Shouldn't you be at a hospital?"

"No hospitals..." He muttered weakly, stumbling forward. A few drops of blood trickled down his chin from his split lip. Abby found his grazed hand tangling with hers as he came closer, his emerald eyes wide and pleading. "Abby…"

"Don't." She growled, pulling her hand out of his grip. She shifted her head so she wouldn't be sucked in, she refused to be. She hated the fact he could win her over like that, how he managed to look so innocent and sweet then be so callous and cruel to others. "Leave me alone."

She stepped forward, ready to walk away from him, but he grabbed her weakly and held her back, her arm tightly held in his grip. He coughed, more blood trickling from his lips.

"No…" He rasped, growling at her. "Don't do this baby…"

"Are you kidding me?!" Abby suddenly snapped, gritting her teeth furiously. "You set up my friends and bash up your brother, one of MY best friends, and you expect me to come crawling back?!

"You can't leave me baby." Dingo mumbled weakly, his eyes flickering. "I can't live without you-"

"Don't put that on me." Abby spat with venom. "I had to pull you off just so you wouldn't kill him-"

"Just say you love me." Dingo suddenly choked out, pulling her into him. Abby choked out a few sobs as his head drooped to her shoulder weakly. He was in bad shape, Abby was amazed he could still stand up. "Please Abby…that's all I want. I need to hear it and…and I'll leave you alone…Just please tell me…"

Abby pushed him off, her eyes now flooding with tears. She sniffed as he looked at her pathetically, wide eyed and pleading.

"Dammit, Dingo." She growled at him. "You know I love you. How else would you manage to hurt me so much?"

With a pitiful sob, she turned and left- unable to look at him anymore._

* * *

_

Allie awoke with a start, rubbing a fist into her eye as she glared at the alarm clock on her bedside table- 12:03am. Who would be knocking at this hour? She groaned as she rose from her bed, blinking rapidly at the darkness. She stumbled along the darkened bedroom floor and down the stairs, yawning and wrapping a dressing gown around her hunched form. She opened the front door, already preparing to growl at whoever was stupid enough to call in the middle of the night (or morning). She blinked in amazement, sure she was still dreaming.

"_JAKE?"_

Jake smirked at her, and Allie felt as though a brick had slid down her throat and dropped into her chest. She simply gaped at the boy, now a man, who was standing on her porch in the middle of the night. His deep dark eyes gazed at her cockily and his smirk glinted in the porch lights as he eyed her up and down. It was as if he was still sixteen again, and he was just a teenager. He still had the same long, unruly black hair, same black shadows under his eyes, lightly freckled ivory skin and deep, playful brown eyes that still seemed to watch her mischievously. Allie looked down and noticed his tattoo across his wrist, where delicate black letters scrawled out the name _Dingo_. Her wide emerald green eyes met his as he smirked sweetly at her.

"Hey Allie" He greeted, grinning. "Long time, no see, huh?"_

* * *

_

_:D What do you think? Don't worry, I won't leave you guys hanging for long ;) 2 New relationships are just around the corner, you know ;P One you definately wasn't expecting. :D My friend Alexa desperately wanted our new chant of 'Lex Bomb' in my story, and since I'm such a good friend I let her have it :) she's been a good sounding board._

_Anyway- REVIEW! (*please*)_

_Oh, and please do my poll ;) I'm anxious to see the outcome!~_

Much Love~ xx


	12. Chapter 12: A Touch of Disney

_Heylo Fine Reacders! Back once again, and with a vengeance! MUHAHA!...yes...anyways! GOT MY PS! :D :D :D MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR WOOP! _

_To all my 9 Months Readers I feel really really really awful, but I'm just having a major writer's block with that story! I don't know what's wrong. I'm dedicating myself to it, I swear. This story just seems so much easier and funner to write, and this chapter was already done. Chapter 20 of 9 months is 3/5 of the way done, and I'm attempting my best *sigh* even though I totally hate myself for being so slow right now. _

_Million, Million thanks toooo..._

_Laurie43: I love your enthusiasm, you're as excited as me! :D :D Your reviews are always so fun to read :D I feel bad informing you that a Derek/Allie thing probably won't happen until next chapter, as Jake has unfinished business to attend to and Dingo is secretly a chicken *sigh* what to do with my OC's... hehe, i hope you like my kuki/wally scene, that was the most difficult to write :D Enjoy!_

_simi838: Hehe, GO SYDNEY! Best state eva, I have to say. I'm glad someone gets my Aussie humour and Aussie trivia, it's fun to write :D Did love writing that fight, I'm glad you enjoyed it :D hehe. Hope you like this chapter too, Aussie mayte ;)_

_shejams: Lol, I'm glad you like my OC's, they are fun to write seeing as they cause such drama. I do feel sorry for Hoagie though, I'm thinking of where he should go...hmm. Thanks for your kind review :D Hope you like the update (:_

_itsaDoggyDogworld: Lol, glad you like Dodge. I have to feel for Dodge, always putting up with Dingo all the time *sigh* I'm glad you like it! :D Makes me happy (: Anyways, hope you like my update! :D _

_sstoons3425: Aw, thanks! I'm trying to improve my writing, I'm glad I got the fight scene right neverhteless, tho' my romance probably needs some tuning :P Hope you like the update :D _

_hellopandaluver : Hehe! Did I mention how much I love your reviews? I think I did, but I'll say it again. I love them :D *happy dance* Dingo so does need to answer to WallyxKuki, and I for one cant wait to write it! *squee!* I love your fatty reviews...so much I may have to give jenny Craig a call soon Hehe, hope you enjoy! :D_

_Starlight Kittycat: Aw thanks! I hope you like this chapter just as much tho! :D _

_mel: Lol, love the long reviews! Such fun to read :) I'm glad you're liking my storyline, even thpough Hoagie's fate is a mystery...a few more love triangles and hookups should sort him out! :D Hehe, hope you like my update :)_

_Foxy-chan09 : Hehe *blushes* shucks, thanks :D Fanny and DOdge, I have to admit I'm falling for this pair too. I didn't think they'd be so popular :| Anyways, hope you like this update :)_

E-D-Songy-12: _Lol, thanks :) what can I say? Drama filled is what I aim for :P Hope you like this chappie just as much ;)_

_LillyLicious : OOO I big review! *jumps around excitedly* Thank you thank you thank you! Gotta love a new reader :D I hope you and your cousin love this chapter just as much. I try and keep on the ball with these things but *sigh* School so sucks sometimes...(ooo what alliteration) Lol, anyway I hope you like it :)  
_

**You guys so completely, utterly, totally rock. :)**

**xo**

* * *

Allie stared straight ahead as she sat at the breakfast table, her mug trembling slightly in her hands as she sipped her tea. Her eyes were still wide with shock. Jake seemed less disturbed by the entire ordeal, he was busily sucking on a knife as he feasted on a jar of smooth peanut butter, occasionally dunking his knife in every five minutes or so. It seemed weird to Allie that he still hadn't lost his great love for peanut butter, or any fatty foods for that matter. He was still the boy she wrongly fell for all those years ago…only taller, more muscular and with a lot more stubble. She swallowed nervously. She couldn't help it…Jake still had that effect on her. She'd hoped after all these years this meeting would be cool, calm and mature…clearly not.

"So…Jake…"

Jake looked up, his eyes gazing into hers as he licked the knife thoughtfully. She wrinkled her nose, trying to hold in her smirk. "Uh…do you want that on a piece of toast or-"

"Nah, I'm good." Jake smirked, dropping the utensil with a clang.

"Right…"

The pair sat in silence again. She looked around the room awkwardly, noticing the sun must have been rising, as it cast a beautiful red glow over the kitchen. Jake gazed at her curiously, his chin in his palm.

"So what's up with you Allie?" he asked her, blinking curiously. Allie felt an uncomfortable blush crawl up her cheeks. Nobody called her Allie anymore, she was always 'Allison' until she met Jake all those years ago, and even then she tried to explain it to him while they were sitting at a random bar upstate.

"_It's Allison" She'd said to him, smiling nonetheless. Jake looked over, frowning and smirking. "Allison…Allison Wade."_

"_Allie's better" He dismissed, gulping down his drink. He suddenly gripped her hand, his brown eyes twinkling mischievously. "C'mon sweetie, I bet you three tequila shots I can beat you in darts."_

"Did you become the Soccer Mom you always wanted to be?" Jake cut into her memories, grinning knowingly as he watched her from across the table. Allie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but a shy smile crept onto her lips.

"I'd like to think so…" She mumbled, looking up at him. "Um…so what about you?" She felt nervous at asking him, in fact she was expecting him to explode, rise from his chair and yell every insult that came to mind into her face. Derek always had a fierce temper, and said that Jake had one even worse. Yet Jake was so calm and easy going, smiling at Allie as though they were discussing nothing more than the weather. Allie was amazed, especially because Jake had gone to great lengths to ignore her the first few years of Dingo living with him. He'd gone as far as ripping the phone out of the wall whenever she'd call, he was that upset with her.

"Pretty good." He shrugged, looking around with interest. "Ya know…the usual."

"Yeah…"

Again, the thick silence seemed to consume the pair. Allie finally broke, sighing deeply and cupping her chin in her hands.

"Jake, I am so, so, _so_ sorry."

Jake again, carelessly shrugged, but Allie could see something different within him. It was in his eyes, it was that dark flash that seemed to echo within his pupils as they darkened dangerously. She remembered Dingo and Wally showed the same trait. "Don't worry about it…" He mumbled carelessly, but she could tell deep within his eyes he cared a lot. "You know…that was then."

Allie swallowed glumly. "Dingo hates me doesn't he?"

Jake shifted his shoulders guiltily, but didn't manage to make eye contact.

"Jake!" Allie snapped, glaring at him fiercely. "Dingo's my son, and I haven't spoken to him for years! Do you know how much that hurts?"

Jake looked up. "You seen him yet?"

Allie paused. "Yes…but…but he hasn't seen me."

"Really?" Jake raised his eyebrows. "I would have thought you would have made more effort to see him, Allie."

"You know I tried." Allie muttered, her voice now breaking. "I…I tried to see him, I tried to talk to him for 20 years, Jake."

Jake looked down guiltily, growling. "He didn't want to…" He swallowed. "Or, I didn't tell him."

Allie gazed into his face, her cheeks now wet with tears. All these years of dreading this conversation, and now it was finally happening. "Why would you do that?"

"Because you destroyed him, Allie!" Jake snapped suddenly, his eyes boring into hers. "And I was left to pick up the pieces. I was eighteen years old and suddenly my two year old son shows up on my doorstep with a note attached to him. He was completely mortified and wanted answers, answers I needed as well. And all I had was your stupid note." He snarled to himself angrily. "What the Hell were you thinking? Did you hope if he was out of the country you'd just forget about him?"

"No!" Allie shook her head rapidly. "I…I wanted him to have a better life. He wasn't going to have a good upbringing here…Derek was distraught at the situation and then the whole thing with Wallabee and-"

"Don't you _ever…" _Jake suddenly growled, and it was with such ferocity and foreboding that Allie shuddered, her eyes widening as Jake glared at her. "…_ever _make excuses for what Derek did."

Another silence.

"…That's why Dingo hates me, isn't it?" Allie asked, sniffling. "He remembers."

"He'll never forget."

Allie shook her head as more tears escaped. "Jake, Derek never meant for that to happen. He feels so much remorse for what happened, he never intentionally meant to hurt Dingo-"

She broke off, seeing the infuriated, dark expression on Jake's usually calm face.

"Why is Dingo here?" She suddenly asked, her eyes now puffy and red. "I thought he came to see me."

Jake pondered over this question, chewing thoughtfully on his lip as he contemplated on his reply. "I…I don't know why Dingo came here." He said carefully. "Has he…met Wallabee yet?"

Allie nodded. "Wallabee found out about his brother and wanted to meet him, and they did."

Jake frowned in surprise. "Really?"

Allie nodded again, solemnly. "In…In secret, so I wouldn't be there. Wally met him, and…apparently they didn't talk much. Dingo was so hostile towards him Wally didn't know what to make of it, especially when Dingo would steer the conversation as far away from parentage as possible."

Jake growled. "Wally doesn't know, huh?"

Allie shook her head. "Only that Dingo's his brother."

Jake issued her his trademark sarcastic smirk, his brown eyes unreadable. "Jeese, Allie…" He muttered to her. "You have a habit of leaving out important details don't you?"

Allie didn't answer, instead she moodily looked down into her tea, her tears gently dripping into the brown liquid. She felt like a true failure, her own son hated her guts because of some stupid mistake she made several years ago out of her own personal angst. And Jake probably held all the memories she missed- Dingo's first day of school, his birthday, his graduation, first job…every time Dingo's birthday came Allie would grow thoroughly depressed, usually sitting by the phone and chickening out of ringing Jake up. She remembered a few times when she did, when Jake would hang up on her or when Dingo would answer, at which she'd hang up at heartbreak of hearing his voice, gradually growing deeper.

"Allie…" Jake sighed. "I think I can read Dingo better than anyone else can and…he doesn't hate you."

Allie looked up, her eyes doubtful.

"He can say he does…" Jake mumbled with a hint of hesitance in his tone. "But…I know he doesn't…" Jake gave her a small smile. "He hates the fact he can't hate you, he hates the fact you get to him more than anyone else."

Allie sniffed, running a shaky hand through her hair. "Do you think Dingo's been thinking of me all these years? As much as I have…but…thinking about me in a nice way?"

"I know he has, Allie." Jake muttered, smirking. "As much as he despises the fact, he knows nobody can replace his mother."

* * *

_Four boys sat around the tiny wooden table that was splashed with various splotches of red, yellow, green and blue. The classroom was bustling, the kindergarten kids giggling and laughing excitedly as they played with the masses of cotton balls, glue, cardboard and coloured pencils. They were making clumsy pink, red and white heart-shaped cards especially for the day, the day 6 year old Dingo Beatles had been dreading. He stared down glumly at his blank card, glaring at the other three boys he was stuck with on the same table. They weren't as enthusiastic as the rest of the kids were, but they annoyed him all the same._

_4 year old Trent Atwood was beside him, looking moody and annoyed at the fact he was forced to use such 'wussy' utensils. He pulled out a black permanent marker he kept in the pocket of his shorts and began scrawling on the red card in front of him, his grey eyes looking up as he saw the boy next to him glare. _

"_You're not 'sposed to use that." Dingo sneered bossily, his green eyes narrowing. Trent automatically blushed. _

"_So?" He snarled back, looking down as he said it. Dingo seemed much bigger than him. "You're not even doing it…" He mumbled under his breath. On Dingo's other side was the weird kid, the one everyone seemed to give a wide berth in the classroom. He had raven black hair and what looked like an adult's tie wrapped around his forehead, making his hair stick out at all angles. Young Bandit's piece of handiwork didn't look the way it was supposed to either, with his tongue between his teeth he was stamping fluffy cotton balls in every place on the card, busily scrawling jumbled drawings around it with different colours. With a sudden pause as he contemplated on his card, he stuck the brush in his mouth. _

"_That's GROSS." Dingo sneered at him, glaring at him. Bandit looked up, his blue eyes wide as he noticed both Trent and Dingo staring at him. He put the brush back guiltily, swallowing. The teacher suddenly swooped over, her kind smile wide as she watched the four boys who were seated together. Her eyes fell on one of them, the only one who was diligently and carefully placing each individual cotton ball on his work with great care. _

"_That's very pretty, Dodge." She grinned at him sweetly, her eyes shining with pride. Dodge jumped, blushing as he looked up at her proudly. She glanced over at Dingo. "Aren't you going to do yours, Dingo?"_

"_Yeah" Dingo mumbled, half heartedly picking up a crayon. "I'm just thinking…"_

_She nodded, walking over to another table to check the others work. Dingo immediately dropped the crayon, so quickly it was as though it would poison him. He slumped in his seat, his wide green eyes watching the others around him beadily. _

"_Aren't you gonna do it?" Bandit asked, tilting his head with confusion. Dingo glared at him. _

"_Shuddup, stupid."_

_Bandit blinked, but the insult didn't seem to affect him in any way. He simply shrugged and went back to secretly eating the glue. Trent, however, piped up. _

"_You're so bossy." He sneered at him in annoyance. "Why do you have to be so bossy for?"_

_Dingo snarled at him, crossing his arms. "I'm not bossy!"_

"_Yeah you are." Trent growled at him in that annoying mocking tone. "You're always telling people what to do."_

"_I do not!" Dingo argued back. "Shutup, Trent." _

"_Why aren't you making a card then?" Trent shot back. Dingo opened his mouth to reply, but quickly closed it as the teacher walked over again, her eyes narrowed._

"_Boys…" She said slowly. "Is everything okay?"_

"_Yes" Dingo and Trent echoed, turning back to their pieces of card. Their teacher frowned, and immediately plucked Trent's permanent marker from his hand. _

"_Trent…" She sighed. "You know you're not supposed to use this. You need to leave it at home. You can come and get it from me at the end of class, okay?"_

_Trent nodded, twisting his lips in annoyance as she walked away. It wasn't even his, it was his brothers. He'd stolen it, and now he would be in even more trouble when he got home. _

"_Told you" Dingo immediately scoffed. Trent narrowed his pale eyes in frustration, angrily tearing at the fluffy cotton balls they were supposed to be working with. Trent had made an attempt, but all he ended up with was a sticky, gooey mess. His eyes quickly went to Dodge's neat work and automatically his anger rose, especially when Dodge was looking at him curiously, his blue eyes wide._

"_You're supposed to do it this way…" Dodge said meekly, pointing to his card. "If you use too much glue it doesn't work."_

_Trent snapped, glaring at him. In one quick movement he'd snatched Dodge's precious card from him and tore it into two pieces, dropping them onto the ground. Dodge's icy blue eyes widened, watching as the cardboard fell to the floor along with a snowstorm of fluffy cotton. His bottom lip trembled as Trent snarled at him, his hands fists._

"_There!" He snarled, leering at the brown haired boy. "Now you can make a whole new one!" _

_Dingo watched as Dodge's eyes filled with tears and he began to cry, breaking just as his card did. They were insignificant little sobs, quiet so the teacher couldn't even hear. Dingo liked Dodge; he didn't talk as much as other kids did so he wasn't as annoying. He felt for him too, Dodge always seemed to have one injury or another. Seeing him cry like that was enough to make Dingo snap._

"_You're so mean!" Dingo growled, suddenly getting to his feet and narrowing his eyes at Trent. "I'm telling!"_

"_You're not even doing it!" Trent said again, standing up as well. "You're not even making your stupid card!"_

"_I don't wanna make a stupid card!" Dingo immediately shot back, growling. "It's dumb!"_

_Bandit, who was meekly chewing on the glue brush again, was watching them with interest. "Then what are you gonna give your mum?" He suddenly asked, blinking innocently. "You know…for mother's day."_

_Dingo's cheeks immediately blushed as he looked down at the seemingly innocent question. He didn't even want to come to school today, he only did because his dad made him and Dingo couldn't tell him why. He didn't want to tell him it was because he didn't want to make a stupid mother's day card for school when he didn't have a mother in the country. _

_Trent frowned, sensing weakness. He scoffed, folding his arms. "Why do you even want to make one for?" Trent suddenly sneered at him in Dingo's own bossy tone. Dingo glared at him. "You don't even have a mum." _

_Dingo twitched, and his eyes widened. For a second, Trent was sure Dingo was ready to burst into tears just as Dodge had done. Instead, Dingo retaliated by smashing his fist into little Trent's nose. _

* * *

Bandit had burst out in drunken laughter when Dodge had told him one night the story of Coyote Ugly- a guy who had once gotten so drunk he'd had a one nighter with a girl he'd picked up randomly at a bar, only to wake up the next morning seeing that she was so humungous and hideous, and that his arm was stuck underneath her body. Like a coyote does if they were stuck the same way, he chewed off his arm rather than have her wake up. That, Dodge had explained, is if a chick is Coyote Ugly.

Of course, Bandit had taken that whole thing as a joke. But when he'd woken up in the morning, in a bed that wasn't his, in a room that wasn't his, and his wrist confined in a pink, fluffy pair of handcuffs, he was immediately reminded of a story that could have very well been his at that very moment.

He groaned, his bright blue eyes blinking wildly as he tried to clear his head. He felt groggy, sleepy and hungover. He attempted to roll over, but then was disrupted by the gentle clink of metal. He frowned, looking up to see his right wrist chained to the iron bedpost behind him. He stiffened as he saw the girly, bright pink fluff around the handcuffs, and realised what he was laying in was a girl's double bed, the bright fuchsia wallpaper, sheets and stuffed animals being tell-tale signs. He gulped as he looked around, and cringed.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck." He swore under his breath, already rattling the handcuffs and panicking. He made a random grab at the floor for his jeans, careful not to wake the girl beside him. He fumbled for his phone, and quickly dialed the first number that came to his head, his blue eyes wide as he eyed the girl next to him, and then to the handcuffs.

"_Shit!"_

* * *

Kuki awoke the next morning, blinking and groaning as she heard her alarm ring. Blindly she reached out and fumbled with the snooze button, punching her alarm clock until it silenced. She groaned again, rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, wincing as she thought about the full day ahead. The questions, the curious stares, the pats on the arm, the hugs…she buried her head under her blankets as she sniffed, her swollen and tired eyes blinking dully. She didn't want to get out of bed, she wanted to stay in here forever…

In the next room, Abby blinked her own tired, bloodshot eyes as she sat on the tiled floor of the shower, feeling the spray of water rush over her body. Usually it soothed and calmed her, but this morning it seemed to have no effect. Her heart still sat in her chest like a large, solid rock, weighing her down and causing more tears to slide out of her eyes. She sniffed, bringing her legs up to her chest. She didn't want to get out, she wanted to stay in here forever…

Both girls were tearful, their heads and hearts heavy with memories of the night before. Both were saddened by the losses they felt- Kuki, the loss of her boyfriend, the loss of the trust and bond she felt with him. Abby, the confusion and guilt that came with the love she felt for Dingo. Both boys had let the girls down one way or another, and now all the girls could think of doing was burying their faces in their hands and sobbing with despair.

Kuki and Abby didn't know it, but they had way more in common than they originally thought.

* * *

Fanny was rudely torn from her own deep slumber the next morning by a song. She didn't know where it was coming from, or even if it was a song at all; all she knew was that it was called something along the lines of '_I'm a tits and ass man.' _

"_I'm a tits and ass man  
I'm a tits and ass man  
I'm a tits and-"_

"_Crap" _Dodge groaned, waking abd blindly fumbling around for his ringing phone. He could always tell when one of his friend's had been messing around with his phone. Fanny, now wide awake, listened as the boy beside her answered, casting a cautious glance over his shoulder at the naked girl beside him as he answered.

"What?" He muttered tiredly, putting his head back on the pillow. Fanny heard him groan. "Bandit? Did you change the ringtone on my phone? I- What? You're _where?..._You're _what?..._Send _who?...The Army? _Look, Bando…I can't talk right now…You…Bandit…" Fanny heard him groan and roll over, the phone still pressed against his ear. "Bando…" He groaned. "What have you taken?"

Fanny heard a frantic muttering of furious insults come through the receiver as 'Bando' replied to Dodge's suggestion. Dodge listened for a couple more minutes before snickering a "yeah…sure Bando" and finally hanging up, throwing his phone back onto his bedside table and setting his head back onto the pillow. Fanny felt his watchful eyes on her back as she pretended to sleep, and she wondered what he was thinking. The bed rocked slightly as Dodge crept forward silently, trying as hard as he could to try not to wake her.

Fanny slammed her eyes shut and pretended to sleep, laboring her breaths to be calm and even as she heard him creep forward, watching her closely. She felt him pull at the thin sheet that covered her as he dragged it up so it covered her shoulder. She shifted, frowning as she felt his breath on the back of her neck. He kissed her, a sweet, tiny peck on her skin that caused goosebumps to coat her back. Dodge settled next to her, closing his eyes as the sweet scent of her perfume washed over him. He sighed, and whispered something he would have never uttered if he knew she was awake.

"_I love you."_

Trent sat moodily on the asphalt, his back slumped against the wall and his shoulders hunched. His hair hung limp around his face as he moodily scuffed his sneakers against the hard ground. He lit up another cigarette, too bored to think of anything else to do. A sly smirk spread over his face as he flexed his hand.

He looked up and frowned at the flat horizon that was the car park. His grey eyes narrowed suspiciously as his back stiffened against the brick wall he was leaning against. It was her.

He'd been waiting all morning- on a whim. He couldn't get that strange girl out of his head, the suspicion he'd seen her before, somewhere. The sound of a door slam, the flutter of blonde hair and with the clang of metal, she appeared. He twitched involuntarily at the sight of her, the slender body that seemed etched into his memory for some inexplicable reason. She was clutching a garbage bin in her hand, the morning wind whipping her blonde hair into her face as she placed the bins outside the door. She paused, running a pale hand through her hair, and turned, walking back inside gracefully.

Trent bit down on his lip, frowning as he leaned back into his position. He smirked and lit another cigarette. He growled in annoyance as he flipped open his phone, which was now emitting a loud ringing.

"What?" He hissed.

"_Trent!" _He heard Bandit hiss frantically. "_Trent dude! You gotta help me!"_

Trent groaned, rolling his eyes. "Sure mate." He smirked. "What did you take and how much?"

"_I'm serious!" _Bandit squeaked; his eyes wide as he attempted to whisper as frantically as he could. _"Trent! Send help! Police! Navy! Air Force! I need Help! SERIOUS S.M.A! SAVE. MY. ASS!"_

Trent sighed, frowning as he realised his blonde angel had disappeared from view. He pouted moodily, rising from his post.

"_Dude!" _Bandit hissed in desperation. _"Are you there? I'm in serious trouble here, Mate!"_

"Yeah" Trent scoffed, rolling his eyes as he recalled the last of Bandit's 'emergencies'. "Like the time the munchkins were after you? Or the time you thought the microwave was talking to you?"

"_But I'm sober!"_ Bandit insisted.

"Or the time you thought the garden gnome next door was going to rape your mother." Trent smirked, finally sighing. "Sure, Bando. Please try and keep your clothes on this time, aiight? We don't want any indecent exposure fines…_again_."

With that, he hung up and made his way to the diner.

* * *

Fanny eventually rose from her sleeping position and nervously looked over her shoulder to the sleeping boy beside her. His face, placed delicately next to hers, was calm and peaceful, his lips slightly parted as he slept. She had to grin at that cute face and she rolled over so she faced him.

Her eyes travelled down his face, neck, to his torso- where his beautifully sculptured upper body was covered in various black scrawling and scribbles. Fanny wondered what all of them meant, and why he got them. She frowned as she noticed how many imperfections, scars, also seemed to litter his chest- lighter and darker lines of various shapes and sizes dotted his exposed skin, and she guessed his back was the same. Unconsciously she reached out and ran a finger down his chest, studying and tracing the battle lines.

"Checkin' me out, Cherry?"

She jumped as her eyes snapped to his face, where his icy blue eyes were eyeing her sneakily. He was smirking. She blushed a deep crimson and pulled her hand away awkwardly, murmuring a soft '_Sorry.'_

Dodge smirked lazily, rolling over onto his stomach and pressing his forehead to hers.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Fine…" Fanny mumbled, blushing. "You?"

"Best sleep I've had in ages." Dodge smirked back, grinning widely. Fanny smiled back, reaching out and running a finger across his tanned shoulder, tracing another scar that ran across his arm.

"Wow" She muttered airily. "You must get yourself into some fights, huh?"

Dodge shrugged, looking down and smirking at what she was looking at. "I wish. Most of my marks are from stupidity."

"Really…" Fanny smiled, tracing a finger along his broad chest. "What's…that one from?" She ran her finger along the jagged, bumpy line. Dodge smirked.

"Sword fight."

Fanny raised her eyebrows.

"Me and my mate were…really drunk one night and we thought we'd be cool and play ninjas and pirates…only it was with steak knives, and he scored a point."

Fanny involuntarily sucked in a breath through her teeth as she could imagine two young boys, drunken smiles on their faces and sharp steak knives at hand. Dodge was adorned with battle scars, she culdn't help but wonder what the story was behind each one.

"What about that one?" She mumbled, tracing a similar jagged line near his ribs. Dodge twisted his lips in slight irritation, or was it embarrassment, and sighed.

"Stabbed again."

Fanny's eyebrows rose suspiciously. "Who stabbed you? Another drunken steak knife fight?"

Dodge smirked. "Nah, switchblade. It was a pretty big gang fight in one of the small suburbs near where we live and…yeah…the guy got scared and I wasn't paying attention. Only a couple of stitches and a some blood lost …but…yeah…I was only young…"

Fanny's heart froze within her chest as Dodge watched her closely with those icy blue eyes, studying her face for a reaction.

"You're in a gang…"

"I _was_." He muttered hastily. "I'm not anymore."

Fanny swallowed, trying not to think of Mushi. Instead her finger moved across his chest, down to his navel, where a darker, circular scar stood out slightly against his tan skin. "What's that from?"

"Burn" Dodge answered, smirking at the memory. "Lighting fireworks."

Fanny smirked slightly as she slid her fingers lower, noticing the way Dodge gradually grew much more still and tense as she neared the perimeter of his boxers. She ran her fingernail along a deep set scar on his hip.

"Barb wire fence." Before she could ask. She looked up, her eyes twinkling.

"What were you running from?" She smirked knowingly as he rolled his eyes, smirking with her.

"Nothing major…me and my friend just got caught sneaking out and we thought we'd make a run for it."

"Nice" She muttered, scoffing. "I can imagine what type of teenager you were."

"I wasn't as bad as some" He mumbled back, grinning. He closed his eyes in composure as Fanny's long fingernails glided along his stomach and back as he rolled over, Fanny tickling him sweetly. The redhead looked with interest at the delicate writing across his shoulder blades-_'Such is Life'. _Right next to it, on Dodge's right shoulder, was a sharp, course scar that was light in colour and that shot out at odd angles, looking almost spider like. She ran her fingers across it, and she frowned, knowing Dodge's own drunken behaviour or stupidity wasn't the cause of this injury.

"Beer Bottle" Dodge mumbled and Fanny jumped, blushing.

"Oh…"

Dodge's eyelids flickered upward to her as she gazed at him curiously. Something in his voice had changed, the cockiness he seemed to have, the light hearted joker had suddenly gone serious. His eyes had changed slightly, or maybe it was a trick of the light. Fanny stared into them, and she could have sworn his icy blue eyes had gotten darker.

"My Dad did it."

She froze, her fingertips grazing the blemished skin. Her heart thudded in her temples as she looked at him apologetically, but he was watching her curiously, as if seeing if she was freaked out by this piece of information. They sat in silence for a second, and faintly from the room next door they heard a growl of annoyance, which they both ignored.

"Why?"

"Dunno" Dodge shrugged, pulling his arm around so he could lean on it while watching her. He scowled, his face hateful. Fanny noticed how he looked like a totally different person, not a trace of a smile or any happiness on his face. His eyes were dark, and his lips and nose were wrinkled as he frowned darkly. "He was always like that…"

Fanny looked away, but continued to stroke his back lovingly. She swallowed, searching his face carefully.

"What happened?"

Dodge swallowed, frowning to himself. "I was mucking up, so he hit me with it and it smashed." He attempted to shrug it off, suddenly feeling a foolish blush crawl up his neck. He wanted to share that piece of information with her, that slab of his life he wanted her to know, but at the same time all he felt was embarrassment. "He was always drunk and that…"

He broke off, feeling awkward. His cheeks were burning with shame and he wished he never started the conversation. He didn't want the girl to think he was whining or pining for attention. Fanny was still running her fingers down his back, sending what felt like jolts of electricity through his skin. She leaned down and planted a kiss between his shoulder blades, hugging against him sweetly. Dodge leaned up and stole a kiss, sweeping his lips across hers.

* * *

Mushi worked hard, fast and quick in order for her to only stop for a quick breath of air and coffee. She couldn't stop…if she stopped she thought..and if she thought she panicked. No, she was not in danger, she was fine…nothing to worry about. She refused to acknowledge the fact she was pretty much doomed. She'd gotten a final warning today about fighting in the women's refuge she was staying in. She'd been losing sleep due to bad dreams. Lack of sleep led to frustration, frustration lead to fighting. She sighed deeply running a hand through her dirty blonde hair, which was hanging in her face. She was working out orders, directing waitresses and pouring drinks. It was busy, being lunchtime, and Mushi had no time to think about her current problem.

Within half an hour, most of the crowd had dispersed, and Mushi instead left to wipe up tables and generally clean. Some waitresses praised her as they passed, others whispered about the strangeness of her actions, how weird it was that she always purposely made herself busy. Mushi (or 'Madeline') ignored them and continued her work, shuffling papers and cleaning.

_"Oi!"_

She jumped at the sharp voice, almost dropping the plates she held in her hands. As she attempted to catch her breath, she felt a rough hand on her arm and an equally rough voice in her ear.

"Aw, sorry. I didn't mean to scare ya."

She swallowed, the air suddenly thick in her ears and her heart hammering at a million miles per second. She didn't want to look up. She only had to look over at the rough, calloused hand that was holding her arm. She could remember that touch, those hands…they were etched in her memory. They haunted her in her dreams. She nodded frantically, unable to look into the young man she only knew as 'Jack'.

Trent frowned, gazing at the young waitress who'd jumped at his voice. He'd noticed her from afar, and decided to make his move. There was something about her…he could decide if it was her slender figure, innocent face or that sweet, exciting nature about her. But he had to know her. He felt he had to. He looked at her closely, trying to see her face through that curtain of blonde hair. She kept her face down, and he could feel her arm begin to tremble and he released her, his frown deepening.

"Um…" She tried her best to disguise her voice; it came out as raspy and high. She swallowed. "Did you want something?"

He folded his arms, noting the fact she didn't even turn to look at him. She kept her face hidden and busy. She was noticeably trembling. "Just a coffee…" He mumbled. "You okay?"

She nodded hastily and walked away quickly; hoping and praying in her head he didn't recognize her. _Please no…not him…anyone but him…_

"Hey"

She stopped, pausing as she heard his voice- the voice of a customer. He gave a light chuckle, shuffling his feet as she felt his gaze pierce the back of her uniform.

"You sure you're right…Madeline?"

She froze, her mind racing as her fake name rang in her ears. He savored that name, as if testing her to see if she responded. He gave her a knowing smile, as if reading her thoughts. She nodded again, this time slower, as she departed, walking to the backroom and out of sight.

* * *

Kuki snuggled against the fortress of stuffed animals that surrounded her, sniffing and crying into numerous tissues as she watched break up movie after break up movie. _Titanic,_ _Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Sliding Doors, The Break-Up _and, of course,_ Gone with the Wind. _

She dabbed at her red nose, still crying. She couldn't help but think of anything but Wally- his lips on another's. She couldn't tear him from her mind, instead she slumped in the couch, crying out all of her tears over her stuffed animals. They didn't give her as much company as they used to, however.

She sniffed highly as the famous line came onto the screen.

"_Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."_

Kuki cuddled her pink rainbow monkey closer, nuzzling her face into the warm fur. _That's what I should say_…she thought to herself, _when Wally tries to talk to me, that's what I should say, right to his face! _

She groaned, rising from her post and going to retrieve more chocolate. She knew in her heart she could never do that, Wally was everything to her. Even after 10 years of separation he was still the world to her. In Japan she was nobody; they called her an American Tourist and kept their distance. Wally was the first boy she ever fell for; therefore she felt she could never love anyone else. She sighed, chewing dully on a square of chocolate. She was far from herself- the bubbly, carefree Kuki no longer existed within her, she simply stood her lilac eyes now faded and listless. She hugged her rainbow monkey to her as a new wave of tears flooded down her pale, pink cheeks.

She suddenly frowned, looking up as she heard a long, solemn melody sound from behind Abby's closed bedroom door. It sounded as though she had turned the radio up. Kuki swallowed at the song, automatically noting it was Beyonce, one of Abby's favourite artists.

_You're everything I thought you never were  
And nothing like I thought you could've been  
But still you live inside of me  
So tell me how is that?_

Kuki sniffed, images of Wally and her together flashing in her mind. She missed him, she longed for him- his voice, his touch. She knew she was a sucker for him, but yet she couldn't help it. She loved Wally, and she had a feeling she always will.

_You're the only one I wish I could forget  
The only one I'd love to not forgive  
And though you break my heart, you're the only one  
And though there are times when I hate you  
Cause I can't erase  
The times that you hurt me  
And put tears on my face_

Abby opened her eyes as she lay in bed, her hands placed delicately on her stomach. The gentle melody of the song and the lyrics seemed to speak her heart as she thought of Dingo, and the effects he seemed to have one her. No matter how many mistakes he seemed to make, or how harsh he seemed to be, she couldn't help but see the good in him. She frowned as more tears escaped her eyes.

_And even now while I hate you  
It pains me to say  
I know I'll be there at the end of the day_

Kuki thought back to last night, the way Wally had held her so protectively, the way his eyes lit up every time he saw her, the way her heart lifted every time they touched… A smile twitched on her lips. She missed him so much…

_I don't wanna be without you babe  
I don't want a broken heart  
Don't wanna take a breath without you babe  
I don't wanna play that part_

Abby snuggled against her pillow, thinking back to all the times Dingo had uttered he loved her, all the times she had uttered it back. She knew it was wrong, the way they acted towards each other, the way he acted, the way they had gotten together…it was all wrong, but yet it felt so right. Abby sniffed, knowing that she couldn't escape the obvious fact that she loved Dingo with all her heart, as much as he loved her. She missed him…  
_  
I know that I love you  
But let me just say_  
_I don't want to love you in no kind of way no no_

Abby and Kuki sat together, one wall separating them yet similar thoughts running through their heads. Abby thought of the boy she loved, the father of her baby, the boy who seemed to cause her so much pain that made her feel something nobody else could. Kuki longed for the boy that owned her own heart, her boyfriend, even though it felt as though he had mercilessly snapped it into a thousand pieces, she still loved him. Both girls appeared so different, yet they had no idea they were so similar.

_I don't want a broken heart  
And I don't wanna play the broken-hearted girl...No...No  
No broken-hearted girl  
I'm no broken-hearted girl_

* * *

Dingo awoke late into the morning, groaning as his head throbbed with pain. He could barely remember last night- it was all a blur to him. He remembered the plan, the girls, the guys…he saw Abby…and then the fight. He moaned loudly, burying his face into his pillow.

The _fight. _

He cursed fluently into his pillow, his hands forming fists as he scolded himself. How would Abby think of him now? After he'd bashed his brother in front of a crowd of club-goers. He knew how furious Abby got at their fighting, and how guilty she felt about the conflict between the two. He groaned again, flashes of the night before going through his mind. He could remember Abby…she walked away from him…. He snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously.

_His Abby_…he needed to see her.

He rose from his bed and stumbled out of his room, still only clad in his jeans from the night before. Someone had placed him in bed delicately, but still kept his jeans on. He growled as he stomped into the living room, where Dodge was lounging on the leather couch, blankly staring at Saturday morning cartoons and munching on dry cereal. He looked up as his roommate stomped in, snickering.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty…" Dodge greeted, grinning. "Rough night?"

Dingo scowled at him as Dodge eyed what damage was caused. Dingo's face was still bruised and battered- the worst being a thick cut across his left eyebrow and a large, purple bruise over his right eye. His lip was split and his torso was covered in big bruises from where he'd been kicked or punched. Dodge raised his eyebrows. "Wow, got some shiners there huh?"

"Shutup Dodge…" Dingo muttered, growling. He was frowning with mild confusion, looking around the apartment suspiciously. Dodge froze.

"What?"

"Something's up…" Dingo muttered, frowning sneakily. Now was a chance to get back at Dodge. "I was asleep last night…but all I could hear were a number of voices."

"Really?" Dodge frowned with worry. "You're getting delirious, Dingo. Maybe you should go see a doctor."

"Maybe…" Dingo muttered, his eyes flashing sneakily as he dropped onto the couch next to Dodge. "They were really weird voices too…loud voices…so loud I could hear them while I slept, they woke me up too at one point."

"Really?" Dodge was now leaning forward, now considerably worried at his friend's condition. "Dingo that's not good, seriously. Maybe you should see a doctor to see if you had any brain damage-"

Dingo narrowed his eyes, looking as though he was in deep thought. "It wasn't so much the voices; it was what they were saying. Hideous really…what they were saying…must have been in my head, it was pretty bad."

Dodge blinked his blue eyes wide with concern. "Really? What?"

Dingo now faced his friend, his arms folded tightly across his chest and a sly smirk on his face. "Correct me if I'm wrong…" he muttered. "But I think the voices were saying- over and over- _Oh Dodge, Oh yes, oh yeah, harder, baby, yes-"_

"Shutup Dingo!" Dodge snapped, his cheeks blushing a deep red as his friend burst into laughter, holding his sides as he fell backwards. "That isn't funny!"

"Damn right it isn't" Dingo smirked, recovering. "I'm half concussed and all I got running through my head is you and some chick going at it like rabbits in the other room."

"Well consider it payback." Dodge snapped, turning his attention back to the TV, his cheeks still crimson. "After having to listen to you and Abby thrashing around…"

Dingo leaned into his friend, cooing into his ear. _"Oh yeah Dodge right there…"_

"Shutup" Dodge snapped, growling and slamming his fist lightly in Dingo's un-bruised arm. "She's still here."

"Really?" Dingo suddenly perked up, an evil grin flashing across his face. "When do I get to meet her?"

"Not likely." Dodge muttered, smirking back. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Dingo frowned, thinking. He didn't have work, no deals until tonight… "No…why? Do I?"

Dodge rolled his eyes. Sometimes he doubted Dingo would even survive in the real world without his help or guidance, but the same would go both ways- Dingo and Dodge had been there for each other ever since they were 5 years old.

"You should talk to Abby…" Dodge said sternly. "She was pretty upset last night."

Dingo pouted, looking downcast.

"I dunno…" he mumbled sadly. "I don't think she wants to see me."

"That's never stopped you before." Dodge scoffed. Dingo shrugged, chewing on his bottom lip guiltily. Dodge suddenly grinned, raising his eyebrows.

"You're _scared _of her." Dodge sneered jokingly. Dingo looked up, his green eyes wide.

"I am not!" He growled over Dodge's chuckles. "I just don't wanna lose her, that's all. I keep thinking that…" He broke off, looking down at his jeans. "I keep thinking how she's so independent…like you said. What if she gets sick of me? What if she realises she's better off without me? What if…." He sighed, swallowing nervously. "What if she has this baby without me? She could just claim for custody and run off and find someone else to be the father-"

"D" Dodge cut in, frowning. "Abby wouldn't do that."

Dingo folded his arms moodily. He'd been mulling over the same thing for a couple of weeks. He was so afraid of losing Abby, now that he was finally in love he didn't want to lose it. He had a baby coming, he was going to be a father, he didn't want to screw that up like he screwed up everything else he tried to do. He didn't want to lose this. This one thing he wanted to keep.

"It'll be okay, D." Dodge said, giving him a shy smile. "Really Dude…Abby does love you, I can tell."

Dingo sighed, leaning back in the chair and slamming the back of his head against the wall behind him. "I hope so."

* * *

"_Crap" _Bandit hissed again, his tongue between his teeth as he worked furiously at the handcuffs he was confined in. His friends had been no help at all- Trent had hung up on him, Dodge had waved him off and Dingo (he guessed) had thrown his phone at the wall, as it had cut out after one ring. He'd reached the idea of slipping out his eyebrow ring to pick at the lock, which he was now attempting to do. He cast a nervous look at the girl beside him, her long brown hair shielding her face from view as she slept. Within a few minutes he was rewarded with a small click as one side of the handcuffs clicked open, the part attached to the bedpost. Bandit groaned, now glaring at the pair of fluffy handcuffs dangling off his wrist.

With a small snore the girl beside him rolled over and Bandit froze, his blue eyes widening as he braced himself. She lay still again, her body rising and falling as she slept. Bandit sighed with relief and carefully stepped off the pink sheets with caution, grabbing his clothes off the floor. Then, as soon as he was sure she was fast asleep, he ran out of the bedroom as if it was on fire.

He hardly noticed the bedroom door he slipped out of, and the curly pink letters that were painted on it. Letters that spelled out in curly, jointed writing- "Lizzie".

* * *

Abby sat cross legged on her bed, towel drying her hair as she listened to the radio. She stared at herself dully in the mirror, her face blank and her eyes downcast. She ran her fingers through her wet hair as she began to get dressed, pulling on a pair of shorts and a bra. She groaned, rubbing her temples as she hunted around the room for a jacket to pull on. Even though she loved looking her best, she was never known as a vain or fashion-conscious person. Today was different, she had taken one look in the mirror when she had risen from her bed and automatically felt sick.

Her stomach was growing as she was nearing 5 months- the growth period of her pregnancy. She nibbled nervously at her nails at this piece of information as she searched for something to wear. She groaned in annoyance and shifted her face to look in her mirror. Just beneath her charcoal grey tight tank top was her baby belly- looking abnormally (but slightly) inflated. She bit down on her lip as she searched through her tight selection of shirts, wondering why she had not embraced the 'loose dress' trend when she should have.

With one final look at herself, she sighed and automatically fell backwards on the bed, burying her face back into her pillow. She still couldn't do it, she couldn't physically step outside her bedroom door.

She heard her phone ring and she rummaged around her bed sheets to answer it.

"Hello?" She mumbled into the receiver.

"_Abs?" _Dingo's tired voice slurred to her. Abby groaned, closing her eyes.

"Dingo…" She muttered. "What do you want?"

Dingo frowned. "I don't want anything…" he mumbled back, now sheepish. "I just wanted to talk to you…"

"Right" Abby hissed. She felt the familiar feeling of guilt enter her. Here she was, talking to her lover, who was the cause of her friend's despair. "Whatever."

Dingo chewed on his tongue thoughtfully. Abby didn't sound like her usual perky self. She sounded flat and lifeless…depressed. He bit his lip. "You okay?"

Abby scoffed. "What do you think? Last night I witnessed the father of my baby try and kill my best friend, right after he destroyed his relationship with another one of my friends because he sent one of his whores on them. And, on top of that, my ex boyfriend isn't even faintly aware that I'm pregnant; nevertheless that it's his brother's baby. My sister's getting married soon, my parents keep trying to sneak me diet books and I have serious writer's block and a craving for soy sauce and pasta! So e_xcuse me, _Dingo, if I'm not my usual happy self."

"Baby…" Dingo mumbled before she could hang up. "I'm sorry."

There was a pause, and Abby could hear the sincerity and the apologetic tone in his voice. He was like a little boy owing up to breaking a window, or a priceless ornament. He sounded out of place and guilty, but hopeful nonetheless. Abby sighed and sat up.

"Yeah…Me too…" She sighed sadly, but willed herself to finally cut off the connection and end the call. She sniffed, throwing the phone back onto her bed and now feeling completely guilty and alone.

* * *

Wally sat in the college café, staring at his now cold hot cocoa. Even the usually alluring, warm smell of hot chocolate wasn't enough to cheer him up. It was as if a cold blanket had been wrapped around him, and he couldn't be free of the chills it brought to his body. He simply stared at the cardboard cup, his limp hair drooping around him like a wilted flower and his green eyes dull and listless. His shoulders were hunched and his form was weak and shrunken as he slumped in his chair, staring at his beverage.

"Hey Wally."

Wally looked up, his eyes meeting with Rachel's hazel ones. She smiled shyly and sat opposite him, her eyes wide and concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Fine" Wally grunted.

Rachel rolled her eyes, knowing better. The boy in front of her looked completely defeated, especially with the added injuries he sustained from last night. He had a few well placed cuts on his face and a few bruises, especially a great shiner under his eye.

"You holdin' up okay?"

"Yeah…" Wally grumbled, but suddenly his eyes locked with hers as he frowned. "Aren't you going to give me a lecture because you saw me with a girl wrapped around my torso?"

Rachel scoffed, raising her eyebrows. "I know you better than that." She grinned. "Besides, I know that fight wasn't about nothing last night. Those girls looked like trouble, anyways."

Wally managed to smile at her, wincing as he did so. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Wallabee sighed, twirling his finger around his cold hot chocolate. "If only…" He muttered darkly, scowling. "If only Kuki could see it like that."

"She does…" Rachel mumbled, chewing on her lip. "She just…she just feels that…you're not _hers."_

Wally frowned, looking up. "You've talked to her?"

"No" Rachel shrugged. "I just know how she feels, what every girl like Kuki feels. It doesn't matter if you willingly kissed the girl or not, the fact is a girl feels threatened by another girl kissing her man…it feels like your guy isn't yours anymore."

Wallabee growled in frustration at the situation he was in. He knew going to the club was a stupid idea. _When I get my hands on Dingo…_

"So what do you suppose I should do?" He muttered darkly.

"I'm not sure…" Rachel smirked. "But I know someone who may have a few ideas."

* * *

Joey simply blinked in alarm as he stared at the stranger who was sitting cross legged on the couch, furiously punching the buttons on his Xbox game controller. He opened his mouth to say something, stopped, and instead backed away into the kitchen, rubbing his tired eyes and wondering vaguely if he was still dreaming.

"Mom…" he mumbled, walking into the kitchen. Allie looked up. "I don't mean to alarm you, but there's a strange guy on our living room couch."

Allie smiled at her youngest son and spread out her arm for a hug, which Joey accepted. She looked tired and weary, as though she had been up all night. Joey knew his father was away for the weekend on a business trip, so for him it was strange to see some random male on their living room sofa. He raised his eyebrows expectantly and Allie shook her head, sighing.

"Don't worry about him." She mumbled. "That's just your uncle."

Joey frowned. "Uncle? We don't have an uncle."

"You do." Allie muttered back. "He's sitting in the living room."

Joey's eyes widened as he processed this thought. "I thought we just had two aunts, your sisters."

"Nope"

Joey opened his mouth to reply when they heard Jake approaching from the hall, ranting and raving as he skipped happily to the kitchen.

"_Shittest game ever! Who buys this junk? They only give you a couple of rounds of ammo and hardly any lives. What crap. And the special effects were totally disbelieving. The blood splatter you can tell is weak. R rating my arse, I tell you-"_

He rounded the corner to Allie's furious glare, and Joey's wide eyed disbelieving one. He looked from either in his innocent, boisterous way.

"Oh no" He groaned. "_Another_ one."

Joey frowned at this as Jake gazed at him thoughtfully, a familiar smirk adorning his face. "You ring a bell."

Joey gave him a small smile. He'd heard that somewhere before...

"This is _Joey."_Allie growled defensively, giving him a look. "You remember?"

"Right…faint note at the family Christmas party back home five years ago." Jake smirked. "Yes, of course I do."

"You can't be our uncle." Joey spat out before he could stop himself. He grinned widely, as if it was all a huge joke. Jake scowled, affronted and Joey jumped as his furious glare.

"Why the Hell not?"

"Well-" Joey frowned, looking from his mother to Jake with confusion written on his innocent 10 year old face. "Cuz…Cuz uncles are supposed to be…you know…middle aged and have a receding hairline and a beer gut and you know…tell inappropriate jokes all the time and complain about what's on TV." Joey ranted, thinking of his friend's uncles and how they seemed to behave. He narrowed his eyes and looked up at the guy standing in front of him who couldn't be anymore than 38. He reminded Joey of a heavy rocker who had only just gone into retirement. "They don't…look like you."

Jake grinned widely, and Joey was immediately reminded of a sly Cheshire cat.

"Frick me with a frying pan, dude!" Jake scoffed. "I like ya already! Now I feel bad that I haven't sent you birthday money all these years!"

Allie found herself heaving a deep sigh as Joey smirked eagerly. Both boys had matching evil grins.

* * *

Abby walked out of her bedroom, finally having a reason to do so. She felt guilty enough as it is, and now was a chance to finally test out her reconnection with Kuki. She wrapped her jacket around her tighter, as it was just loose enough to not show her belly, and sat herself beside Kuki, who was still surrounded by her protective fortress of stuffed toys. Kuki sniffed, making a watery attempt at a smile as her puffy red eyes fell on Abby.

"Hey Abby." She greeted, her nose blocked. She sniffed. "Sorry I'm such a deadweight today-"

"Don't worry about it." Abby shrugged. "I don't feel like doing much today either."

They both turned towards the TV, where a rerun of _Glee _was showing. After a few minutes of watching in silence, Kuki sighed wistfully, her head against a particular plushy unicorn.

"Why can't real life be like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like…Rachel and Finn…" Kuki mumbled, her eyes glued to the screen. "They have so much working against them, yet one song seems to bring them together."

Abby grinned. "Kooks, if life were like TV, we would have no problems at all. One song and the world would be peace and harmony."

"Yeah…" Kuki sighed, sniffing sadly. "If only…as if any guy would sing for a girl... really."

Abby smirked, a sudden idea striking. "It would be very Disney of them…"

"Yeah" Kuki found herself smiling as she reached for another tissue. "If only real life would be like Disney…"

* * *

"LEFT! LEFT! PRESS X! X!"

"I'M PRESSING X!"

"YOU NEED THE BLUE THING! GET THE BLUE THING!"

"AHH ZOMBIE!"

"KILL IT KILL IT!"

"AHHH!"

"AHHH!"

"Aw…ya dead." Joey finished, giving his uncle a pitiful look as the final score flashed on the screen. "Me three, you two."

"Not fair, nephew." Jake scoffed back. "Best three outta five."

"_Jake_" Allie growled from the doorway, her green eyes flashing protectively. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Why?" Jake grinned mischievously, eyes still glued to the screen. "Worried my brother's going to come home early?"

Allie rolled her eyes but didn't reply. Instead she simply gazed at the two boys in front of her curiously. It was as if Jake never grew up, he still had that teenage humour and playfulness about him. The way he and Joey had so easily clicked, it was as though they were the same age. It was strange, as Allie never thought of Jake as immature; he had easily taken the role as Dingo's father.

"Jake…" She sighed again. "You haven't told us why you're here."

Jake smirked and reluctantly passed the controller to Joey. "You get the basic idea." He told her. "Looking for Dingo, aren't I?"

Allie looked down glumly. "I can't help you there…"

"He might be at his work…" Joey suddenly spoke up, looking from his mother to Jake and back again. Jake raised his eyebrows eagerly. "He works at a mechanic downtown near the diner."

"How do you know this?" His mother suddenly asked; her eyes wide. Joey shrugged guiltily.

"I may have run into him…"

Jake smirked excitedly, suddenly rising from his chair. "Thanks, bro!" He skipped past Allie on his way to the door. Allie frowned, following him.

"Wait a second…" She hissed so Joey wouldn't hear. "What do you think you're doing? Why are you so anxious to get Dingo anyway? What's he done?"

"He hasn't done anything, Allie." Jake scoffed, rolling his eyes as she glared at him. "I just want to see him…Dingo just…" He grinned. "Never makes it easy, you know? Wonder who he gets that off."

Allie smiled before she could stop herself and Jake turned, making his way to the front door. Allie stopped and frowned, following him.

"Wait..." She snapped. "You don't even have a car, do you?"

"Oh…" Jake pouted at her. "Am I that obvious?"

"So how do you expect to find him if you don't have a car?" Allie pointed out triumphantly. Jake gave her a cocky smirk, and suddenly Allie felt nervous.

"My dearest sister in law…" Jake snickered. "I'll just borrow one."

With his playful brown eyes still locked on hers, he reached over and grabbed a pair of silver keys from the hook on the wall, jingling them teasingly in front of her. Her green eyes flashed dangerously as they widened.

"That's Derek's new car!" She hissed as he turned, still grinning proudly. "You can't drive that!"

"_Relax_…I'll take care of it."He slammed the door with a chuckle before she could say another word.

* * *

"Maddy Dear"

Mushi looked up, her fingernails still jammed between her teeth. Irma was standing at the door, watching her closely with her sharp eyes narrowed. She gave the young girl a concerned, stern look over the top of her glasses.

"You need to deliver someone's order."

Mushi swallowed, a sick feeling suddenly bubbling in her stomach as her nails clattered against her teeth again. She removed them and smoothed out her uniform instead.

"But I'm on break."

"I know, dear." Irma said, twisting her thin lips as she surveyed her. "But he especially asked for you."

Mushi didn't need to ask who _he _was; a picture was already forming in her mind of the customer. Irma's face suddenly broke into a cocky smile.

"You have an admirer?"

Mushi shook her head automatically, not wanting Irma to get the wrong idea. But Irma was already smirking, looking past what she saw as nervous signs. In her own mind she was forming ideas. She thought 'Madeline' as the quiet, emotional type who had gotten herself in deep trouble. She thought of the boy out front asking for her as maybe an ex boyfriend or admirer who wanted to get to know her. Irma noted all the signs the young girl was showing- nervousness, avoidance… To Irma, what she needed was a man.

"C'mon Love." She grinned. "He seems nice."

Mushi looked up, her pale eyes wide. "N-no, Irma…you've got the wrong idea, we're not-"

"Now, now deary!" Before Mushi could stammer out any explanation or excuse, Irma had swept her from her chair and was now pushing her outside to attend to the boy waiting for her. She was grinning. "You just gather up your courage 'ere and talk to him! I remember when I was a young'in I was in the exact same position! Young love havin' our domestics, I was so scared to talk to another man-"

"But- Irma!" Mushi squeaked, her eyes wide. "I don't-"

"Now now!" Irma talked over her, smiling sweetly. "Think no more of it! I'll bring your lunch out to ya so you two lovebirds can have a chat!"

Mushi felt faint, she thought any second she would pass out. Her face paled, including her lips, as Irma finally let her go- walking back up the aisle chuckling to herself about young love. Mushi shook where she stood, completely torn about whether to run, hide or just brace herself and do it. She needed the job more than ever, even more importantly she needed her life. If she told Irma about the attempted attack she'd get in more trouble and even more danger.

With trembling hands she took a deep, shuddering breath and picked up the warm takeout cup of black coffee in front of her. She bit down on her bottom lip hard as she shakily stepped forward, closer and closer, to the table.

Trent was staring far ahead, unaware of the young girl's presence as she approached him. He was staring out of the window, thinking and chewing on his pierced tongue thoughtfully. Mushi crept closer, slid the cup onto the table and carefully crept backwards, anxious to make as little noise as possible. It didn't work, she hit a stool behind her and her silence was broken. Trent turned and his grey eyes found hers. Mushi froze, her eyes widening as she found herself face to face with him. There he was- the guy of her nightmares. The one who'd haunted her ever since they met.

He blinked at her, her pale indigo eyes were wide and frightened, gazing at him like he was some sort of beast. Her face was familiar, but half hidden with that thick blonde hair and caked in makeup. She blinked back at him, swallowing nervously. She couldn't look anymore, she drew in a sharp breath as his gaze hardened and she ran, out of the shop, out into the car park.

She leaned against the brick wall, her chest rising and falling with panic. She couldn't do it, she couldn't face him, she was too afraid. Even if he didn't recognize her it didn't matter, he still found her all the same. She swallowed, trying to regain her thoughts and her breath. She ran a few shaky fingers through her hair as she closed her eyes, wishing to be anywhere but here. In Japan, even. With her parents, even. She'd put up with it just to be out of this-

She opened her eyes. Looked up. Saw him, standing over her. He still had his cup of coffee. His hood was up, his eyes were narrowed and his fearsome, dominating nature was highlighted at the fact he was a head taller than her. He loomed over her ominously, having followed her.

"You know…" His gaze was no longer curious, it was hard and calculating. "From the second I saw you I thought you were familiar…" he looked at her up and down, and Mushi's legs were no longer sturdy enough to run, let alone stand strong. She gaped like an airborne fish, trying to find excuses to back away. He trapped her exit with his hand, slapping it to the brick wall. He narrowed his eyes, pushed his face into hers. "I never forget a pretty face like yours."

"Wha-Wha-" Mushi stuttered, her body pressed against the brick wall. "I-I d-dunno what y-you-"

Trent smirked, chewing on his coffee cup with his teeth. He gave her a long, hard look before dropping his cup to the ground. He approached her again, this time their bodies were touching. Mushi thought of running, screaming or something, but nobody was around…and to anybody this would just look innocent. She looked across the almost empty parking lot, looking for anyone…anybody. His fingers went to her cheek and pushed her face to his. His fingers ran down her cheek, rubbing at the makeup smeared on her face. He smirked again, this time wider. His eyes widened at the sight of her and he chuckled darkly.

"_Mushi"_ he grinned proudly. "Where've you been, babe?"

* * *

"No freakin' way."

"Wally…" Rachel sighed, waving the pieces of paper threateningly. "Do you want to win back your girlfriend or not?"

"Whatever happened to flowers and boxes of chocolate?" Wally hissed, his cheeks a light pink and his fists shoved in his pockets. "Why do I have to do this for?"

"Because you know Kuki's no normal girl." Rachel grinned. "She needs a _touch of Disney."_

"Then why can't we watch _The Little Mermaid?" _Wally groaned. "I don't do Karaoke!"

"It's not Karaoke!" Rachel snapped, affronted Wally was whining about her plan. She thought it flawless. "It's a chance for you to win back your girlfriend! It shows love and devotion, and the fact you'd put your own dignity on the line for her. Every girl would love to be serenaded"

"Yeah but…" Wally groaned. "Did you have to choose such a loser song?"

"All in the name of Dignity!" Rachel grinned. "She'll love it. I've already told the owner of the café, and he says it's fine. He even asked why we didn't alert him sooner, he could have started charging people."

"Ha ha" Wally muttered bitterly, but smirked all the same. "You really think this'll work?"

"I reckon it will." Rachel grinned eagerly. "You stay and practice, I'll go and get the leading lady."

* * *

Bandit snarled to himself as he stomped along the edge of the road, positive this was and will be the most embarrassing experience of his life. A pair of stubborn, fuzzy handcuffs hung from his wrist as he wondered along a two lane highway. How humiliating.

"Stupid, ungrateful friends…" He growled to himself, folding his arms as he walked. "Dickheads…last time I ever help them….I oughta-"

He heard the sudden screeching of car tires as a car suddenly turned sharply to the right, completely a U-turn from one side of the road to the other. Bandit didn't appear to notice, he was too busy snarling about what he'll do to his friends once he gets his hands on them. A second later, a shiny, new model silver BMW skidded off the road and pulled up in front of him. Bandit frowned, taken aback by the sudden opportunity. He'd been wondering the same road for half an hour with no takers at picking him up. The front passenger door sprang open and Bandit grinned eagerly.

"Score…" he muttered, skipping forward eagerly. He quickly jumped eagerly onto the leather seats and slammed the door closed, amazed at his good fortune.

"Thanks bro!" He smirked. "I've been wondering along this freakin' highway forever! I was starting to think I would never-"

The doors suddenly locked and Bandit froze, his eyes widening with sudden panic.

"Aw, that's alright Bando." A familiar voice sneered at him. Bandit felt his heart race in his chest as his fingernails dug into the leather seat. "My…pleasure."

Bandit winced as the BMW suddenly took off, too fast for Bandit to escape. He clawed at the door in blind panic, his breath coming in quick, panicked breaths. When it became apparent he couldn't escape without facing sufficient injury, he forced a shaky, nervous smile as he turned to face the driver, his eyes wide with fear.

"J-J-Jake…" he managed to say, gulping. "Hey…"

Jake gave him one of his trademark cocky smirks as he drove, his eyes on his target. Bandit knew he'd been caught, cornered. He knew then they'd all been busted. He might as well give up now; Jake had a way of making him feel like he was 10 years old again.

"You know Jake…" Bandit gave him a winning smile, which proved transparent as his eyes were wide with fear. "You know that whole…moving…running away thing…" He tried to scoff. "You know that wasn't my idea, right…right?"

* * *

"Please don't kill me"

Trent's grey eyes widened at the girl who had spoken so suddenly. He frowned, scoffing as he stood over her. "What?"

Mushi opened her eyes, bracing herself for the blow she was expecting to come. Instead Trent was watching her blankly, his pale eyes wide with curiosity. Without a word he'd led her back inside the diner by the arm, calmly set her down at the booth in the corner and simply stared at her, as if waiting for her to make the first move. His dazed, wide eyed look was really starting to freak her out.

"I…" She swallowed nervously, his watchful eyes makin her nervous. "I don't have the money, I don't have any money."

Trent smirked at her joyfully.. His pale grey eyes glistened in the sunlight that was streaming through the windows. "I aint a total beast, babe." He snickered. "I can be flexible. Besides, I could tell."

Mushi merely blinked at him.

"I mean, waitress pay ain't too hot, huh?"

She shrugged, unsure of what to say. She had been so fearful of this guy, who now only looked a few years older than her, with a cheeky smirk and playful eyes. She twisted her hands together tightly as an order was placed in front of her. She held back, trying not to look so desperate in front of who could easily be an enemy, but in the end her hunger won and she ate quickly, trying not to look at the boy in front of her.

"I'm here…for a proposition." Trent finally said. Mushi looked up in alarm, swallowing.

"A…what?"

"A proposition." He said, smirking. "You know…deal, offer, proposal…that kinda shit."

Mushi's brow furrowed at his laid back suggestion. His eyes were still sparkling roguishly, looking at her with curiosity.

"See…I kinda figured you wouldn't be able to pay the…eh…_debt_, so I figured I'd go easy on 'ya, you know…I'll talk to Ace and see if he can't lay off a bit."

Mushi frowned, untrusting of this sudden attitude. "You'd…do that?"

"Yeah" Trent smiled. "But…only one catch being…I don't trust people too easily. People tend to…" He twisted his lips in mock thought. "Take advantage of my generous offers, and usually that doesn't end well."

Mushi gazed at him, her stomach feeling like ice and her heart pounding in her ears. "What do you mean?"

Trent shrugged again. "I'd have to keep you close if I'm gonna keep an eye on you, _Madeline." _He winked at her sneakily and Mushi flushed a deep pink. "I'll say to the gang I'm keeping you on tabs, you pay me in small payments so you're under less pressure and you're less of a target. But…you'd have to stay close to me and in return, do small favors."

"Like what?" Mushi immediately shot back.

Trent scoffed, shrugging his shoulders in an uncaring way. "Dunno" He smirked. "I don't plan ahead. I always need an opponent in guitar hero…" he gave her a wide smile, and Mushi was completely taken aback.

"I-I'm not…I mean, I'm only…I don't…I can't-"

Trent smirk lowered to a scowl as he folded his arms, leaning closer.

"Listen…" He said lowly. "I'm making you an offer here, Mushi, to keep you out of trouble."

"Keep me out of trouble?" Mushi squeaked back, disbelieving. "You're the one who gave me this." She pointed at her cheek, where the scar he gave her showed faintly through her layer of makeup. It brought tears to her eyes to see that scar.

Trent swallowed under her glare. "Its part of the job…" he mumbled. "I mean, I didn't wanna hurt ya but I had to, and I'm afraid I'm gonna have to hurt you more, Mushi, if you don't come with me."

Mushi shook her head, tears filling her eyes as she made another stab at her food. "I've already got someone to live, I'm perfectly fine."

"No you're not." Trent said back, in a strange tone that was both sympathetic and mocking. "I know you're living in a refuge."

Mushi had been saddened into silence, and tears fell from her cheeks before she could stop them.

"So whaddya say?" Trent said, smiling at her cockily. "Do we have a deal?"

* * *

Fanny anxiously drummed her fingers against the door as she heard the engine of the car silence, and once again a stiff quiet seemed to seize both young lovers as they sat awkwardly side by side in front of the well known diner. Dodge had offered to drive Fanny to work, secretly because he couldn't bear to see her walk out of the door. He'd been lucky enough for Dingo to leave first, as he doubted Dingo would have gone easy on his new found love. He sat quietly, drumming on the steering wheel of his dodge challenger as Fanny sat in his passenger seat sweetly, looking over at him with a lazy smile gracing her features.

"Thanks…" She mumbled quietly. "For the ride."

"That's okay" Dodge mumbled back, his blue eyes half hidden beneath his brown bangs. He scraped his teeth against his bottom lip nervously, but Fanny spoke up first.

"So…what does this mean?"

Dodge frowned, straightening. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Fanny sighed, looking at the dashboard of the car awkwardly. "Like…us…you know? I know you don't do relationships…and…I don't think….But I don't think I can be like that…"

Dodge smirked slyly. "I don't think I can anymore either."

The two looked up, into each other's faces. Her eyes met his, and suddenly Fanny's heart seemed to pound within her temples at a hundred miles an hour. Dodge froze, his hands suddenly sweating and his mind scarily blank.

"We should do this again sometime." Fanny suggested meekly, searching his eyes for an answer. "You know…if you're up to it."

Dodge suddenly smiled, a goofy grin that seemed to light up his whole face. He reached over and pulled her chin to his, embracing her lips with his. They kissed for several minutes, neither of them releasing for air, until they eventually broke apart, panting slightly for air.

"I'd like that" Dodge grinned happily as Fanny smiled back, fumbling with the handle of the car and stepping out.

"Wait Cherry" Dodge frowned, his blue eyes twinkling. "Will I ever get to know your real name?"

Fanny froze, her smile growing wider.

"Take me on a date, _Joker._" She smirked, slamming the car door and blowing a kiss through the open window. "And we'll see what happens."

Dodge smirked to himself as he watched her go, the way her auburn locks seemed to glisten in the sunlight and the way she had a small skip in her step, her long legs striding elegantly to the front door of the diner as if she was on a catwalk. She was still smiling to herself, and Dodge found he couldn't look away.

From inside the diner, Hoagie couldn't look away either. His large tired brown eyes watched the way the two kissed, the way they talked and the way their eyes met, and locked. He stared out the window glumly, and stared down at the murky pool of cold coffee in front of him. With a sudden flash of anger he crushed the paper cup within his fist, sending the liquid over his fingers and onto the counter. He stood and left in disgust before the redhead could lay eyes on him. He shoved his fists in his pockets and gnashed his teeth together, but he couldn't help the guilt that seemed to flow over him, the sense of betrayal that pumped through his veins. The harsh realisation seemed to dawn on him then, he'd screwed up…he couldn't deny the fact he'd lost her.

* * *

Abby smiled to herself as she made her way towards the door. She couldn't wait to see Wally actually make an attempt at singing; she thought it so sweet for him to do it just for Kuki. She wore a flowing dress that hid her bump well, and she continued to keep her hand on her stomach.. She grinned as she opened the door, and automatically her smile slackened as she saw who had been waiting behind it.

Dingo grinned at her sheepishly. "Hey Baby."

"Dingo" Abby hissed. "What are you doing here?" It was true, all of her friends had travelled to the café to see Wally's performance, but if anyone saw him here, it would be suspicion on both parts.

"I wanted to see you." Dingo muttered.

Abby snarled, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at him suspiciously. "What's the real reason you're here?"

Dingo looked down innocently and pulled a box from behind his back. Abby blinked. The box was white, with green dots scattered over it and one of Abby's favourite icons on the front. It was-

"I know you like them." Dingo grinned slyly. "I thought they'd help with pregnancy cravings."

Abby chewed on her bottom lip, anxious to restrain herself. Instead she focused her energy on giving Dingo a mean glare.

"What is this? Blackmail?"

"No" Dingo pouted at her. "I just knew you liked original glaze."

There was silence between the two, Abby attempting to hide her growling stomach and Dingo's eyes twinkling at her as she debated between her head and her hunger.

"Can I come in?" Dingo asked her pitifully, holding the donuts as a peace offering. Abby groaned, her pregnancy finally winning.

"They better be warm." She snarled weakly, reluctantly stepping aside.

* * *

"Rachel…." Kuki groaned weakly as her blonde friend skipped ahead, firmly grasping her hand in hers. "Rachel, I really don't feel like ice cream today…seriously I just feel like-"

Rachel's bright, cheerful hazel eyes met her violet ones and Kuki silenced. Rachel grinned, skipping three steps ahead of her. "C'mon Kooks!" She smirked widely. "You need to get out of that dorm! Fresh air, some ice cream! They have a brand new Mango Sorbet I want you to try…"

Kuki sighed, thinking wistfully back to her lazy, comfortable position on the couch. She'd quickly thrown on a thin grey cardigan over her purple shirt and black skirt, but her hair wasn't done and she hadn't even touched her makeup this morning. But Rachel, the smiley, cheerful person she was, had whisked her out the door without another word. The only thing that seemed to be keeping Kuki from going forward was Rachel's glowing smile, and how crushed she would look if Kuki flatly refused. She simply sighed and allowed Rachel to drag her to the college café.

* * *

Bandit's breath quickened as his heart hammered within his chest, his teeth chomping on his cuticles nervously. His eyes darted from side to side, as if looking for a way out. His captor simply looked on with mild amusement as he drove, thinking to himself how much Bandit looked like a cornered, wild rabbit.

"I swear I don't know where they are." Bandit groaned, his faded blue eyes wide. "Really Jake, you do believe me right? Why would I lie to you? We- We don't tell each other where we're going all the time, man…you gotta trust me on that-"

"Don't give me that, Bando." Jake sniggered. "Where you livin'?"

"Well…uh…ya know…complicated…situation….no address at present-"

"Bandit…"

"You know of all people you can trust me, Jakeo, ya know I would never lie to you just the situation so complicated and you caught me in a very awkward position-"

"BANDIT!"

"AH! I can't tell you!" Bandit groaned awkwardly. "Dingo'll kill me…"

"Bandit-" Jake leaned across and took a strong hold of Bandit's collar. Bandit gulped, his eyes wide as Jake kept his eyes on the road, his dark pupils livid. His voice had deepened into a dark snarl Bandit knew too well. "You're gonna find it really hard to tell Dingo anything if you don't start sharing with _me." _He grinned, his dark eyes suddenly boring into his. "How much _do _you value that tongue piercing, Bando?"

Bandit gave a tiny whimper and gulp of fear as he sighed, furiously chomping at his bottom lip.

"Next right here." He managed to choke out.

"Always a smart kid, Bandit."

* * *

Abby ran her tongue over her fingers nervously; keen to savor any fragment of sweet donut glaze. She couldn't help it, but she could feel her cheek burn a light pink as deep emerald eyes gazed at her intensely, a deep smirk set on his handsome smug face. Abby swallowed heavily as she eyed the bruises and scrapes that seemed to litter his face, the small cut on his bottom lip, his black eye, cut scalp and his jaw grazed. Yet, it all seemed to suit him.

"I like you pregnant." He grinned at her. "You're much quieter and your boobs are much bigger."

Abby growled, her foot shooting out and kicking him in the shin. "Shut up" She growled, but grinned all the same. Dingo shifted casually close to her on the couch they were sitting on and gently pushed a wavy strand of hair behind her ear, his deep green eyes gazing into her chocolate ones. She swallowed, her skin tingling where his skin had touched hers. It was as if she felt a spark of electricity every time they touched, everything else seemed to fade away around her.

"I miss you, baby." Dingo whispered to her, his green eyes dark. "You don't know how much you kill me not being around."

Abby shrugged, unsure of what to say. She twisted her lips together and entwined her fingers nervously, clenching her toes against the floor. It was taking every fibre of her being not to jump on him, to whine and sob and cry her eyes out about everything that was wrong, everything that made her feel she was carrying the world on her shoulders. One soothing word from him could make her feel better; a murmur in her ear or a kiss on her cheek meant the world when it came from Dingo, even though she didn't know why. But she couldn't give in; she had to have her pride. She had to be strong.

Dingo played with a strand of her long hair, winding it around his finger and releasing it. He sighed wistfully, leaning in closer to take in her scent. She always smelt so good, warm and calm kind of like the warm summer breeze back in Australia. She smelt good, like no perfume could achieve. A mixture of vanilla, coconut and frangipanis. He ran a few fingers down her cheek, rough to soft, and she looked over, her deep brown eyes scanning him carefully. His fingers travelled down her cheek, her neck, her chest and finally her stomach, where his fingers grazed the material longingly and rested there.

"I don't know what to do…" Abby admitted, still gazing into his face. Her brown eyes were wide and vulnerable, almost pleading. "I haven't told anyone yet…but I know I should soon…"

"Why don't you?" Dingo murmured to her softly. Abby sniffed, looking down into her lap.

"I'm scared." She mumbled, a few unshed tears gathering around her eyelids. She willed them away. "I don't want my parents to be disappointed in me…I don't want my friends to think differently of me. I'm scared of what they think, I'm scared of what will happen, I'm scared I won't be a good mother, I'm scared I won't have enough money or enough common sense or…I'm just…scared. And that's…not supposed to be me."

Abby sniffed glumly. It had been on her conscience for a matter of months, the fear of becoming a mother. She wasn't supposed to be afraid, she thought. She was supposed to be the brave one, the one with all the common sense. Sometimes she wondered vaguely where the old Abby went.

They sat in silence as the tears slowly slid down Abby's cheeks, leaving two identical trails down to her jaw line. "I don't know what'll happen, Dingo…" Abby muttered sadly, sniffing. "That's the scariest part."

A few more tears slipped down her face, and Dingo watched them fall. He couldn't help but shift closer to her and wrap his arms around her form, guiding her head to his chest. She sighed, snuggling her face into his shirt and letting a few more tears fall. Dingo tightened his grip and hugged her close, one arm around her shoulders and the other still resting on her stomach. After a few seconds of heavy silence, both jumped simultaneously, Dingo yanking his hand back and Abby gasping in apparent surprise, her hand on her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Dingo asked, his eyes wide. "What the fuck was that?" He glanced at her stomach, which had suddenly twitched against where his hand lay. It was weird, and Abby felt it too. She frowned, her fingers on her bump thoughtfully. She swallowed, her brown eyes wide.

"It….It kicked."

"Huh?" Dingo frowned. "W…what?"

"Uhn-" Abby froze, her eyes widening as her heart thudded within her chest.. Her baby had kicked- for the first time. She felt light, almost as if she was hovering inches above the ground. Her baby…_kicking…_ "The baby…" She looked over at Dingo strangely, feeling a smile flutter on her lips as she stared at him, completely awed, at her baby bump. "It kicked."

Dingo's eyes widened, his face suddenly paling. "Really?"

"Yeah" Abby said breathlessly. "It's rolling around…" Her smile widened excitedly as she sniffed, completely blown away at her baby's movements. At five months mothers should feel their baby's first movements, but Abby never thought it would be anything like this, a tiny life inside her…a small being they were responsible for… kicking at her stomach and Dingo's hand as if the baby knew they were there, as if it already knew who they were.

Dingo's fingers went back to her stomach in a daze, his eyes wide and his lips parted nervously. He felt it, Abby's stomach twitching as the baby kicked and moved restlessly, finally lying peacefully after a few seconds. They sat, staring at each other in complete silence, lost at what to say.

* * *

Wally sat shaking from head to toe, his eyes wide just thinking about what he was attempting to do. The only thing restraining him from running out the door was the thought of Kuki and how much he wanted to see her again. He hated the fact she was angry, he hated that he had caused her to be sad, no matter whose fault it was. Nigel stood beside him, trying to hold back his sniggers without success.

"You don't think this is a bad idea, do you?" Wally suddenly asked, frowning at his friend. Nigel shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his red jacket casually.

"Nah" Nigel snickered. "it's a great idea, shows how whipped you are."

"Shutup" Wally snapped, growling in annoyance. "Rachel said it was a great idea."

"Of course" Nigel grinned. "It's hilarious."

Wally rolled his eyes and chose to ignore him, instead shaking from head to toe. From around him, people were grinning and whispering excitedly, their eyes glued to him to ensure they wouldn't miss anything. He was starting to regret this whole romantic endeavor, and wishing he just went with flowers instead.

"This is so _lame." _He seethed in annoyance, grinding his teeth. "Why did I even agree to do this?"

"All a matter of _lurve." _Nigel smirked triumphantly. "If it makes you feel any better, she'd do the same for you. Just think of the TV show, _Glee. _They seem to do okay, right?"

Wally shot him a furious look, his heart thudding numbly in his chest and his hands shaking. "I can't believe I got myself into this…" He groaned awkwardly. Nigel thumped him on the back in support. Suddenly the door opened and Rachel and Kuki stepped into the shop, Rachel already beaming with excitement and Kuki glumly following her. Wally stiffened as he saw her, her long ink black hair, sleek and smooth flowing down her back, her petite figure, her sweet face, glossy lips and wide, lilac eyes that seemed downcast. Nigel shifted off to the side, leaving him centre stage. Wally gulped, thinking this may well be the most embarrassing attempt of his life…he just hoped later that, if it didn't work, he could easily play it off that he was drunk.

"Rachel…" Kuki frowned as the many eyes stared at her. She turned to her friend, who was now overcome with a fit of giggles. "What's…going on?"

The lights dimmed, the music volume heightened, and many students immediately got out their camera phones. Then Wally appeared, a microphone at hand and looking as though he wished to be anywhere else, but his wide green eyes were hopeful as he stared at her, and Kuki froze on the spot, her lips agape.

"Kuki Sanban…" Wally sighed into the mic, a hot blush crawling up his neck. "This is for you…"

Kuki gaped, completely lost, as her boyfriend began to sing to her, imperfectly and a little off key, but yet it was for her, and it was the song that seemed to bring them together.

'_Honey why are you calling me….so late? It's kinda hard to talk right now…' _Wally mumbled, his cheeks flushing timidly. _'Honey why you cryin' is everything okay….I gotta whisper 'cuz I can't be too loud…' _

He grinned as whoops and catcalls echoed through the shop, stepping towards her with his mic still in hand.

'…_Well, my girl's in the next room  
Sometimes I wish she was you  
I guess we never really moved on…'_

Kuki found herself grinning, her cheeks flushed a crimson as every pair of eyes was on her. She looked up at her bo9yriend, awkwardly singing just for her. She remembered back to the days where he wouldn't even give her a hug in public. Wally smirked at her, completely taken by her smile.

"_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name  
It sounds so sweet  
Coming from the lips of an angel  
Hearing those words it makes me weak…" _

Kuki brought a hand to her lips, trying hard to hold back her grin as Wally sang to her. She was completely taken by his act, even though he was probably mortified by the act he still did it, and Kuki smirked at him, her heart thumping in her chest. Wally grinned, holding out his hand towards her. Rachel gleefully snapped a picture for her scrapbook album.

"_And I never wanna say goodbye  
But girl you make it hard to be faithful  
With the lips of an angel"_

Wally swayed on the spot, getting into the rhythm of the song as people whistled and cheered. He tried not to think of how many jokes would form after this song was finished, and instead concentrated on the girl in front of him, how her face lit up as she smiled. He grinned and began another verse.

"_It's funny that you're calling me tonight  
And, yes, I've dreamt of you too…"_

Kuki gaped as Wally gripped her hand, gently leading her up to the small stage set in the café. People whooped and cheered, egging her on. She numbly stumbled forward, her bright eyes wide with nerves.

"_And does he know you're talking to me  
Will it start a fight  
No I don't think she has a clue…"_

Wally grinned as he sang to her, completely oblivious to the people around him and uncaring of what people would say. All that mattered was Kuki, and she was looking up at him with complete awe as she stepped on stage. He pulled her delicately onto the stage, now getting into the song.

"_Well my girl's in the next room  
Sometimes I wish she was you  
I guess we never really moved on  
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name  
It sounds so sweet"_

He got down on one knee, now serenading her with that goofy smile on his face. Kuki giggled, her mouth still open in shock. What did Rachel and Nigel do with the old Wally…?

"_Coming from the lips of an angel  
Hearing those words it makes me weak…"  
_

Wally rose from his position, his eyes gazing into the lilac eyes in front of him. Kuki smiled at him, all previous sadness forgotten. Wally did love her…She couldn't imagine him putting himself though such a devoted stunt for nothing. Wally's eyes shone as he gazed at her, wide and begging for forgiveness as the music played. Kuki grinned, her smile glistening in the dimmed lights. Fellow college students waved their arms peacefully at the couple from below, Nigel and Rachel laughing together by the door. Wally smirked shyly, pulling her into a loose embrace.

"_And I never wanna say goodbye  
But girl you make it hard to be faithful  
With the lips of an angel…"_

They kissed, the crowds below wooing and cheering, clapping and laughing. Camera phones clicked and flashed, and Wally tried not to think of the videos that would appear on MySpace and YouTube. Instead, he held his girl closer, holding her so her feet lifted from the floor as they kissed, once again together. Kuki pulled away, grinning as the instrumental music still played in the background.

"The things I do for you…" Wally smirked to himself as Kuki giggled happily, kissing him again.

* * *

Dodge wondered into his apartment, his head lightly bobbing to the song he had stuck in his head and his fists jammed into his pockets. He froze as he immediately looked around the room with suspicion, his eyebrows contracting. Something didn't feel right…something felt…out of place.

Bandit suddenly appeared from the hallway, his deep navy eyes wide and his fingers tightly wound in that nervous stance he seemed to have. He chewed on his bottom lip guility, his eyes only widening further as he saw that Dodge was glaring at him.

"Oh…it's only you." Dodge muttered, shrugging at his friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh…." Bandit gulped, shifting on the spot as he tried to think up some excuse. "Well…urm…" He finally broke, a small awkward smile appearing on his lips. Dodge narrowed his eyes as Bandit began to ramble. "I tried to warn you! But you guys didn't pick up and I didn't know what to do and he knew my weaknesses and I-"

Dodge's eyes widened in fear as he turned, a familiar voice reaching his ears. His heart thudded in his temples as he gaped, completely cornered.

"Hey Dodge!" Jake greeted cheerfully, leaning against the door casually as he watched them both with mild amusement. He grinned, closing the door behind him as he advanced on them both, calmly walking across the floorboards loftily, smirking. Dodge and Bandit backed up nervously. "It's been ages, hasn't it?" Dodge cringed, groaning as he leaned against the wall.

"Aw, crud." Dodge hissed. "We're busted, aren't we?"

Jake nodded cheerfully. "You are so, completely, utterly, totally fucking _busted_."

* * *

R&R ;) x


	13. Chapter 13: Laughter, Tears & Tantrums

_Hehe, Hiii peoples :) well, I made it before next year, which is an added bonus...I guess. *Sigh* Truthfully I feel awful, It took me so long to do this chapter! Well, I'm in America now so...With Jetlag and preparation for the actual trip, it was kind of hard for me to write :P That, and I kinda got caught up in the marathon of Bully Beatdown the other day on MTV and...hehe...well...you know how it is :P_

_This chapter, I hope, makes up for it though! 20,000 and something words! I didn't mean to do that much...I kinda got carried away :D_

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to hellopandaluver, because it took me 10 chapters to finally answer her question :)...sorry :P**

_Anways...RESPONE TO REVIEWERS! (weew)_

Nidsslamgirl-KND : _Hehe, thank you :) I try and be romantic, but end up being...dramatic :P YAY! Hope you like the update (:_

Foxy-chan09 : _Yeah, I bet it's weird not having a 2/5 romance, seeing as that seems to be the 2nd most popular couple around! Hoagie...who knows what'll happen with him :P I love writing Fanny/Dodge, because they seem to fit in so well together :) I'm glad they're loved :D THANKYOU! _

simi838 : _Dang...that sucks. (Your elbow, not the review :P) But I bet it's healed by now I took so freakin' long! Hehe, I hope you like it :D I'm missing Sydney at the mo :(_

Laurie43: _Poll is going well, btw :P A few more votes but your favourite is still in the lead (y) Hehe, I feel sorry for Hoagie though...still not sure where to go with him but I do have some ideas...:) I love your long reviews, I hope you like the update! _

Starlight Kittycat : _Aw :D thanks! I'm glad to hear they're not annoying Mary Sue's, they actually make the story actually...interesting. Hehe, I hope you like my update :D Love the review!_

E-D-Songy-12: _Ooomg I love Glee too! I always miss it though :( Thank you for itunes downloads! :D Hehe, I hope you like my EXTRA long chapter, if you can ever get through it :P (I almost can't, idk why I can't stop writing)_

itsaDoggyDogworld: _Hehe, I feel kinda guilty because I made Jake seem so much like a party pooper, which he was kinda meant to be, but Jake is meant to be just like them, after all. He's as easily drawn into drama as the rest of the gang, so this story is going to be going on for a while :D *Evil laugh* I'm thinking the final chapter (maybe leading a sequal, I haven't decided yet) may be one of the 20-something chapters :P I hope this chapter makes you happy :D_

mel: _*Sad face* sorry this chapter wasn't as fast, but hopefully it makes up for the wait :D Lol, Jake definately isn't the best role model...even though I created him being kind of smart, he makes some weird decisions :P Lol, I hope you like the update :D_

sstoons3425 : _I love Lips of an Angel! hehe, and I definately love writing them as a couple. They are so cute together, not like the rest of my couples where "Bad Romance" by Lady GaGa seems to be the only song that suits them :P Lol, love the review and I hope you like the update :)_

hellopandaluver: _Well, you'll probably hate me after this chapter :P Because I did finally answer your question and all :) See, I didn't forget! hehe, anyways I hope you like my update, and enjoy the rest of the ride ;) Love your reviews, btw. _

shejams: _Lol, I'm glad Dodge is loved...I think he needs some loving :D hehe! I'm glad you like my characters, it was funny writing Jake and Joey, because I imagine them being so similar. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter as much as the last :D_

Numbuh 321: _WWWWEEEEWWWWWW! Lol...hyper :D YAY I love that you love my story :D I hope you like this chapter just as much :D welcome aboard ;)_

_Ahhh... I love you, reviewers :D *sparkly eyes*_

* * *

Dingo looked down at his sneakers moodily, chewing on his tongue so furiously it was almost bitten raw. His hands were clamped into tight fists, his knuckles whitening. He was trembling slightly, his cheeks warm and stomach tight. He swallowed, but the lump in his throat still remained. So many emotions- anger, fear, anxiety, humiliation- seemed to pump through his veins.

Jake watched him carefully, his deep brown eyes noting all the signs of fury his son was giving off. After all the years of raising him, Jake could easily tell that this was the moment Dingo had been dreading, when Jake finally caught up to him. Jake knew the only real thing Dingo was afraid of was Jake, not in the way of fear but in the way of pride, how he hated letting Jake down. Ever since he was younger and Dingo tried to hide his bad behaviour report, up to when he would stay up to a week in jail because he refused to let Jake know he'd been arrested…yet again. Jake sighed, his shaggy black fringe fluttering upward.

"So…"

Dingo's deep emerald eyes looked up, glaring at Jake with hatred. He couldn't believe he'd been caught…he'd walked right into it without so much as a warning from his friends. He gritted his teeth angrily, already planning on kicking Bandit's butt as soon as he got out of here. Jake smirked at him, a knowing grin plastered on his face.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Dingo's eyes widened, and gingerly he raised his hand to touch his bruised face, automatically flushing conspicuously. He snarled.

"Nuthin'" He snarled automatically, and immediately his eyes widened at Jake's sly smirk. "I mean…fight."

"Too late!" Jake grinned, chuckling lightly. There was an awkward silence between the two, Jake carefully surveying Dingo with interest and Dingo grinding his teeth anxiously. Finally, Dingo broke and gave him a quick growl.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Dingo sneered, folding his arms across his chest and giving his father a furious glare. Their eyes met and for a second it seemed as though a flash of fear crossed Dingo's emerald irises, but then it was replaced once again by dark fury. Jake glared back, his brown eyes suddenly defensive and challenging.

"I came after you!" Jake snarled back, folding his arms and growling. "Remember the fact you left without so much as a warning?"

Dingo winced slightly, the one thing he hated admitting was that he did leave Jake, which is something he never wanted to do. He loved his Dad, before he met Abby he was positive his father would be the only person to love him in return. The only downside was that Jake knew just how to push Dingo's buttons…and he did so…frequently.

"Don't give me that" Dingo spat in frustration, his hands curling into fists again. He felt awkward and suddenly small, with his father giving him the same look he always used to give whenever Dingo admitted that he again hung some poor little kid up by his underwear in the locker room. "You didn't miss me, you're just trying to get me feeling all guilty"

"Is it working?" Jake asked, raising his eyebrows. Dingo snarled, chewing on his lip furiously before replying.

"Yeah"

Jake smirked, hooking his thumbs casually on the pockets of his jeans. He studied Dingo closely. "It's why I do it."

Dingo sighed, falling into another silence as he leaned against the counter dully, mournfully waiting for Jake to start another conversation. He attempted to shrug off the nerves that seemed to creep on him, trying to stand his ground when it came to Jake's knowing glare. Dingo swallowed and stood strong. He could take Jake…if anyone he can take Jake, no problem…whatever Jake threw at him he could take it.

"I spoke to your Mum" Jake suddenly said, holding back a smirk.

Dingo winced. _Anything but that._

"Good on ya." Dingo snarled, folding his arms defensively across his chest. Of all the subjects he wanted to talk about, Allie wasn't one of them. As Jake still studied him with that deep, wide eyed glare, Dingo swallowed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I didn't leave just so I could see her."

"You live within three miles of her." Jake muttered, raising his eyebrows. "It's okay if you wanna see her, you know-"

"I don't'!" Dingo growled. Jake ignored him.

"She is your mother and everything, you know I expected you would want to see her-"

"I don't Dad!" Dingo snarled venomously, slamming his fist against the countertop angrily. He frowned deeply, his eyes darkening dangerously as he stood hunched against the counter. "I don't want to ever fucking see her OR talk to her! If she ever does talk to me I'll tell her to piss off!"

Jake blinked at him. "Righto then"

Dingo was panting, straightening his shoulders defensively and standing square in front of him, as if daring him to say anything else. Jake stared back, smiling slightly through his black stands of hair. He adjusted himself on the counter and snapped his lighter, lighting a cigarette. Dingo watched him with slight apprehension, though his face didn't show it.

"I brought you some stuff from home that you forgot" He finally simpered, smiling kindly. Dingo frowned, skeptical, but Jake's grin was so assuring and so genuine that Dingo hesitated, suddenly anxious.

"Don't worry" Jake grinned. "It's on your bed."

Dingo scoffed, casing his bangs to fly upward playfully. He rolled his emerald green eyes casually and smirked lazily, though Jake could see he was pretty much shaking in his sneakers.

"Whatever, Dad." Dingo muttered, scoffing again for good measure as he travelled up the hall. "I'm goin' to bed."

Jake took a drag of his cigarette, listening to his son's unsure sneakers wonder up the hallway to his room. To everyone around him, Dingo seemed virtually unstoppable. One look from those fierce green eyes was enough to make anyone shudder, he just seemed like the person you shouldn't mess with. But, he wasn't sure if it was the connection they had, or if it was just his nature, but Jake knew Dingo was different around him, he showed his true colours and his true insecurities and emotions. Jake was the only person Dingo couldn't hide from…and Jake grinned as he thought this, laying back on the couch thoughtfully.

"_Might as well make myself at home…" _He pondered, curiously blowing smoke rings and smirking to himself.

Dingo stomped into his room, slammed the door closed and leaned on the door, his arms folded. His narrowed eyes surveyed his room carefully, expecting anything. After living with his father for almost 20 years, he learned to expect the unexpected with Jake. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw what Jake had placed oh-so carefully on his bed. He growled, walking over and picking it up.

It was a tiny soft toy, a tiny beanie baby that was a deep blue dog. It was faded and worn, with many rips and tears from his childhood. He growled as he saw it, but he still held it softly in his hands. It was his favourite childhood toy, something he hated to admit that he still slept with every now and then. Whenever he was angry or upset the tiny dog was always there for him to hug and squeeze. When he was three Jake bought it for him for his brithday, and Dingo had affectionally named it Ripper, or 'Rip' for short. He snarled, rolling his eyes.

"Idiot" Dingo growled to himself, staring at the toy in his hands. "Why would I want my stupid toy dog for?" He snarled, throwing it to the floor. He walked over to his bed and collasped on it, muttering to himself angrily. He paused, then leaned back down and picked up the toy again.

"Sorry" He muttered to it, smirking. He reached over and turned off his light, the toy still clamped in his hand.

* * *

"_Wallabee"_

"_Abigail"_

It was an awkward, tense moment between the two, and the scene appeared sort of hazy, as if it was a part of a daytime soap opera. Abby even looked different, her long brown hair was out and straightened, so it flowed all the way down her back. She was in a long dress, similar to her prom gown, that sparkled and hugged her body perfectly. It had a deep plunging neckline and left nothing to the imagination, so to speak. Wallabee was also in formal wear for some reason, and was dressed in a suit, his shirt untucked and unbuttoned. His deep green eyes were locked on Abby, and he looked…lustful?

_W-what?_

Abby opened the door and stepped aside to let her ex-lover in, her deep brown eyes gazing at him shamelessly. She shut the door and subtly locked it behind her, gliding towards him as he stood in the middle of the room. They looked as though they were in Abby and Kuki's dorm room, and they stood in a tense silence, Abby gazing at him and Wallabee looking away dramatically. It was confusing.

"I can't stop thinking about you…" Abby suddenly sighed, her eyes wide as she seemed to heave her chest towards him. She looked sad, her eyes downcast and her lips pouted. Wally turned to her and seemed to step closer.

_Huh?_

"Me either…" He growled deeply. "It was a mistake to leave you. To think I went for Kuki when I could have _you…"_

"I know" Abby cooed loftily, flipping her hair over her shoulder and fluttering her eyelashes at him. She sighed again dramatically. "It's been so long…"

"And I've been so stupid" Wallabee suddenly bent down, landing on his knees in front of her. Abby's powerful stance didn't change, she simply looked down at him with her hands on her hips, her chocolate coloured eyes intense. "Abby…" Wallabee gripped her hand, the one with the glistening diamond ring, and kissed it. He looked up at her, his emerald eyes filled with desire. "My dear, will you take me back?"

_No…_

"Of course!" She smiled, pulling him to her feet and pulling him into a passionate embrace. They kissed, and Kuki felt her heart freeze within her chest. "Oh Wally!" She gasped, her body pressed against his, and gazed at him. "Take me now!"

"_NO!" _Kuki sat up, her heart hammering and her body shaking. She looked around in complete alarm, memories quickly gathering. Sure enough, she was safe and sound in her bed, in her dorm. _Abby…Wally…It had been a dream? _She quickly looked over to her alarm clock, where the time read '2:32AM'. She ran her shaky hands through her hair, and tried to catch her breath. From her closet mirror, she could see how frizzled her hair was. She must have been tossing and turning.

"_Relax Kuki…"_ She groaned to herself, sighing and burying her face back into the pillow. She frowned, closing her eyes and pulling up her blanket. "_It was just a dream…"_ She waited for quick slumber to come to her, but all she could think about was Abby and Wally, their lips and bodies pressed against each others.

She knew it was going to be a sleepless evening.

* * *

The sun was just rising, and Hollie and Bonny were booked in at one of the local salons at the mall. Unfortunately for the girls working at the salon, the girls weren't the most cheerful things in the world when it came to early mornings.

Hollie glared at the young girl carefully manicuring her nails, her pale hazel eyes gazing overtop her large aviator sunglasses, probably stolen from one of the guys. The pair of sunglasses didn't hide the large, ugly looking purple bruise that had formed on the bridge of her nose, and Hollie knew it. The large sunglasses merely drew more attention to the girl's bruised face, as it was a cloudy Fall day.

"_What?" _She snapped at the girl irritably, snarling at her. The girl jumped, concentrating instead on the redhead's cuticles than on the offending bruise. Hollie sniffed, sliding the glasses further up her nose to hide the mark. Bonny sat beside her, struggling to hold in a slight snigger. She had to admit, Hollie had been victim to the hardest sucker punch she had ever seen.

"It isn't _funny." _Hollie snarled under her breath to her friend, who automatically stiffened. Hollie snarled, turning back towards the nail clerk. "When I get my hands on that girl…her ass is _mine_…"

Bonny nodded in agreement, quickly turning towards the mirror to check on her makeup. She'd had to slather on more foundation than usual to hide her black eye, which showed no sign in fading. Both the girls had called in sick at work since the fight, and they instead had hidden themselves in their hotel room, mostly moaning about their battle scars. It had hardly been productive.

"Stupid Ranga…" Bonny snarled, remembering the girl who had been so quick to attack her. She turned to Hollie. "No offence."

"None taken" Hollie muttered, used to the nickname. She twisted her glossy lips in thought, rolling her eyes casually. "I wonder if D will help me get that chick."

Bonny gave her best friend a careful look. "You think…he will?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Hollie muttered with slight frustration. "He hates her too…I heard him say it."

"He hates her because she's his brother's girlfriend." Bonny said, shrugging. "And he hates his brother."

"I never got that." Hollie frowned thoughtfully. "He never told me why..."

"Well, maybe because he just doesn't know him." Bonny suggested. "I mean, he's always lived back home hasn't he? And his brother's always lived here."

"He was born here, though." Hollie muttered. "Jake told me once, and Dingo hated it." She planted her chin in her palm, her wet nails poised delicately. "And I reckon he does like his brother, otherwise why would he keep a picture of him?"

Bonnie grinned slightly. "Dingo has a picture of his brother?"

"Yeah" Hollie smirked. "It was cute, I found it once in his drawer and he got all defensive, saying he had to keep it. It was a picture of them, all tiny and everything…it had been ripped though" She added as an afterthought. "Dingo can hold a grudge, but at the same time he can say he hates someone as much as he wants, but he could still love them." She tapped her nails on her cheek thoughtfully, chewing on her tongue. "He's always been like that."

Bonny swallowed, watching her friend carefully. That sat in silence for about a minute, each alone with their own thoughts. Finally, Bonny sighed.

"You still love him don't you?"

Hollie didn't reply, she just carefully pushed her sunglasses further up her bruised nose and sniffed, glaring once again at the girl doing her nails.

"Watch that gel solution, would you? God, _I_ could do a better job!"

* * *

It was a normal, regular bore at the local High School, where Sophomore Tommy Gilligan was leaning against the brick wall of the gym casually with his friends, Shawnie Fulbright and Lee Smith. The three had been best friends since Junior High, and were lucky enough to be stuck in a few classes together. Lee, whether any season, still wore his trademark hat, which gave him a familiar appearance to Kyle from South Park…as frequently said by his classmates. Shawnie was still known as the shy kid, even though he hung around with the popular crowd at school.

Tommy, however, had completely changed. He resembled his brother in terms of looks, and had worked off his puppy fat before Junior High. His shaggy brown hair fell into his deep navy blue eyes, and his new contacts prevented the need for glasses. Overall, he had become a true heartbreaker, much to his brother's annoyance.

He shook his long brown bangs out of his eyes as he leaned against the brick wall of the school, lazily basking in the morning sun. He tucked his hands behind his head and yawned, looking over at Lee, who was chewing on the end of his pencil irritably.

"How was the party Saturday night, Lee?" Tommy asked, suddenly smirking. "Did you have _fun?"_

"Pretty boring" Lee shrugged, tilting his hat upwards with the tip of his pencil. He turned to his friend, his dark eyes narrowed. "Why weren't you there?"

"Grounded." Tommy snarled to himself, rolling his eyes. "Again."

"What did you do?" Shawnie smirked as he lay on the lawn, lazily chewing on a toothpick. He raised his eyebrows. "Forget your Mommy's birthday?"

"No" Tommy growled as his two friends chuckled. He narrowed his eyes at them, folding his arms firmly across his chest. "I stayed out past curfew, if it's any of _your _concern."

"And what is your curfew?" Lee asked with interest, smirking as he quickly scribbled iin his maths homework. "8?"

"10!" Tommy growled, narrowing his eyes. "And Shutup."

Shawnie suddenly sat up, his deep brown eyes narrowing. "Incoming" He muttered to his friends, who seemed to straighten. He nodded towards the entrance of the school, where three figures seemed to be getting closer.

"Oh, crap" Lee seemed to snarl, staring up at Tommy suspiciously. "You don't still seriously hang out with those guys, do you?"

"I hang out with _Amy." _Tommy hissed back under his breath. "Not them..."

"What's happenin' morons?" The three figures walked closer, and Joel grinned as he greeted them, his fingers waving in a sarcastic wave. The three boys hastily greeted them back. Joel was one of the well known jocks of the school, and joined Tommy on the football team. Everybody acted as though he was some sort of god, but in reality people couldn't stand him. He was egotistic and immature, always using his power irresponsibly. He had wavy blonde hair and bright generic blue eyes.

Beside him was Brayden, another jock that everyone seemed to look up to. He had spiky chestnut brown hair, and deep brown eyes that every girl in school seemed to swoon at. Tommy hated him because he knew he was full of himself, and he got his kicks by picking on people for no reason at all, like starting a rumour or challenging them to a fight.

But who Tommy really cared about was Amy, the girl in the centre of the trio. She was beautiful, but of course, everyone in school knew that. She was a cheerleader, and fitted the stereotype perfectly. Her long blonde locks never had a hair out place, and she batted her blue eyes at anyone and everyone, getting whatever she wanted. Tommy had dated a lot of cheerleaders, mostly freshmen and sophomores, but of course his eyes had been set on Amy- who at junior status was virtually untouchable. But if any guy saw her in her favourite denim micro mini, it was enough to send anyone to do the impossible.

"Are you in with the deal tomorrow?" Joel asked Tommy eagerly, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Deal?" Tommy repeated suspiciously. "You mean…for the party Friday Night?"

"Yeah" Amy grinned, pulling out a tube of lipgloss. "Bray can get the best stuff, and if you want your share you should get in on it."

"I bet I could get more than I bargained for" Brayden bragged, rolling his eyes carelessly. "The guy selling it is a real dumbass. Named like…Jack or King, or something stupid."

Lee and Shawnie immediately looked up to glare at Tommy, who swallowed anxiously.

"I guess" He muttered, and Amy beamed. He turned to his friends. "Are…are you guys in?"

He blinked at them expectantly, giving them a hard look. Shawnie swallowed nervously, looking up at them. "Uh…sure."

Lee mumbled a sort of reply.

"Great!" Joel smirked at them all, winking. "Bring $20 tomorrow and I'll get you a great share, and make sure you get to the party Friday night!" He nudged Tommy roguishly, causing Tommy to give a strained smile. As the trio walked away, Lee and Shawnie immediately turned their glares to their best friend, who smirked.

"Relax" He muttered, rolling his eyes. "You're always saying you want to try new thigns."

"Not with those guys" Lee snarled venomously. "What exactly have you gotten us into?"

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Chill" He smirked. "It's just a deal, people make them every day. What's the worst that could possibly happen?"

* * *

Dodge escaped the apartment early, watching closely as he crept past Jake who was fast asleep on the couch, snoring. He closed the door and a wide sweep of relief washed over him, preferring to take an early shift at work rather than deal with Jake. He played with the zipper of his jacket as he wondered to his car, already dreading seeing Jake again. He knew he'd have to face him sooner or later.

Jake, to Dodge, had always been a substitute father. Once Dingo and Dodge had become virtually inseparable, Dodge was over at their house almost every day and Jake accepted it. Whenever Dodge had a problem, or something was up that Dingo didn't understand, Jake always seemed to. To Jake, Dodge was just a second son to him…but that made Dodge feel so much guiltier.

He drove to work and opened his car door, still drowsy from the lack of sleep. He groaned as he stumbled across the carpark, and suddenly felt a jolt in the pocket of his jacket, signaling that someone was ringing him. He checked the caller ID, and automatically grinned when he saw it read '_Cherry'. _

"Hey Dollface…" He greeted, smirking into the receiver.

Fanny jumped in alarm, her eyes wide as she sat on the couch, blankly watching the TV in her dorm. "Oh…" She muttered, her cheeks quickly turning a shade of pink. She smiled shyly. "I didn't think you'd be up."

Dodge smirked, leaning against his car. "Then why did you call?"

Fanny shrugged, sniggering timidly. "I thought I'd get voicemail."

"Oh…unlucky." Dodge grinned. "'Sup Cherry?"

"Nothing" Fanny quickly replied, but then sighed deeply, wincing as she said this. "Actually…I was going to ask you something."

Dodge raised his eyebrows. "Okay…"

"I wanted to ask…" Fanny groaned, swallowing. "Well…my parents-" She shook her head, suddenly smiling. "Scratch that, I wanted to ask if you'd thought about asking me on a date."

Dodge smirked, looking down at the pavement and shuffling his sneakers. "You beat me to it."

"Sorry" She smirked. From beside her, Rachel had walked into the dorm with interest and had started to sneak her ear towards the receiver. Fanny playfully beat her away. "So…does that mean you'll ask me?"

"Why don't you ask me?" Dodge snickered back. Fanny sighed.

"Because the girl isn't supposed to ask!" Fanny laughed. "What kind of gentlemen are you?"

Dodge grinned. "Not much"

"Well…." Fanny smirked, slapping Rachel away. "Then no date"

Dodge groaned, crunching his sneakers against the concrete. "Do I have to?" He whined into the receiver. Fanny grinned widely.

"Yeah!"

"Fine" Dodge groaned. "Would you like-"

"Come to my house" Fanny smirked, a mischevious glint in her eyes. "81 Wilton Street, and we can have something of an evening together."

With that, she hung up, and all Dodge was left with was a dial tone. He frowned to himself and hung up, sliding his phone into his pocket. He blinked slowly, trying to replay the conversation in his head.

_Should I be scared?_ He wondered to himself.

* * *

"So…lemme get this straight…"

Allie sighed, concentrating on stirring the pasta sauce rather than listening to her youngest son's serious chatter from beside her. It was hard enough having to digest the fact that her oldest son, who apparently hates her, is going to incredible lengths to ignore her, but now Jake had dropped in on her as well, and he didn't look as if he was too eager for a family reunion. It made her sad to think that after all those years the pain she knew she'd caused was still there, and it always would seem to be.

"So…I've had an uncle all this time…and nobody even thought to tell me?"

Allie turned, and gave Joey a small smirk as he glared at her, his face serious and his eyes narrowed. It was funny to her that an eleven year old could act so much like an adult.

"Yes" She sighed, rolling her eyes. "You do. Could you taste this for me?"

Joey waved the spoon away, his deep emerald eyes wide and focused. Allie inwardly groaned as she realised she was going to be hearing this all day.

"Hang on a sec! This is my uncle! Mom, do you know what this means? He's been jipping me out of presents for years! And nobody told me? What the Hell!"

"Joey" She scolded, growling at him. "Look…" She sighed, a lump forming in her throat as she realised what she was about to say. "Your uncle and your father…don't get on."

"So it's like a feud?" Joey suddenly smirked. "We have a family feud! No way! Our family's cooler than I thought!"

"Every family is dysfunctional in one way or another, Joey." Allie frowned defensively, giving her youngest son a stern look. "No family is perfect."

* * *

Dingo blinked and groaned as he stumbled into the kitchen the next morning, his head heavy and his lips pulling into a pout as he realised it wasn't a horrible nightmare, Jake really was here…sitting cross legged on the kitchen bench mock drumming to his iPod, which was plugged into the speakers. He was shaking his head to the rhythm, his shaggy black hair following the flow. It sounded like "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf, he could hear it from the other end of the apartment.

"Turn it down!" Dingo snapped irritably, nudging him as he walked past. Jake's eyes opened as he smirked. Dingo snarled as he opened the fridge door. "You're pretty much deaf, you know."

"I am not" Jake sniggered defensively. "It was the Black Sabbath concert in '87. Sounds have never been the same…"

"Ha ha" Dingo sneered in mock laughter, anxious to be as hostile as possible. It sometimes scared him how his father could seem to be so filled with energy, but yet be so careless. He pulled out an almost empty carton of milk and gulped it down, trying to work through his head what he would tell his father when it came to Abby. Somehow he couldn't work up the courage to tell his Dad he'd be a grandfather before he turned 40. He shivered as he thought of it. He couldn't do it…he would seem too much like...like…

Jake.

They heard the door open and slam closed, and Bandit skipped into the kitchen, wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants and a red hunting hat, worn backwards.

"Sup homies!" He squealed, his eyes unnaturally wide as he bounced around with excitement. "What's goin' on?"

"Shutup, Bando." Dingo snarled at him, narrowing his eyes. He was still pissed, due to the fact Bandit had neglected to warn Dingo before walking into Jake's trap. Bandit noticed and seemed to calm down, instead turning to Jake, who sniggered at him from atop of the kitchen bench.

"Dingo doesn't like my music." He sighed, still swaying peacefully to the tunes on his iPod. "You think he would so some appreciation for the classics."

"You weren't even _from _the 60s era." Dingo corrected, growling at him. "Besides, this song blows."

"But this is your conception song!" Jake smirked at him, throwing his arms up in the air. "It's important!" Bandit tilted his head, confused.

"Conception song?" He asked with interest. Dingo narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah" Jake suddenly took a swig of coffee as he grinned at his son with mild amusement, an expression he always seemed to use when he was teasing him. Dingo stiffened, bracing himself. "Song that was playing when you were conceived, duh…well one of them, and it's this one I'm guessing."

Both Bandit and Jake burst into laughter, whereas Dingo stared back completely horrified, his pale cheeks flushing a deep crimson.

"DAD!" He snarled angrily. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT!"

"Well, others I can remember…" Jake paused, a thoughtful look gracing his facial features. Bandit was still doubling over in laughter. "A few AC/DC numbers, although at one stage it could have been a Metallica number I can't really recall, but this song was definitely-"

"SHUTUP SHUTUP SHUTUP!" Dingo groaned, slapping his hands over his ears. "I'M GETTING IMAGES!"

"And anyway, the memory isn't exactly clear, there was a couple of times where-"

"I'M NOT LISTENING!"

"And the memory's kinda hazy with all the Tequila involved-"

"SHUTUP!"

"But I can assure you that this is your conception song, I remember the moment very clearly-"

"LA LA LA LA LA!"

"Well, at least once of the few times, the rest are a blur-"

"DAD!"

Jake smirked at him, his deep brown eyes blinking innocently as Dingo glared at him fiercely, his eyes dangerous. Bandit was still doubled over with suppressed giggles.

"I'll never be able to listen to that song the same way." Bandit smirked at him. Dingo shivered violently, his face much paler than usual.

"You are _sick."_ He snarled at Jake before stomping off, his arms folded.

"The best part is that IT'S HERIDITARY!" Jake yelled back joyfully.

Jake and Bandit heard the front door slam, and the two broke into loud sniggers.

"Why's he being such a tightass?" Jake suddenly muttered, frowning. It was more of a thought he had uttered aloud than an actual question, but Bandit smirked eargerly, grinning to himself.

"Probably Abby-drama" Bandit snickered cockily. "You know he's always pissed or emo when she'd not talking to him, or when they have a fight or-"

He suddenly paused, his eyes widening. It suddenly occured to him that it was Jake who was listening, not one of his friends. Bandit winced as he noticed Jake's wide-eyed, eager stare, and his cocky grin. Jake edged closer to him, and Bandit gulped nervously, his hand covering his mouth.

"What's this Bando?" Jake grinned eagerly. "A girl, you say?"

"Uhn...no..." Bandit groaned. "I didn't say-"

But Jake was edging closer, his eyes narrowed and a wide smirk on his face. Bandit paused, wondering if he should take responsibility for his actions, but then he shrugged and turned, pointing in a random direction.

"There's Abby over there!"

Jake's eyes widened, turning. "Huh?"

Bandit took the opportunity to run out of the door, sprinting as fast as he could. Jake growled at him, folding his arms.

"Oh you can run...but you can't hide..."

* * *

Wally sat glumly on his bed, his chin in his hands as he watched the cyclone of clothes being thrown around him, landing in all different directions on his bed, chest of drawers, desk and floor. Through the flurry of fabric, he raised his eyebrows at his girlfriend, who was the cause of the chaos. Kuki stood firmly in front of her boyfriend's closet, throwing and flinging every item of clothing that seemed to be in her reach. She was tutting to herself and frowning as she dismissed every shirt that she came across, sighing as she did so.

"Kuki" Wally eventually sighed, his emerald eyes sincere. "Honestly, the wedding isn't for another 2 weeks! You can chill you know-"

"You have barely anything!" Kuki muttered, flinging his leather jacket across the room. Wally watched it land on his computer chair. "You surely have something to wear to a wedding, don't you?"

Wally shrugged, his nose scrunched in slight annoyance as his girlfriend gave him an incredulous look, her violet eyes wide. He smirked at her, grinning as she frantically searched for an outfit for him to wear to Cree's wedding. The two were invited, admittedly seated at the far table, but it was an invite nonetheless…a formal occasion where the couple would finally be seen as a couple. Kuki could imagine herself being swept across the dance floor in a beautiful ball gown, Wally dressed perfectly in a cute tux while Cree and her relatives cooed and glared enviously at them…but first she had to find Wally something to wear.

"We'll have to go shopping" She declared, collapsing onto his bed. She gave him a strict look, but her sweet, unrestricted smile gave her true emotions away. Wally groaned, his head drooping onto his girlfriend's shoulder pathetically.

"Do we have to?" He groaned, pouting. "My Mom could pick me up something…"

Kuki's bright eyes widened, her thick lashes batting as she turned to her boyfriend, knocking his head off her shoulder. "Don't you _want _to spend time with me?" She pouted, folding her arms and giving him a questioning look. Wally smirked at her cute expression, always a sucker for those eyes.

Wally rolled his own emerald green pupils and flashed her a dazzling smile, his long blonde bangs falling into his eyes. "Course I do" He chuckled at her, his muscular arm snaking around her waist. Kuki's stern expression suddenly broke as she giggled sweetly. He nuzzled his face against hers. "Just not shopping."

Kuki sighed, her violet eyes suddenly locking with his crystal green ones. Her raspberry lipgloss-coated lips curled into a smile as her cheek grazed against his, their noses rubbing together. She bit her lip sweetly, her crystal white teeth forming a sweet smile. Wally hastily pushed his lips against hers, stealing a kiss before she could escape.

"So how do you want to spend time with me?" She smirked, grinning at him playfully.

Wallabee rolled his eyes in mock thought, a teasing twinkle in his eyes. Before Kuki had the chance to retort he tackled her to the pillows on his bed, kissing her. Kuki smiled into the kiss and kissed back, her arms automatically wrapping around his neck and her fingers entwining in his hair. Kuki loved his touch, his kiss. Every time Kuki felt familiar shivers go through her body, and they never seemed to leave her system as long as he was near. She felt so warm and so loved, she couldn't help but feel it was just too good to be true. She looked into his eyes, though his were closed, and frowned as she wondered, finally mentally pushing these thoughts out of her head and concentrating on kissing back. She felt a gasp rise in her throat as she felt his warm fingers at the very edge of her shirt and she found herself frozen, her heart thudding in her chest and her lips still on his.

"_I'm coming in, clothes or no clothes!"_

The door opened with a loud thud and Wallabee immediately yelped and jumped back, landing with a thud as he fell on the carpeted floor, swearing. His Mom stood at the door, one hand half heatedly covering her eyes and the other on her hip. She spread a few fingers and cautiously looked, trying her best to hide in a smirk.

"MOM!" Wally growled, clawing at his bedspread as he rose to his feet. He glared at her, his green eyes flaming. "Ever heard of privacy?"

"Hardly" Allie sighed, managing a small smile as she gazed at her son innocently. Kuki noticed that she didn't seem to look at her. "I'm going down to the store, I need to escape Joey for a change." She rolled her eyes, her deep forest green irises troubled. She seemed to shake whatever thoughts seemed to be entering her mind, and once again turned attention to Wally, who was still glaring at her. "Do you need anything?"

"Yeah" Wally grumbled, flopping back onto his bed. He gave his mother a sly smirk. "Pick me up something for a wedding."

Allison perked up, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Abby's sister's wedding? You're going?"

"Yeah" Wally shrugged. "Why? Are you?"

"I was invited…" Allie muttered offhandedly. Kuki noticed how Wallabee's mother didn't seem to look her in the eye, instead her emerald green eyes seemed to avoid looking at the girl at all costs, instead focusing on picking up Wallabee's stray clothes on the floor, staring at the ceiling or at Wallabee, not at her. Kuki swallowed, suddenly feeling awkward. "But I don't know if I should go…"

"Wow, Cree really did invite the whole neighbourhood." Wally smirked, his arm once again wrapping around Kuki's small waist. This time, Kuki didn't feel the same warmth as before. "I dunno if I should go either."

Allie turned, narrowing her eyes at him, but a small smile was still on her face. She threw what clothes she had picked up on the floor and they landed right on his face with a light slap. He winced. "You go" She lectured, raising her eyebrows. "Abby may need you there to keep her from killing her sister." She smirked and put her hand on the doorknob, giving the pair a hasty look. "I'll be back later with your stuff."

As she shut the door, Wally hurriedly threw the clothes back on the floor with a light groan. "NOTHING PURPLE!" He yelled at her hastily as they heard her descend down the stairs. The two young adults sat in silence on Wallabee's navy blue bedspread, Wally's arm still locked firmly around his girlfriend's waist.

Kuki frowned, her face troubled as she watched the now closed bedroom door. Wally looked up from his position on his pillow, tilting his head at his girlfriend.

"What's up?" He asked her. Kuki shrugged, but her lilac eyes still looked worried.

"I...don't think your Mom likes me." She mumbled, twisting her plump lips anxiously. Wally scoffed audibly, but she glared at him, her eyes wide. "I mean it, I think she's angry that I…chased Abby away or something."

"She is not" Wally smirked. "She likes you."

Kuki sat, twirling her hair nervously. A second or two ago she had been in pure nirvana, and now she felt cold, alone and confused. Even Wallabee turning to grin at her didn't seem to make her feel any better.

"Sorry about her" He seemed to sigh into her neck, lightly kissing her skin. "Where were we again?"

He cupped her face gently and brought his lips back to hers, pulling her into a passionate kiss. Kuki winced as she found herself freeze up again, her heart pounding against her ribs. Wally frowned, pulling away and staring into her face. Kuki looked up, her dewy lilac eyes looking away once she saw the worried expression on his handsome face. He looked into her eyes curiously, frowning.

"What's up?" He asked, his voice suddenly strong and demanding. He swallowed as he watched her. "Kooks? What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" She muttered, but he could hear the sadness in her soft voice. The young Japanese girl's form suddenly slackened, and it pained Wally to see the no longer lively and vibrant aura about her. He's done something wrong…and he could see the pain in her face. His rough hands gently held her own soft petite ones as he gulped, fear rising inside him.

"I'm fine" She said firmly, but she twisted her lips shyly as she heard the squeak in her voice. She swallowed heavily and looked into his face. "Really, I am."

Wally drew back his arm and instead wrapped it around her slim shoulders, hugging her small frame to his own muscular body. She felt stiff, and she was shivering slightly. He ran a few limp fingers through her soft, silky black locks as he frowned at her, watching the way she buried her face in his jacket. He was almost used to this, going out with Abby for a few years and hanging around Rachel and Fanny he knew how quickly girls could change emotion-wise. But Kuki seemed different, to him she still seemed like an innocent little girl, and her heart fragile like glass. As he held her towards him, he felt his own heart beat rapidly in his chest against her form.

"Kooks…" His fingers gently cupped her chin, and pulled her face to his. Her lilac eyes widened as she batted her thick black lashes at him, her cheeks flushing in mild embarrassment. "What's wrong?"

She sighed, turning away to instead look at the door. She felt stupid and foolish, unable to find the right words. In the end she turned back to him, but was still unable to meet his gaze.

"Wally…" She blinked glumly, nibbling her lip nervously. "How far have you…you know…" Her pale cheeks seemed to blush a light pink as she looked away, instead trying to stare out of the window. Wally frowned, leaning in closer as he gazed at her.

"What?"

She sighed, staring blankly at him. "How far have you…gone...like in terms of... base?" Her cheeks immediately darkened to a crimson as she immediately looked away, embarrassed and feeling awkward. Wally, however, frowned.

"What do you mean?" He tilted his head, something he always seemed to do when confused. "I- oh!" His face suddenly brightened as he smirked. He chuckled, and automatically Kuki felt a dull throb of anger flow through her system. "Jeese, Kooks." He grinned at her. "I haven't heard that since I was like…16!"

"Well…" Kuki muttered, still staring at his bedspread. She twisted her lips together awkwardly, trying not to think about it too much. The thought had just entered her mind, though she couldn't deny she had thought about it before. Every time she saw a picture, or someone mentioned it, she had to wonder and worry…Abby and Wally were together for a number of years, together and happy. No matter how much Kuki hated to think about it, they were. No matter how much she wanted to ignore it…she had to know. She turned to him, her boyfriend, and heaved a sigh. "I have to know, Wally."

Wally swallowed. He noticed the sincerity in her voice, and the depth of those large, glistening lilac pupils. He frowned, suddenly shrugging automatically. "Well yeah…you know…"

Kuki froze, and suddenly the room was filled with an awkward silence. Wally looked at her, taken aback by the sudden question, and was stumped. "I mean…" His frown deepened as he realised how she was staring at him, so shocked and almost hurt. He stared at her, his green eyes wide.

"Well, me and Abby have…gone all the way." He tilted his head, gripping for her hand again. "I mean we were going out for 3 years, Kooks-"

"So, you expect it from a girlfriend?" Kuki asked quietly, her eyes wide.

"No!" Wally shook his head, suddenly stumped on what to say. Memories were flashing in his mind, and Kuki's wide bright eyes were staring at him expectantly. He ran a hand through his hair. "I- I mean…we were 16 and-"

"You were 16?" Kuki squeaked, swallowing. Wally's eyes widened.

"Well, it was at this party and we were kind of drunk and-"

"Drunk? Party?" Kuki gaped at him. "Really?"

"N- Well, yeah…" Wally frowned as Kuki suddenly yanked her hand out of his in slight alarm. "But…Kooks it was ages ago! It doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?" Kuki suddenly found herself on her feet, her hands fists and her eyes narrowed. Her voice was high, but her eyes were fierce. "What do you mean it doesn't matter? You and Abby have been having sex for 3 years and it _doesn't matter?"_

"But- But I'm with you now, right?" Wally stood up as well, his eyes wide. "Me and Abby are over it doesn't mean anything-"

"Doesn't mean anything?" Kuki repeated angrily.

"We were going out, Kooks!" Wallabee was now frowning, the anger rising in his tone. "You couldn't expect us not to-"

"So what?" Kuki was almost close to tears. "You expect all your girlfriends to put out? How long did you and Abby wait? A couple of months?"

"Well, no we- It- Kuki I don't expect anything!" It made his heart ache to see her look so upset and almost scared, her brilliant lilac eyes were wide and watching him, as though she couldn't believe what she saw. "Kuki-" He swallowed, now staring at her completely lost. "Where's this coming from?"

Kuki gazed at him from across the room, for now she had backed away so much they were feet apart, and let out a choked sob, her eyes welling up with tears and her lips trembling. She shook her head rapidly and opened his bedroom door, running down the stairs before Wally had the chance to stop her.

From downstairs, Joey was happily playing his videogame when, so quickly he thought for a second he had imagined it, a young, raven haired girl had run past them down the hall, her pale face blotchy. With a small sniff she flung the front door open and ran out, slamming it closed behind her.

There was silence, with Joey blinking in slight alarm as he turned back to his paused game.

"When did my family get so _weird?" _He sniggered, rolling his green eyes in amusement as he continued playing.

* * *

Mushi stumbled along the deserted hallway, her worn sneakers shuffling and squeaking against the hardwood floor and her lone sports bag thumping against her thighs. She held it limply and lightly in her hand, her eyes downcast as she wondered up the staircase to the next level of apartments. On her wrist was a faded number, scribbled in a blue ballpoint pen clumsily. She stared at it closely and winced, squeezing her eyelids tightly shut and opening them again. She was positive this was a dream, he only said to call when she had nobody else…

But yet she had called, she remembered, and now she was dragging one sneaker after another up the flight of stairs to the apartment. She opened the door to the correct floor and wondered again down another deserted hallway, drawing her bag closer to her. Mushi couldn't deny she was scared, and she hated to admit those feelings. She hated to admit she was like every other 16 year old would be in the same situation.

_I'm not like the regular teenage screwup… _She told herself firmly. _Any other teenager would call their parents, ask for help, but I didn't…I'm not like that…I can survive…_

She stopped, and nervously stared at the door in front of her. It was chipped and battered, the number fading and an eerie silence behind the wood. She reached out her now shaking hand and knocked on the door, swallowing hard and stepping back.

It seemed like a forever, Mushi nervously waiting in the hallway. She could hear the sounds from other apartments echo around her- she thought she could hear a faint squeal, slight thumping of music, a television set to cartoons, someone laughing and someone banging on another's wall down the hall, yelling at them to shut up. With a slight click the door opened and she jumped, expecting to see the same muscular stranger who invited her here in the first place, but instead it was someone completely different.

"Can I help you?" The girl snapped rudely, her hazel eyes glaring at her with such ferocity Mush found herself stuttering.

"Un- I…well…me and…I…er-"

"Spit it out!" The girl growled with annoyance, folding her arms across her chest. "I have not got all day!"

Mushi simply swallowed, her throat constricting and her palms sweating. The girl made her so nervous, and she was already anxious at the thought of staying at a place she knew nothing about, with a guy she hardly knew, whom she owed money to for something she didn't even do, and who already had attempted to assault her. She was in deep, and this powerful, beautiful looking redhead standing at the door glaring at her was not helping her at all. The more the girl seemed to glare, the more Mushi thought she may burst into tears. The thought sickened her, the thought of acting like a regular teenager would. She was always anxious to prove her strength.

Hollie narrowed her eyes at the girl, her hazel eyes dangerous. Mushi sniffed and raised her head, attempting to be the strong person she always imagined she'd be. They gazed at each other, their eyes staring into each other's until one of them backed down, but nobody did. Hollie snarled at her, eventually breaking her stare.

"I'm here to see…Jack." Mushi mumbled, her eyes still gazing into the girl's deep hazel irises. "Is here, um, here?"

Hollie frowned, taken aback. Only acquaintances –meaning clients- knew Trent by that name, or a fellow gang member, and very rarely did they know his real address. Hollie had been in the 'business' long enough to know that it was a very tangled web they weaved, and one slip up could get them killed.

"Yeah" She muttered, frowning. She gave the girl another long glare from head to toe. "Hold on"

She slammed the door in Mushi's face, and Mushi stepped back hastily. There was a few moments of silence behind the closed door, with nothing keeping Mushi company except the occasional sounds from behind somebody else's door. She shuffled her ripped, worn sneakers hastily and wiped her clammy palms on her jeans, nibbling on her chapped bottom lip. The door suddenly opened and Mushi barely had time to turn around when she was grabbed firmly by her waist and dragged into the apartment. Her gasp caught in her throat and she debated on whether or not to scream.

"Mushibabes!" She heard someone coo to her, and she opened her eyes to see 'Jack' looking down at her, his grey eyes playful. "You made it!"

Mushi blinked and looked down, realizing that he'd pulled her into a vice-like hug, and now she was hovering inches from the ground. She swallowed nervously and looked around her new abode, which didn't look as bad as she'd originally thought. He hastily dropped her to the ground and she stumbled slightly.

"Welcome to my apartment" He smirked at her, but his gaze darkened as he turned to the redheaded girl, who was still glaring at Mushi suspiciously. "…And this is Hollie, ignore her at all costs, she isn't invited like you."

"Me and Bon were kicked out of the motel!" She snarled defensively, wrinkling her nose. "The least you could do is put up with us, we are your friends you know!"

He snorted, rolling his eyes. "You could have stayed with, ya know, your _ex." _He growled at her hatefully, folding his arms across his chest. Hollie rolled her own eyes and flipped her long hair over her shoulder.

"Jake was staying there." She sneered snobbishly. "I didn't want to be _rude."_

With that, she flounced off, snarling to herself as she wondered down the hall to the spare room. Trent watched her go with slight malice, hating the fact that he had to put up with her. He turned back to his houseguest, who was already surveying the place with slight nervousness. He smirked.

"What's wrong, _Maddy?" _He asked her with a sly smirk. "You scared?"

"No" She squeaked back too quickly. She swallowed, her eyes wide. "I'm fine."

"Right" He rolled his eyes and gripped her hand. "Seeing as the two whores have showed up here uninvited and unplanned and all, I guess you'll be sleeping with me"

"What?" Mushi squealed back, her voice high. She couldn't help if she sounded scared, she felt scared. His hand was tight in hers as he lead her to his room. "I- I'm fine, really. I'll just…I'll just sleep on the sofa-"

"Nah, that's okay Doll" Trent smirked at her. "You're _my _guest, only the best service for _you."_

He pushed open the door, which Mushi noticed didn't have a doorknob, and gestured around the room loftily. Mushi raised her eyebrows. It was surprisingly clean, sort of, but very blank. Just a plain looking double bed, with plain white sheets and a plain set of drawers and clothes strung lazily everywhere. It was dark, with the big windows covered with blinds and long white sheets.

"It isn't much" Trent muttered, shrugging. "But _meh"_

"You don't like…light…do you?" Mushi asked, her eyebrows raised. Trent scoffed, smirking.

"Not when you're hung-over, no."

"It's cool" Mushi mumbled, dropping her bag to the floor. Her heart thumped nervously against her ribs as they stood in silence. "Thanks for, um, letting me stay and everything."

"It's okay" Trent shrugged.

Mushi sighed, looking up at him anxiously. "What are you going to do with me?"

Trent suddenly smirked to himself, but shook his head and looked down at her curiously.

When Trent was ten, all he wanted was a puppy. Every kid wanted a puppy, and every kid had at least a pet to take care of. Trent never had any sort of pet, and he couldn't ask his parents for anything, they just weren't that sort of 'giving' parents everybody else had. One day he found one, abandoned, on the street. It was a mutt, and probably a runt, a crossbred beyond recognition and probably had fleas and all sorts of other diseases, but in Trent's mind it was beautiful. It had these wide brown eyes that used to look at him, and he was convinced that even though the puppy was sad, in its eyes all it showed was love and gratification towards him for picking it up. He hid it in his room, and played with it outside when his parents weren't home. It lasted about a week, an eight year old hiding a puppy in his room and then playing with it outside.

One day, Jayden found out. Jayden was one of Trent's older brothers, he was four years older than Trent, and at fourteen he was known for being quite rough and hostile towards everyone. Trent begged him not to tell anyone, and Jayden immediately scoffed and ridiculed him for owning such a stupid thing.

"_It ain't even a puppy, Trent!" _He'd growled at him, glaring at the dog. "_It's an old dog that's probably diseased! It's just a small breed that's a runt or sumthin'! Get rid of it!"_

Trent remembered his eyes filling with tears. _"But…But it's mine! I love it! Please let me keep it Jay? Please?" _He got down on his knees, pouting and pleading with his older brother to keep his puppy a secret. Jayden had merely scoffed at him, shaking his head and rolling his eyes as he walked away in disgust. Trent had been happy, he was convinced it was the first nice thing that Jayden had ever done for him.

The next day, his happiness was short lived when he came home and there was no puppy. He searched everywhere, and he was sobbing by the time he got to Jayden and asked him if he'd seen it. Jayden had given him an incredulous look, and had merely lit his cigarette lazy and replied _"I got rid of it"_

"_W-what?" _Trent had asked, his eyes wide and tearful. "_You mean you took him back?"_

Jayden had rolled his eyes at his younger brother, whose understanding of death went as far as people 'falling asleep.' "_No Trent, I got rid of it. It's dead, it's gone."_

"_What do you mean he's gone?" _Trent had blubbered, for the first time feeling completely afraid. He gazed up at his brother with fear. _"What did you do with him?"_

Jayden just raised his eyebrows, and flicked his lighter. Trent remembered his ten year old self, staring at the flickering flame with a numb, almost dead feeling, and then looking over to the small jug of gasoline in the corner. Even though Trent was never the smartest kid, he automatically knew. He'd glared up at his brother with such hatred, Jayden automatically knew that he knew, and Trent had never forgotten it.

So when he gazed down at Mushi, his eyes glazed over with the sad memories of his puppy, and how Mushi had the same eyes that his old runt of a puppy had. Trent couldn't help but think that Mushi almost was his puppy. A puppy he could keep and love all to himself, and nobody had to know anything about it.

"I'm not going to do anything to you, Mushi" He finally murmured to her quietly. He turned to her, his grey eyes staring at her intently. A smile spread onto his face, and Mushi found herself smiling back. Without another word, he walked out of the room, leaving Mushi alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Allie walked along the department store glumly, her mind filled with conflicting thoughts and ideas. She had no idea how to answer Joey's questions, or how to explain the entire situation…even where to begin. She felt lost and confused, and all that really helped was getting out of the house.

She'd picked out a suit for Wally, and it made her smile at the thought of seeing him in it, at the wedding. Her smile quickly disappeared when she thought of her husband Derek, the happy marriage they had had for the past 20 years, and what she would have to say to him once he came home that afternoon.

_Oh hey Honey…_She could imagine herself, bubbly and bright as she greeted him. _You know who I saw yesterday? You know your younger brother, yeah the one you haven't spoken to in 2 decades…yeah, the pot dealer! The one who fathers my son and your nephew? Yeah, him! He came over! Yeah it was really nice, we had tea!_

Allie shook her head and instead concentrated on the line she was in, and the several people in front. Sighing to herself, she wondered away to browse, and hopefully get her mind off the current predicament she was in. She knew it wouldn't happen…she had been paranoid and worrying all these years about her sons, it wasn't going to stop with a little window browse. It couldn't hurt though, right?

She walked along the store, mindlessly staring at the various kitchen appliances and clothing that surrounded her. She sighed and walked into the next aisle, doing a double take as she realised it was the nursery section. She smirked as she saw all of the tiny toys and clothes, and vaguely thought back to when Dingo was a baby, what a terror he used to be, yet such a sook when he did something as small as drop his toy. He used to sob and cry to her, holding up his arms and pouting, always begging for a hug or kiss or any attention. He always searched for comfort. She vaguely fingered a toy as she thought back to her oldest son, and she found herself wondering if she'd ever be able to comfort him again.

* * *

Abby slowly walked along the tiled floor of the mall, sipping at a chocolate milkshake as she pretended to be window shopping. She was trying to do whatever she could to waste time, the more time wasted the more time she'd have to think up the speech she would give her parents tonight. She was finally going to tell them that her growing stomach was not due to her excessive eating.

On one side, she couldn't wait (Her mother had lately been hinting at diet books) but on a bigger part she could wait forever, she couldn't bear to see the look on her parent's faces once they realise her baby's daddy wasn't her previous boyfriend of 3 years.

"_They'll love and support you no matter what" _Cree had insisted to her one night when Abby rang up in tears. "_We'll all still be there for you, Abs. Calm down and go to sleep."_

Abby frequently had nightmares, almost always waking up in tears. The guilt and paranoia was starting to get to her and her pregnancy hormones were becoming almost unbearable. At one minute she was a sweet, innocent girl frolicking around with a smile on her face, the next second she was doom and gloom, either snarling or sobbing. She growled to herself as she entered a department store. The frequent drama with Dingo wasn't helping matters at all.

_Classy,_ She thought to herself. _Yep, that'll be my baby's daddy…pretty much attempting to kill someone else at a club car park. Shows he cares. _

It hurt Abby to see Dingo so angry that she still hadn't told anyone, and she hated that he thought it was because she was ashamed of her pregnancy. She swallowed as she sipped her milkshake, suddenly wistfully wishing she was brave like Dingo, not in the way he could walk up and punch a random person in the face, but in the way he didn't care what other people thought. Abby knew she always would…it was just the way she was.

Abby sighed to herself. When she was younger, she and Kuki used to dream of their knights in shining armor- their prince charming. She never would have guessed her heart would lead her in this direction- to a raven haired Aussie with a fierce, protective personality and one hell of a body…not to mention the brother of her once boyfriend. She chewed on her straw moodily. God- she was a sucker for him.

She shook these thoughts out of her head as she wondered mindlessly around the store, somehow ending up in the Nursery section. She sipped her milkshake anxiously as she eyed all of the baby items that seemed to surround her. She frowned, now slurping up the last of the remains as she eyed the two sections of clothes before her- on one side, frilly, cheery, pink kitty cat dresses and jumpsuits- on the other, bright, dark, navy and sky blue jumpsuits- cars, trucks trains and scrawling of all descriptions, all laid out in front of her. Somehow her hand found her stomach as she pondered, looking from one side to the other. She eyed her milkshake. Chocolate- the flavour she remembered Dingo slurping when they met in secret once, and the flavour Wally always seemed to get whenever they went out, even when they were kids. These memories flashed through her mind, and then she looked down at her stomach thoughtfully.

"You know something…" She mumbled, to nobody in particular. "I think you're a boy."

And, despite all of the worries, concerns and fears that seemed to exist within her, she smiled. She stayed, staring at the items in front of her in a daze, before shaking her head slightly, frowning. She turned and walked away, shaking her head firmly, but was taken aback when she ran bumped into someone, jumping back in alarm.

"Oh, sorry" She muttered, suddenly feeling flustered. She shouldn't have even _been _in this department, and if anyone saw her here she had a lot of explaining to do. Allie suddenly frowned, recognizing that voice anywhere. She turned to the person who had run into her, and the two women exchanged shocked, wide eyed glances.

"Abby?" Allison asked, her emerald green eyes, identical to Wallabee's _and _Dingo's, widened at the sight of her. Abby froze, feeling as though her heart had sunk to her stomach. Allison looked at the girl up and down, a small frown appearing on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Um-" Was all Abby managed to squeak. She swallowed, her wide eyes looking around at the section as though one of the soft toys had a way of getting her out of this. "Well-"

Allie wasn't listening to the girl, instead she was staring at her. She always liked Abby, and honestly she was a little disappointed in her son's instant break up with her. She felt for Abby, she really did feel for her. But now it was different, and Allie couldn't see how. She looked at the girl in front of her- her wild, vulnerable stare, the nervous nibbling of her bottom lip, in the babies' section…it was all very subtle signs to the average person. But Allie had been there and done that, she knew what it was like and knew what it was, and she couldn't help but immediately gaze at Abby's stomach, and suddenly something seemed to click.

"Well, actually it's kind of stupid" Abby flashed her a wide smile that didn't match her eyes. "Um, you see, you know how Cree's wedding's coming up? I thought it would be kind of a joke present…kinda thing, to get her something like…from here, because her and Maurice are starting a family and everything, you know?"

Allie blinked, shaking her head slightly to pay attention. "Yeah…" She seemed to mutter, smiling as well. Abby was pretty confident, but, Allie thought to herself, Abby had always been confident and in control…except maybe her confidence had withered lately.

Abby bit down on her lip, completely lost at what to say. She shuffled her shoes anxiously and, as subtly as she could, pull out her dress and fluff it out. Abby froze when she realised Allison was staring at her, her green eyes surveying her in the same manner Dingo always seemed to do.

"How are you, Abby?" Allison asked, her eyes never leaving Abby's face. "I mean…really? You can tell me, you know."

"I-" Abby gazed at her, perplexed. The way she spoke, and the way she stared at her, it was as if she knew… "I'm…fine, Allison…thanks for asking."

Allison blinked, and looked shyly at the floor and then back up at the girl. "That's good."

Abby swallowed, her heart pounding and her legs trembling. "Um…" She licked her now dry lips and hastily looked at the watch on her wrist. She had to be at the Dining Hall at noon. "I better go…" She muttered. She gave her a small smile, all she could seem to muster.

"Okay…" Allison murmured back, looking away awkwardly. She realised she was staring. Abby turned away, a nervous hand automatically going to her stomach. Allison cleared her throat anxiously, and Abby turned to look over her shoulder.

"If you…ever need anything…" Allison muttered hastily, but her gaze was sincere. "I mean, anything, Abby. You can still consider me your girlfriend's mother." She gave Abby a sly smile, which Abby couldn't help but return. "I'm always going to be here for you Abs, you know."

It was weird, somehow Allison was saying exactly what Abby wanted to hear. She frowned slightly, but smiled at her, a genuine grin this time.

"Thanks, Allison." Abby muttered, giving her a quick smile before she walked away, somehow feeling slightly lighter. Allison still stood where she was, a million thoughts running through her mind at top speed.

"You can call me Allie…" She muttered to herself, frowning and walking away. She didn't know what to do next, all she knew was a guy who was pretty much the only one she could talk to.

* * *

Hoagie trudged into work, a piece of crumpled paper in his hand and his hood over his head. He looked sick, his usually bright, happy face was pale and sullen, his usually crystal blue eyes dull and listless. It was raining outside, and his damp hair was sticking to his forehead slightly, his shaggy hair hanging around his face dully. He sniffed, hastily wiping at his face with his sleeve and wondering into the garage, his shoes dragging across the floor.

Instead of wondering into the workshop, where he could hear some of the guys working, he instead trekked into the hallway and down to Mack's office, knocking onto the door and opening it a crack. Mack was on the phone, yelling at someone. Mack was always yelling at someone.

"_I don't care if it takes you all freakin' week, get it done or I'll have your head. You think you can handle that? And if I get one more call saying you're sick, I will shove-"_

He looked up, nodding at Hoagie to come in.

"_Listen, I gotta go." _He snarled into the receiver. _"Yeah, gotta run. Alright. Got it? Alright…You better." _He slammed the phone back into the cradle and immediately lit a cigarette, surveying his employee through the smoke. Hoagie plunked down onto a chair, his hood still up and his eyes blank. Mack blinked at him with slight surprise.

"Listen, Rookie, I hired you because I thought you were different to the rest of the tools working here." He smirked. "I didn't want you to turn into them."

Hoaige frowned, but he could see Mack's point. He barely felt like doing anything anymore, he just felt so sick and lost. His mother constantly rang him to ask him to come to dinner, probably so she could heal his wounds with food, but truthfully, ever since he saw Dodge with Fanny he felt thoroughly depressed and hurt. He thought he was Dodge's friend, and Dodge was the only member of the gang he thought he truly connected with. He didn't feel like school or work anymore, all he could think of was Fanny- the only girl he'd showed an interest in since Abby, and he took her for granted and lost her.

He could see how he'd changed emotionally, but it obviously showed physically. His skin was much paler, his freckles seemed to have faded, there were dark shadows under his now faded blue eyes. He had his hood up, so it made him scowl to think he probably looked so much like one of the gang- like a creature of the night.

"Listen Mack…" Hoagie sighed, his bangs blowing upward. "I reckon I'm…well…I'm quitting."

There was silence, broken only by Mack's heavy exhale and in the distance, Hoagie heard Bandit faintly singing to his iPod, something he always seemed to do while working. It sounded like P!nk.

"Why?" Mack barked at him.

Hoagie shrugged. "Dunno"

Another silence.

'You were goin' good, Rookie." Mack sighed. "I gotta admit, it was kinda nice havin someone actually human around here…someone with actual common sense." He shrugged his beefy shoulders. "But I knew, when I hired you and all, that you were a college guy, surely ya gonna move onto better things than just a mechanic."

Hoagie groaned, shaking his head. "Mack, that's not it-"

Mack silenced him with a wave of his hand. "I knew you were smarter for work like this. Heck, I thought you'd be better makin' the cars than fixin' 'em, you know?" he growled to himself. "Guess I'm stuck with these assholes for the rest of the year."

Hoagie couldn't think of anything to say to reply. He wondered vaguely what Mack would have said if he would have said the truth- he didn't think he could face Dodge again.

Mack stood, and Hoagie did the same. They shook hands, but still Hoagie felt as though he had the full weight of the world on his heart.

"Nice knowin' ya, Rookie."

"You too, Mack."

Hoagie trudged out of the room not feeling any different. He played with his zipper and folded his arms across his chest, scowling in annoyance. No matter what he did he couldn't shake this deep funk he seemed to be in.

Suddenly he felt a hard force slam into his side and he crashed into the opposite wall. Bandit was gaping at him, pulling out his earphones and grinning at him. Bandit always seemed to remind Hoagie of a big, goofy dog that seemed to smile and slobber on everyone. But he remembered once Dodge had told him that Bandit wasn't always so innocent, he could growl and attack if he wanted.

"Dude!" Bandit yelled loudly, causing Hoagie to wince. He grinned. "'S happenin'?"

"Er- Nothing, Bandit." Hoagie muttered, wincing as Bandit's loud voice echoed around the workshop. "I was just-"

"What are ya doin' here?" Bandit asked him. "Aint' it your day off? Don't you have a paper due or somthin'?"

"Yeah-" Hoagie sighed. "But-"

With a sinking feeling Dodge appeared from around the corner, snarling to himself. "Bandit" He growled at him. "I can't trust you as my fire person, can I?"

"I was just going to get a soda!" Bandit smirked back defensively. Dodge rolled his eyes, but then his gaze fell on Hoagie. He froze, and his blue eyes seemed to widen, whereas Hoagie's seemed to narrow.

"Hoagie-" Dodge muttered awkwardly. "What are you doin' here?"

"Well he works here!" Bandit chuckled, obviously not feeling the tension between the two guys. "Duh"

Dodge nodded sheepishly, swallowing. Hoagie looked away.

"I better go" he muttered, already beginning to walk away.

Dodge stiffened. "Hoagie, wait can I talk to you about-"

"I'll see ya." Hoagie snarled, stomping off and not looking back. The two Aussies watched him go, both stunned into silence. Bandit eventually scoffed, rolling his eyes and putting his headphones back in his ears.

"Jeese" He scoffed. "What's his problem?"

* * *

It was late in the afternoon, and Abby was sitting quietly at one of the tables, nervously running a few fingers along her growing belly, where she occasionally felt a gently nudge or lurch that signaled her baby was rolling and kicking within her stomach. Hardly anyone noticed the young Maid of Honour sitting by herself, surrounded by RSVP's and guest lists, gently stoking her stomach. Her eyes were downcast and swimming with emotion as she tried to come up with the right words- words to blurt out to her parents, and the rest of her family, that she was pregnant…with another man's child…or maybe she shouldn't mention that? She looked up and watched her sister, the soon to be bride talk at the manager with strong authority, her eyes narrowed slits. Abby felt for him, especially with her sister's dangerous, piercing stare. Their mother was behind her, looking on with faint apprehension.

"And I've made a list of what the DJ should play-" Cree rambled, holding out four A4 pages of small print. "He should only play those, I don't want any stupid break up songs at _my _wedding, and no dance numbers. It is a formal and classical occasion. And make sure those pictures are removed from the wall, they make the hall look so trashy. And be sure the flowers arrive on the day or their fragrance won't be as-"

"Cree" Their mother finally groaned, putting a hand to her head. A few frown lines appeared in her forehead as she sighed. Her deep set tan, deep brown curls and beautiful wide chocolate eyes were all traits she passed onto her daughters, and everyone seemed to say that both Abby and Cree were both beautiful, just like their mother. Unfortunately, all three of the females seemed to inherit the stubborn trait as well. "I'll take care of it, you go sit by Abby and make sure the menus are in order."

"I've gone over them four times!" Cree snapped, her fiery brown eyes rounding on her mother. She paused, her eyes becoming wide as she seemed to stop breathing out of pure shock. "Why? Has somebody made changes to the desserts and not told me?"

"No" Mrs. Lincoln sighed, shaking her head and finally giving up. She turned to her youngest daughter, sitting alone at a nearby table. She frowned, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "I'll just…be going over the RSVP's with your sister."

"Good" Cree huffed, folding her arms as she closely inspected the decorations that were being prepped for the hall. _"She's been off with the pixies all day"_ She quickly added under her breath.

Ignoring her, Mrs. Lincoln instead turned her attention on her daughter, whose shy downcast glance at the table didn't fool her for a second. She knew Abby, and she especially knew when she was upset.

"Hey, Sweetie." She greeted her daughter with a smile, which Abby meekly returned. "How's the RSVP's?"

Abby shrugged as her mother sat down beside her. "Okay…" She muttered. "A lot of my friends haven't given official RSVP's, so I just wrote them down as yes."

"Oh, good." She watched her daughter closely. There was a small smile on her face, but it disappeared when she thought nobody was watching. Her eyes were focused, but not on the task at hand. She looked nervous, calculating. Her face was calm, but she noticed how one hand kept disappearing under the table. "Abby…" She looked up at her mother. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" Abby sighed, the response becoming repetitive. "Really, I am."

She watched her daughter closely. Over the past few months she noticed her daughter eating a lot more, and was worried about the recent breakup with her boyfriend, and what effect this seemed to have on her. She tapped her pen on the table anxiously, trying to find the right words. She knew something was wrong, she just wasn't sure what to say. She cleared her throat subtly, and Abby once again looked up.

"Now, Abby…I was in the store the other day and I was noticing some great vegetarian recipes-"

"Mom" Abby pursed her lips together, a clear danger sign. "Stop"

"I was just saying it looked really good. Perhaps I could get you a copy-" She suggested delicately.

"Mom" Abby snarled, unintentionally ripping at one of the spare pieces of scented paper in front of her. "Why don't you just say I need to go on Jenny Craig?"

"Well…" Mrs. Lincoln faltered, nibbling on her bottom lip awkwardly. "Not…Jenny Craig per se, Weight Watchers would be-"

"Mom, I know I'm putting on weight." Abby snarled venomously. She knew her weight gain had nothing to do with over-eating, if anything she wasn't eating enough for her pregnancy, but she was always sensitive about her appearance. It angered her that her mother would automatically go to diet books than finding out what was really wrong. But then again, Abby thought, she wasn't making it easy for anyone by saying nothing was wrong, when everything was wrong.

_That'll all change tonight, though. _Abby thought meekly. _I'll be telling them._

"I…" Abby sighed, and her mother automatically leaned forward eagerly, as if getting the hint Abby was about to admit something to her. Abby shook her head, and turned to her mother. "I just…need to talk to you and…and Dad and the family, and everyone. Do you think I can come over after this is done?"

"Of course, Abby." Her mother reached out and patted her hand. "You know we're always there for you.'

'I hope so…" Abby muttered to herself.

* * *

Allie snarled to herself, her fingernails tapping against her iced water glass irritably. She shouldn't be here, she should be home..with her family, the regular mother/housewife she always seemed to be. She should be there, maybe making dinner or snack and curling up with a book, once again dodging Joey's questions about Jake.

Instead, she was here-in a random diner, Downtown, waiting for someone she promised to forget a long time ago. She cursed herself for getting into such a predicament. She chewed her bottom lip nervously, her eyes trailing to the clock every minute or so. Derek was scheduled to arrive at 6, and it was 5 now. She sighed again, running a hand through her hair and groaning. The door opened and he arrived. Allie tried not to look too interested, but she struggled.

Jake walked towards her, his shades on and his hands stuffed in his pockets. He smirked at her as he slid into the booth, sliding off his shades and instead gazing at her, his deep brown eyes gazing at her cockily. Allie cursed herself silently as she saw him.

"Less than 24 hours." Jake sniggered at her, his eyebrows rising. "You're really keeping with tradition, aren't ya Allie?"

Allie rolled her eyes, attempting to ignore this. After her and Jake spent the night together, 21 years ago, Allie had nowhere else to go, so she soon found herself back in Jake's company after only 12 hours or so, unable to admit to her mother, or her fiancé at the time, what she had done. Instead, she had simply burst into tears and laid out her soul to the handsome stranger, who was only just 16 at the time.

"Shutup, Jake." She muttered hastily. She swallowed, suddenly appearing nervous. "I just…had nobody else to talk to." She admitted, suddenly blushing. Jake chewed on his tongue, unsure of what to say. He could have denied the stupid phone call, but he couldn't walk away from Allie. He could once, and he'd been regretting it nearly all his life.

"Yeah, whatever Allie" He sighed, suddenly sheepish. He leaned forward and stole a pile of fries, which she'd ordered just to get the waitress to stop bothering her. "What is it?"

Allie swallowed nervously. "I just…wanted to talk to someone…" She muttered. "I'm kind of scared."

"Of what?" Jake muttered, almost automatically. With Allie, it was just like talking to any other girl…or so it seemed. Usually Jake completely switched off at these type of talks, but he was genuinely interested in what Allie had to say. She looked worried, concerned, and Jake frowned at her with interest as he munched on his fries.

Allie sighed again. "Of…well, I'm just nervous for her. My son's ex-girlfriend…I think she's pregnant."

"Ah" Jake said, tilting his head as he took another handful. "Really."

Allie glared at him, her deep green eyes suddenly darkening dangerously. "Your concern overwhelms me" She snarled. Jake perked up, his eyes wide.

"Nah" He shook his head. "Sorry, just…I get what you mean, I'm just a little concerned with my own kid, well, your kid as well, at the moment."

Allie frowned with concern. "Why? What's wrong? Is he in some sort of trouble? Because if you ever need any help I-"

"Shutup Allie" Jake sniggered at her. "it's cool. It's just…he's staying here for some reason, and I just wanna know why…" He seemed to trail off, chewing on the rest of his fries. "He came over for a reason, I know that, but I know it wasn't long term otherwise I _know _he would have said something. And it wasn't for you-" At this, Allie seemed to wince- "Sorry, I mean..no offence, but it wasn't." He frowned; his eyes darkening so much his stare appeared almost black. "It's over this girl, Bandit let it slip."

"A girl…" Allie muttered, a small smile appearing on her lips. "Isn't that always the downfall?"

"I guess" Jake muttered back, smirking as well. "I just hope he hasn't done anything stupid."

"I hope so too, with Wally" Allie said. Somehow the couple seemed to edge closer to each other. Allie still looked downcast, and she seemed to sigh with sadness. Jake put a comforting hand on hers. "Abby was such a nice girl, and if she's pregnant that would just-"

She stopped, for Jake had suddenly choked on his water violently, coughing and spluttering. Her eyes widened as she watched him coughing.

"Are…you okay?" She asked, looking shocked. Jake simply stared back as he gasped for air, shoving the glass back onto the table.

"W-Wha" He gaped at her, hardly daring to believe it. "Did…did you say Abby?"

"Yeah" Allie frowned at him. "Why?"

Jake gaped at her, his eyes wide. _It would have to be too much of a coincidence…_

"Uhn…Nothing." He muttered, shaking his head. He threw a couple of bills on the table and before Allie was even vaguely aware, he had risen to his feet. "I…gotta go." Allie frowned at him as he turned, heading for the door. His head was racing and his heart was pounding, and all he had on his mind was Bandit's reaction when he had slipped up about Abby- his eyes automatically widening in fear when he realised he had said something that was meant to be a secret.

Without hesitation, Allie rose and followed him.

* * *

Dingo carefully counted the bills in his hands, anxious to count out the right amount. It was hard, with some random guy panting worriedly over his shoulder, and so many thoughts running through his mind. Stuff like this used to be second instinct, but now it just seemed wrong to him. He rolled up the cash and pocketed it, turning to the pair standing behind him. They stepped back awkwardly, their eyes wide. A boy and a girl, no older than 25, were waiting for him in their normal meeting place, in the alley behind the garage, and paid up big for the regular stash. Dingo swallowed, eyeing them steadily as he pulled a package out of his pocket and gently handed it to the guy, who gave him a shaky smile.

"T-thanks Ace." He mumbled to him, his pale eyes avoiding his gaze. "Same time…in 2 weeks?"

Dingo slowly nodded, watching him closely, his eyes cold. As the pair backed away and quickly made their way up the street, he didn't move or speak. He just stood there, calmly and quietly. 'Ace' was known to be virtually emotionless when happy, his fierce character only shown when he was angry with someone. He was ruthless and brutal, but the Ace everyone wanted to know was cool and calm, emotionless and calculating.

Dingo smirked to himself as soon as they were out of sight. He couldn't help it, the sun was setting and the calm dusk atmosphere soothed him. It was quiet, and getting dark. He made his way slowly up the alleyway, thinking to himself as he shoved his fists into the pockets of his favourite black hoodie. He kicked the ground below him dully, wondering. He thought about whether he'd ever get out of this business, and what would he do if he did. He pondered on if he did, who would be most angry, or upset. Would it be enough to put his family at risk? Should he even attempt it?

He ran a hand through his jet black hair, groaning to himself. Almost all the time, his thoughts were on Abby. He never met any girl like her, and he wanted no other. Every time she smiled, she laughed or even she cried, it caused his heart to melt. Her touch made his skin prickle, and she made every guy drool, but still she only wanted him. He remembered all those forbidden nights they had spent together, the guilt in her eyes would change as soon as he kissed her, as soon as he murmured everything would be okay. He remembered he promised he would.

Dingo reached the end of the alley, and was now facing the street. He swallowed hard. He promised he would make everything okay, and he was sure he would fulfill that promise.

Jake stumbled out of the Diner, shaking his jacket back onto his shoulders. He groaned loudly to himself, looking up into the night sky and pausing. Dingo, hearing his voice, immediately looked towards him. He froze at the sight of his father and quickly backed into the alley, pausing to listen. He felt the colour drain from his face as he heard another voice- the voice of his mother. He waited behind the building before cautiously leaning out, enough to see the couple who were a few feet away, in the parking lot of the Diner. He could hear every word.

"Jake!" Allie was yelling, running out of the diner after him. Jake kept walking, then paused, turning around. His expression was unreadable, yet it caused Allie to stop, and simply pant at him. "Where are you going?" She asked, her eyes wide.

Jake shrugged moodily, growling. He turned so he faced her, and the lights of the diner flicked on, illuminating his face. "I don't know" He admitted coldly.

Allie swallowed nervously, unsure of what to say. She felt foolish. "I…I didn't mean to upset you…whatever I said."

"It's okay" Jake muttered sheepishly, shrugging. "You didn't say anything."

Allie slowly walked towards him, captivated. After all these years Jake hadn't changed one bit, if anything he had gained a few lines in his face, and his features had matured gracefully. His eyes, a bottomless chocolate brown, still remained youthful and intense, and they gazed at her with the same heat they had shared almost 2 decades ago. He blinked at her expectantly and she looked away guiltily, almost unable to look him in the eye. Seeing him made her wonder how old she looked.

"Allie" Jake sighed, slowly walking towards her. "Somethings going on, and I have to find out what it is."

She looked up. "A-about Dingo?"

"Yeah" He mumbled, swallowing. "Just…I'll keep you informed." He added hastily.

Allie smiled, but Jake could see the tears reflected in her eyes.

"Thank you"

Jake nodded calmly. "It's okay, Allie."

She sniffed, looking towards the ground. She seemed a smile, and a tiny laugh escaped her throat as a few tears seeped from her eyes.

"You know" She scoffed, looking up. Even all blotchy and pathetic, to Jake she still looked beautiful, and he hated himself for thinking that. She gave him a watery smile. "Even after…20 years…you're still the only one who calls me that."

"Sorry" Jake whispered, stumped at what else to say.

"It's a good thing" Allie mumbled back. "I wish more people would."

They gazed at each other- brown into green- without looking away. They couldn't tear their gaze away from each other, it had been so long and seeing each other was too much. Jake swallowed nervously, still unsure on what to say, or do. It felt as though a fire was burning inside of him, desperate to be extinguish. Allie was frozen to the ground, a deep guilt heavy on her heart, but yet it felt so right to her. She looked up at him, still seeing the muscular, rebellious dark-haired youngster she fell in love with, and crept closer to him.

"I'm so sorry Jake" She sniffed, a few more tears escaping. "I can't say it enough."

Jake didn't reply, he didn't have to. The passion inside him won, and he couldn't fight it back any longer. He gently grabbed her face with his rough hands and without thinking he kissed her, gently on the side of her mouth. It was sweet, gentle and friendly. Allie closed her eyes at his touch, her hand gripping his arm. Jake, with some hesitation, pulled away and let go, his hand tenderly stroking her cheek. She opened her eyes, and the two gazed at each other with half confusion, half guilt. Even though it was a friendly gesture, both knew they wanted more, but their teenage days were long over… they had other people to think about.

"I'll see you, Allie." Jake whispered to her softly before disappearing, flicking his hood up as he went. The sun was almost completely set, and Allie watched as he disappeared to his car- Derek's car- and drove away, up the street and around the corner. She shivered, even though she wasn't cold, and walked away as well to her own car, her own head swimming.

Dingo watched them both as they walked away, his eyes wide and unblinking. If anybody had been there watching him, they would have noticed those big emerald eyes- darkened and flaming with anger and hatred. Dingo clenched his hands into tight fists, trembling and shaking with fury. He had no idea he could hold so much anger. All he could do was walk. He stomped out of his hiding place- from where he had seen the entire thing unfold- and he walked to his car, his face set and his eyes dangerous. He had no idea what to do, all he could feel was blinded with so much hatred and rage he could only pant. He reached his car, shaking, and he kicked it, so hard a dent appeared in the door. He didn't care, he could hardly feel the pain now ebbing in his foot. He felt so much anger and hurt, resentment and pain, that he couldn't think straight, he could barely breathe. He felt tears in his eyes as he blinked, his hand reaching into his pocket to find his phone. The only thing he could think to do- the only thing he wanted- was to call her, he needed her.

He began to dial Abby's number.

* * *

Abby sighed to herself, her chin in her hands as she gazed at the sunset from the window box of her family home. She had come to finally tell her parents the big secret, but instead her family was quarrelling, as per usual, about the wedding. Abby's older brother Ben had appeared late, and Cree was arguing with him about how he could fulfill the role of one of Maurice's groomsmen. Abby swallowed to herself, listening to the way their mother was stepping in and trying to calm Cree down. A small ripple of anger went through her as she listened to her family, where she had been completely cut out.

"And I've told _you, _Ben!" Cree was snarling at him, on the tips of her toes so she could look him directly in the eye. "We've already ordered your tux! You should feel honored that Maurice chose you for one of the groomsmen anyway!"

"Yeah, one of 6" Ben argued, growling back. "And he didn't choose, _You _did."

"That's not the point!" Cree snarled back. "And another thing-"

Abby rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers, feeling at any second she was about to explode.

"You look how I feel"

She looked up to see her father, groaning and sitting beside her. He too looked tired and annoyed, rubbing his own temples in the exact same way. He sighed, giving his youngest daughter an apologetic look. "Do you think your sister will ever be happy with the wedding?"

"I doubt it" She mumbled back, sighing. "Do you think we'll ever be granted peace until this wedding has officially gone down?"

"I don't deny it." Her father sighed. Abby wasn't used to this- these sweet heart-to-heart father/daughter moments. Usually her dad was doing his own thing, as she was going on with her own life. She looked into his face, a sincere expression on her face. "But then…" He groaned. "You got the family…the children and the schooling and the whole new life that marriage brings." He smirked. "You know Ben, he's out on his own now, mid-thirties, married and has 3 kids! And now that'll be Cree…" He ran a hand through his hair, looking weary. He smiled at her, and Abby felt a lump rise in her throat. "Pretty soon I'll be walking you down the aisle, and then you'll have your own kids to worry about…"

"Hehe" Abby chuckled weakly as her father embraced her, but all of a sudden she felt the urge to vomit. She didn't understand how she could tell her father now, after everything he had just said. _'Oh yeah, by the way Dad I'm 5 months pregnant…'_

Abby winced as he released her. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead a familiar buzzing in her dress pocket signaled an incoming call.

"Sorry…" She mumbled, her voice squeaky. She flipped open her phone as her dad walked back to the kitchen, offering tea to the arguing siblings. Abby groaned, watching him go. She had no idea how to break it to him..to any of them.

But she knew she had to.

"Hello" She mumbled into the receiver. She frowned as she was met with silence. "…Hello?"

"MOTHERFUCKER!" She heard Dingo yell suddenly. She winced, holding the phone inches from her ear. Dingo's fist furiously shot out and hit his dashboard. He winced in pain.

"Dingo?" Abby frowned at the yell, and at the thump that followed. "What is it? Are you okay?"

Dingo breathed heavily and steadily, opening and closing his eyes. Hearing her voice made it seem all the more better, his rapid heartbeat slowed and the pain in his head and hand seemed to ebb away. He swallowed heavily as he tried to catch his breath, his eyes fogging up with unshed tears.

"No" He snapped at her, biting his tongue furiously. "I'm not."

"Well…" Abby cast a warning look towards her family before rising to her feet, walking to the living room sofa. "What's wrong?"

"Everything's wrong Abs!" Dingo growled, gritting his teeth. "I…I just don't know what to do." He winced as he admitted this, he'd never said it to anyone other than his father before. "I…" He ran a hand through his hair, swallowing. "I just don't know."

Abby bit her lip, hearing the pain in his voice. She never heard him like this before. "Dingo…" She tried to speak to him calmly and soothingly, but he was making her nervous. "Baby…"

Dingo sighed, his hunched shoulders relaxing. His narrowed eyes widened, and he blinked.

"You need to calm down" Abby murmured, her brow furrowed with worry. "Babe?"

"I'm _fine" _Dingo snarled back, feeling sheepish. He shifted uncomfortably. "I just…I'm just pissed, that's all."

"What is it?" Abby asked. "You don't have to tell me, if…if you don't want."

Dingo cursed himself, growling. He swallowed, drumming on the steering wheel.

"I can't explain right now…" He mumbled, freezing as he felt tears run down his cheeks. He furiously wiped them away. "It's just…fucked up."

"Oh…" Abby had to smile, leaning over to see if her family had settled down. "I know the feeling."

Dingo sniffed. "Um…" He bit his lip. He hated to ask, but he knew he had to. "I..I want to explain. Can you come over?"

Abby sighed. She knew she shouldn't, but at the same time she knew she had to. "Yeah, just give me some time…I may be a while."

"That's okay" Dingo sniffed, feeling completely pathetic. He hoped nobody saw him like this. "I just need to see you."

"Yeah…same here." Abby admitted. "I promise I'll see you later, okay?"

Dingo seemed to wilt at the thought of hanging up. "Okay"

"You'll calm down?"

"I'm calm" Dingo mumbled. "I swear."

"Good" Abby smiled. "I better go"

Dingo's heart seemed to sink as he pouted. "Okay…"

Abby smirked. "I love you"

Dingo, who despite a few minutes ago was ready to snap off the entire steering wheel, found himself smiling. "I love you too"

Abby hung up, a smile still etched on her lips. With a final sigh, she heaved herself off the couch and strutted into the kitchen, where Cree was _still _arguing with Ben. This time, it was about the tux itself. Apparently, Ben didn't like it. Abby waited, glaring at them both, before finally breaking.

"BOTH OF YOU SHUTUP! ENOUGH!"

Both Cree and Ben paused, glancing over at her. Ben looked surprised, whereas Cree looked outraged. Both her mother and her father looked up from the table, alarmed. Cree gaped at her.

"Abby! I thought you were on my side here! Did you hear what he-"

"_No, _Cree." Abby snarled, her eyes narrowed and dangerous. "I didn't. And frankly I don't care. All I ask if that you Shutup for five minutes while I talk to the family." Cree looked as though she was about to explode, when Abby raised her eyebrows and shot her a knowing look. "About something _important."_

She pointed to the kitchen table, where her parents already sat, looking confused.

"_Now?" _Cree asked, her eyes wide. "Abs-"

"Yes, now. Otherwise we'll be here all night with your rambling." Abby snarled. "Sit"

"What's going on?" Their mother asked, looking concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"Relax" Abby sighed as they made their way to the table. She sat at the head of the table as the rest of the family sat around her. She groaned, running a hand through her hair. "It's okay, I just have something to tell you."

She looked up, and four deep brown eyes gazed back at her. Cree looked nervous, her mother looked worried, her father looked suspicious and Ben looked confused.

Abby sighed, nervous as hell, but seeing no other way around it. She gave her family an apologetic look, her deep brown eyes wide and her lips twisted in a half smirk. She opened her mouth, and the words came out before she could stop them.

"I'm five months pregnant"

* * *

Dodge pulled up to the house, and he frowned as he hoped he actually got the right number. It was a usual brick home, flower garden in the front, white picket fence. He winced. _Oh, Crap. _

He turned off the ignition of his Challenger, automatically feeling nervous. He stumbled out of the car, jingling his keys nervously. He gnawed on his bottom lip as he stepped up the path, dragging his sneakers. He seriously considered hightailing it back to the car, but when he thought of what awaited him, he couldn't help but drag his feet forward, shakily making his way to the white front door. He swallowed, standing on the front porch. With a shaky sigh, he rapped on the door.

Fanny winced as she heard the door, and was very tempted to run down straight away and save her date from the nightmare she had set him up for, but Rachel, who had been helping her get ready, held her back.

"No" She giggled. "You know the test."

"I hate the test" Fanny pouted. "None of my dates have ever gotten past the test."

Rachel smirked. "You say he's the One? He has to make it through."

They heard the door open, and Fanny made a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Dodge came out of the experience…alive.

Dodge looked at the man who had answered the door, or more, looked down. He was short and round, with a bushy moustache and an evil snarl. Dodge had the faint impression it would be what Mack would look like if Mack had a white collar job. He shook this thought out of his head and instead tried to think of what to say.

"Uh-"

"Who are _you?" _Mr. Boss angrily growled, looking at him up and down. He stiffened. "I'll have you know, I have a burglar alarm installed, so if you're thinking of 'casing the joint' or whatever you kids call it-"

"No!" Dodge yelped, alarmed. "I mean…nah…I…don't want to rob you." He frowned, slightly hurt. "I'm here to pick up…um…"

He froze. He didn't know her real name.

"My daughter?" Mr. Boss glared at him closely, as if sizing him up. Dodge began to seriously reconsider his attire. He was running late so simply threw on a clean gray t-shirt from the car, that looked as though it belonged to Dingo, and slipped on the only clean jeans he had.

"Yeah…" Dodge attempted a small smile. He was never good at parents, he could specifically recall the evening when he met Bonnie's parents- he _and _Dingo had been chased out of the house with a shotgun. "If…that's 'right with you."

Mr. Boss narrowed his eyes, as if he was seriously considering the same option with a shotgun, but instead he stepped aside reluctantly, and Dodge walked inside, amazed at his achievement.

A few minutes later the pair still sat in silence as from upstairs, Fanny watched the clock nervously. Dodge drummed his fingers on his jeans dully, suddenly wishing he was more like Bandit- who could make anything interesting. His date's father was glaring at him from across the living room. His eyes were not on the football game on the TV, but rather on him…or more specifically, the tattoo on his arm.

"So!" He barked from across the room. Dodge jumped. "What's your name, anyway?"

Dodge bit his lip. He always hated telling people. "My name? Dodge Mathers…" He braced himself.

He raised his eyebrows. "What? _Dodge?_ What kind of a name is Dodge?"

Dodge heaved a sigh. He was used to this, and he had learned his response at the age of eight. "I was named after the US-based automobile company that was founded in 1914, more specifically my dad's favourite car the 1969 four-speed, triple-black Dodge Charger, the same car that I was born in." He said this all in the same bored tone he always used, as he was sick of telling the story. Mr. Boss simply blinked at him, amazed. Shawnie suddenly walked in through the door, throwing his bag down the hall. He made his way into the living room and saw the scene before him.

"Uh…" he frowned at his father and the tattooed stranger who was sitting on their couch. A slight smirk spread across his face. "What's going on?"

"Your sister's boyfriend!" He snapped, before Dodge could reply. Dodge gave him a slight grin. Shawnie smirked back, shaking his head loftily before walking back to the kitchen, rolling his eyes.

"What do you do for a living?" Mr. Boss barked once Shawnie had left. Dodge smirked sheepishly.

"Panel beater" He mumbled, grinning. "Like a mechanic, only I do more body work."

Mr. Boss frowned at him, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Before he had the chance to reply, however, Fanny came rushing down the stairs, pausing on the bottom step as she watched the two. Dodge's eyes widened as he saw her- short black denim skirt with a tight green tank top. He eagerly stood up. Fanny sighed in relief. There was no blood.

"I hope you're wearing a jacket over that-" Her father began. Fanny rolled her eyes and waved her hand at him.

"Of course, yep…right…she muttered hastily, gripping Dodge's hand. Rachel came down the stairs after her, smirking. "Well, we better go…"

"Well, alright." Mr. Boss snarled gruffly. He rounded on Dodge. "No funny business, she's still a minor you know!"

"Not in my country…" Dodge seemed to smirk to himself. Mr. Boss' eyes widened dangerously and Dodge bit his lip, letting Fanny drag him out. They reached the front door and she shoved him through, skipping after him. They made it to the car, but not soon enough. Fanny's father stood at the door, his hands on his hips.

"TAKE CARE FANNYPANTS!" He yelled loudly. Fanny winced as Dodge seemed to pause, turning to her with a sly smirk on his face.

"_Fannypants?"_

She fiercely punched him and he chuckled.

"Drive…" She groaned at him. "Just _drive."_

* * *

Wally knocked on the door, his hands clammy and his heart pounding in his ears. He had no idea what to do, or what to say, he just had to know…he had to know she was okay. He stood in the hallway nervously, shuffling his shoes against the hardwood floor and gulping. The door opened and Kuki stood, staring at him. Her wide lavender coloured eyes were bloodshot, and she was dressed in her familiar long sleeved oversized green sweater and leggings. Her eyes widened as she saw him, and she automatically made to shut the door again.

"Kooks-" Wally's hand pushed back the door as he watched her, his emerald gaze intense. "Talk to me. Why'd you run off like that? What's wrong?"

Kuki shook her head, her long silky mane shaking as she turned, sniffing as she walked away from the door. Wally immediately fell forward and retained his balance. He shut the door behind him carefully and followed her, his frown deepening. He gently gripped her hand as she cried, her head lowered. He pulled his girlfriend into an embrace, which she accepted. She pushed her face against him and cried. Wally swallowed nervously, every sob seeming to tug at his heartstrings. He ran a few fingers along her hair, even though he had no idea what was wrong, or what to do. He just held her close, so close she could hear his own rapid heartbeat.

Kuki emerged, wiping her eyes and feeling foolish. As she gazed into her boyfriend's face, she hated that she had become so much like the traditional damsel in distress. She sighed, looking down in slight embarrassment.

"It…It's just stupid" She mumbled apologetically. "I'm so sorry I snapped at you."

"It's okay, Kooks…" Wally muttered back, hugging her to him. "I'm sorry if I upset you-"

"You didn't" Kuki sighed. "You didn't do anything wrong…It's just…"She twisted her lips anxiously, completely lost at what to say. "I…I had this nightmare last night and…and I got nervous that I was losing you and…I got thinking of Abby and how long you guys lasted and I just-"

Wally shushed her, pulling her head to his chest again where she let out another wave of tears. She sniffed, wiping at her face with her sleeve. The couple stood in silence, hugging and comforting each other. Kuki wrapped her arms around her man, sniffling into his sweatshirt and sighing.

"I feel so juvenile" She confessed, sniffing. "I just…I feel so inferior."

"You're never inferior, Kooks." Wally smirked at her, lowering his head so he could kiss her forehead. "You're everything to me, you know…I'll never leave you."

Kuki swallowed, releasing her grip and instead leading him to the couch, where she sat on his lap. Wallabee smiled, immediately feeling warm again as he embraced her close. Kuki snuggled into his chest, wiping away the last of her tears. She sighed, twisting her hands together anxiously. Wally frowned at her, knowing something was wrong.

"What's up?" He asked her. Kuki bit her lip, looking up into his face.

"Did you and Abby do it…a lot?" She asked, her cheeks blushing. "I mean…were you guys-"

"We were a couple, Kooks." Wallabee said to her, running a hand through her hair. He looked troubled. "I'm sorry if it upsets you but…we were stupid and crazy when we were younger and…jumped into it too soon. I was anxious to forget you then and I thought it would but-" He shook his head. "I never got over you Kooks but…me and Abby just…we were in a relationship."

Kuki nodded, but somehow she still felt sad. "Did you ever…?"

Wally frowned. "Do it unprotected? No" He shook his head, and leaned into her closely. "Listen…I don't want you to think that's what I expect or anything…because we don't have to if…you're not ready."

Kuki blushed as she smiled, her face emitting it's familiar natural happy glow. "Really? Even…even if it's a while?"

"Yeah" Wally scoffed, wrapping his muscular arms around her. "I can wait, Kooks. If I can wait 10 years for you, it's not going to kill me waiting anymore."

Kuki grinned. She thought it juvenile to think about, yet she couldn't help but feel relieved. There was always that worry and that paranoia inside her, but hearing her own boyfriend promise that to her so sincerely made everything seem real, like it was meant to be. Wally lightly kissed her neck, causing shivers to travel down her spine. She was happy again, and it seemed as though nothing could upset her now.

"How about we eat in?" Wallabee suggested, grinning as well. "Pizza and a movie?"

Kuki kissed him back, snuggling into his neck. "Sounds like perfection."

* * *

It was late, Hoagie had no idea what time it was. In fact, he had barely any idea where he was. All he knew was that he was underage, and the bartender apparently didn't care. It was enough for him. He lay his head on his palm and simply gazed drunkenly around the bar, at the listless energy that seemed to surround him. Tonight was pretty much dead.

"Another drink" He mumbled to the guy behind the bar. The bartender rolled his eyes.

"Listen, College Boy." He snared under his breath. "I think you've had enough."

Hoagie snarled back, burying his face in his hands and groaning. He felt so lightheaded and dazed, he could barely tell if he was sitting or standing. He felt a silky brush of skin on his arm and he jumped up limply, looking around in alarm. A girl was sitting beside him, and she looked slightly familiar. Even in the dimmed light he could see her fake tan, which was setting off her skimpy black dress nicely. She had a nice, slender figure with chopped brown hair and a wicked smile. Her hand was on his head, and her deep eyes were surveying him closely.

"Hey stranger" She giggled at him. "Rough night?"

Hoagie mumbled a reply, cleared his throat and tried again. "You're telling me…" He seemed to snarl, frowning. "Do I know you?"

"Yeah" She smirked. "I'm Bonny."

"Hey Bonny" He slurred. "I'm Hoagie" He vaguely picked up an empty glass and attempted to drink out of it. Bonny snickered airily, tugging it out of his hands.

"Listen, Hoagie." She smiled. "How about we get you out of here, hmm?"

* * *

"HOW COULD YOU?"

"Dingo, listen-"

"YOU KISSED HER!"

"D, I never meant-"

"HOW COULD YOU!" Dingo screamed again, his eyes wide with anger and hurt. Jake's stomach squirmed uncomfortably as he noticed the look on his face- the look of heartbreak and distrust. He never realised how much he'd hurt Dingo by doing what he did, and he was starting to regret it. He'd never seen Dingo look so upset and angry, especially when he had come home to find him this way, shaking and trembling with pure emotion. Jake heaved a sigh.

"Look…" He growled. "You have some answers to, you know. What's this about you and Abby? This wouldn't be the same Abby that's pregnant, would it?"

Dingo gaped, trembling with fury. Jake stared back, his own glare intense. Dingo swallowed, snarling at him. "So that's why you met her!" Dingo snarled venomously. "To talk crap about me! Did you have a nice little chat, the perfect little family you are?"

"It isn't like that!" Jake yelled back, his anger rising. "You're avoiding the issue! You knocked a girl up, your own brother's girlfriend. That's why you can't leave! That's why you can't face me! That's why you can't look me in the eye!" Jake glared at him, his powerful gaze penetrating Dingo's own force of anger. Dingo swallowed, feeling his guard suddenly drop.

"That's it, isn't it?" Jake spat as Dingo's hard gaze weakened. "You fucked up, you did something really stupid. You knocked up your brother's girlfriend" He glared at his son, his gaze hard and demanding. "You screwed up just like I did, and that's killing you to admit, isn't it? That's why you're so keen to put the blame on me! That's why you're so fucking sure to blame someone else, like your mum!"

Dingo shook his head rapidly, but already the tears had started to form. Jake was the only person who could make him feel so guilty and insignificant in so few words, and it hurt him to think that it was because he truly respected Jake, and Jake was the only person to act like a guardian for him. Dingo angrily punched the wall, denting and breaking the plaster. He let out a furious sob as he ran his hands through his hair, Jake still gazing at him intently. Dingo turned and faced him, his own face covered in tears. He backed against the wall, now completely broken as Jake continued to watch him closely. He slid down the wall, landing on the floor, his knees bent in front of him.

"I hate her" Dingo sobbed, thinking of his mother. His shoulders shook pathetically as he buried his face in his knees. "I fucking hate her so much…"

Jake walked over, a guilty expression crossing his face. He knew he had hit some serious nerves. He looked down at him knowingly, blinking. "No you don't."

"I DO!" Dingo snarled, sniffing. "I fucking DO! I despise her!"

Jake slid down onto the floor too, landing next to his son with a light thump. He swallowed nervously, watching the way he sobbed and cried like he did when he was younger. He had to smile as he wrapped an arm around him, holding him close.

"You don't D…" He sighed, thinking back to his own feelings on Allie. "You want to hate her, but you don't. You try to but you can't, and you hate the fact you can't."

Dingo sniffed, growling and shaking his head. He couldn't reply, Jake just pulled him closer into a hug. He buried his head into Jake's shirt, sobbing and crying, every stress and sadness he'd felt since he arrived just being released in a torrent of furious tears. Jake hugged him back.

"I know, D…" He muttered. "Because I've tried to hate her, too."

* * *

Abby knocked on Dingo's apartment door, her own tears drying on her cheeks. She'd told everyone, her family, and there had been yelling and crying just as she'd suspected. But a small smile was on her face, as she felt half of her troubles being lifted from her, and suddenly she felt lighter. She had admitted it, she had told them that she was pregnant, and even just before she left her mother was talking about a baby shower.

Abby swallowed as she thought of this. Right…a baby shower. A happy party that symbolized the joy of pregnancy. Somehow, she didn't see a way to that- she'd have to tell Wally first, and the thought made her want to dig her own grave.

She looked up at Dingo's door and sighed. But she was here now, of course, she still was there for him. It was a slight indication that maybe…just maybe…they were meant to be together.

The door opened and Dingo stood there staring at her, and Abby frowned as she stared back at him. There was something missing about him, that usual aura of power strength he seemed to give to anyone who saw him. He wasn't the same, instead he looked sad and pathetic, almost shrunken. His hair was limp and his shoulders were hunched, and his usual deep green eyes were wide with worry and hurt.

"Dingo…" Abby muttered, her eyes narrowing. "Are you okay?"

He didn't reply, instead he reached out and grabbed her inside with his muscular arms and drew her close, burying his head in her hair. She hugged him back, frowning as he seemed to sniff. He sighed as he embraced her, the smell of her seemed to calm him like nothing else could. Her frown deepened and she pushed him back, staring at him closely. A hand rose to his face.

"What's wrong?"

He pouted as she pulled away, but he gave her a small smile allt he same, that looked sweet when more tears ran down his cheeks. He heaved a deep sigh as his eyes travelled to Jake, who perched (as usual) on the kitchen counter, watching them closely. Abby followed his gaze, and her own eyes widened. She noticed the resemblance between the two, only of course Jake looked about 10 years or so older.

"I want you to meet…my dad." Dingo mumbled to her, swallowing. He gave her a guilty look as she frowned with confusion. "He knows."

"You know, I was kind of pissed that you made me a grandfather before I turned 40…" Jake said thoughtfully in response to Abby's shocked silence. He smirked at her. "But then again, I did the same! And I can't deny, Dingo was right in saying you are _beautiful."_

_R&R? *pout*_

-x-

* * *

...Baz-zing!

Well, idk if I feel 100% happy with this chapter, but the next few will be exciting :D especially with a few more fights, bad boys, drama oh, and of course, SECRETS REVEALED! *dun dun DUH!*


	14. Chapter 14: Ancient History

_G'day fine readers! Sorry about the wait, I wished it to be up sooner but year 12 work sucks...majorly. Bleh. Anyways this was a bit rushed, I did it all in a couple of days so I am a bit worried...but a lot of thought and effort went into it so I hope you guys like it :P_

_Warning- does include naughty, naughty language. I wonder who THAT could be from -glares at Dingo accusingly- _

_One thing it doesn't have is not a lot of 3/4 :( Sorry 3/4 lovers, it just didn't fit in in this chapter, but I promise more romance later ;P_

_By the way, I don't know how my writing has changed recently because I recently went through a breakup :S I hope my romance scenes don't suck because of it! I do accept constructive criticism! Feel free to point out any faults :P_

_REVIEWERS! (How I love thee...let me count thy ways...)_

E-D-Songy-12 _: Hehe! What can I say, I try to actually shorten it so it's less confusing, but I cant help but cram everything in...I'm like that, you should see my car :P Lol! I hope you have a good year (: Enjoy the chapter :D_

hellopandaluver : _GAH! Long review :D :D :D Lol, yes. I keep imagining that moment as something that you would see on the Jerry Springer/Maury Povich show, but of course it will be much more classy ;p. Hehe, THANK YOU! And you deserve it. A ranga is an Australian term (I think that's where it came from, idk) for a redhead, means 'orangatang' (sp?) It can be offensive, but it is widely accepted in some instances. Lee is...Lee, like Sonya/Lee. I didn't know his last name so I made up the most common one on the spot :P let me know if it's wrong and I'll edit it in. Ugh, the puppy story was sad, the saddest thing being some guy actually did that at my friend's school one year, in front of everyone just to show off (lit a kitten in a plastic bag) didn't even get expelled... Anyways, Abby's baby is currently nameless, though I have been asking around :P let me know if you find any good names :P .WOW long reply, enjoy the chapter! :P_

Laurie43: _:D Thank you! Ah, Hoagie is a mystery, currently I have many ideas on where he'll end up...nothing definate yet :P Bonnie annoys me, even though I created her and all. Trent definately does have plans for Mushi...though nothing defined too much in this chapter :P Thanks for your support, means a lot :P I may need help soon :D Hope you enjoy the chappie!_

simi838: _Weew! :P I'm back in Sydney now, so that's a relief. I was over visiting my mum on the west coast, was fun but it's great being back in good Aussie summer :P...no suburn as of yet. Hehe :D Hope you like the update!_

itsaDoggyDogworld : _Well I did it! I don't know how sucessfully, but I did it! I love requents and challenges :P Awesome word by the way, I used it the other day and I could just tell all my friends were simply amazed at my charisma :P Lol love the review! Hope you like this chapter :P_

sstoons3425 : _I do love writing Abby, though further along I think I'm making her a little more OCCish, the more scared she gets. I always imagine her as a strong character though, and I can't write her as a mother :P. Wow...when that happens it is going to be...! Not long now :P Hope you like the chapter :D_

Foxy-chan09 : _Lol, not too much 3/4 romance here I'm afraid, but more will be arriving soon once I brush up on my fluff :S I do love writing them though, they are so CUTE! :D. Hmm yes, Hoagie is a mystery...I think he should be the subject of my next poll...who shall he end up with? Lol, have a great year! Hope you like the update (:_

shejams : _Yeah I wasn't sure about Mushi's age, so I made her about 16. Of course I feel a bit weird writing romance with a 16/20 year old, because legally it's like...pedophilia, almost...but anyways, shouldn't be anything TOO dramatic. *Sigh* Lol, I'm glad you like my OCs...even though they can be a bit weird at times ;) Let me know what you think :P_

Joydream: _Yay! I'm glad :D Thanks for the review, I hope you like this new update, let me know what you think :D_

Numbuh 321: _Naw, bad that I'm keeping you up, but love how you're loving the story :D! Hehe, do love Bandit, he is definately one of my favs. Ah yes...Abby is in for a wild ride ;) Lol, hope you like the new chapter :D_

* * *

A storm was brewing. Light, almost feeble flashes of lightning were flashing across the dark sky, lighting the room for a split second and casting it back into darkness again. Abby drew lazy circles in the black bed sheet beneath her, listening to the faint rumble of thunder that followed the flashes of lightning. Her and Dingo were sitting quietly on his bed. For the first time, Abby thought faintly to herself, they had sat in a complete awkward silence. The two usually had plenty to say to each other, fighting or not.

Abby looked over at the boy next to her, his back against the headboard and his head and shoulders hunched, moodily tugging at the rips in his torn jeans. They were stumped at what to say, because so much had already been said. Abby cleared her throat, and bravely made a stab at a conversation, Jake's words echoing in her mind.

"So…let me get this straight…" Abby muttered, her eyebrows rising at Dingo, who was still hunched over, silent and anxious. "You're…Wally's half cousin, half brother?"

Dingo nodded.

"And Jake is…your Dad?"

Again, he nodded solemnly.

"And Jake is Wallabee's father's brother, but they haven't spoken in years because Jake had an affair with you and Wallabee's mother?"

Dingo nodded once again, looking sulky.

"Yep."

Abby frowned, now lost. "I…had no idea."

"Barely anyone does," He muttered back. Abby swallowed. "The rest of the family does, back home, but seeing as _he-" _He spat that out venomously- "purposely distanced himself from the family, it doesn't really matter."

"Does Wallabee know?"

Dingo scoffed, his eyebrows rising as he turned to her. "Nup"

Abby gave him a half smile, one side of her lips curling upward as she looked back down sheepishly. She smirked, tilting her head towards the boy beside her. "Jake seems really cool…I can understand you're related."

Dingo gave a small scoff, but smirked all the same. Anyone else he would have considered it an attack, but coming from Abby it seemed as though it was a polite compliment.

"Thanks" He muttered, still smirking. "He's all I've got sometimes."

She swallowed nervously, a lump forming in her throat as she thought back to Jake, the knowing look in his deep dark eyes and his sly smirk as he introduced himself. She turned back to Dingo, tilting her head gently.

"So Jake knows?"

"Yeah" Dingo snarled bitterly, crossing his arms tightly across his chest. "He's barely been here a day and he already put 2 and 2 together."

Abby fidgeted again, winding her fingers together and nibbling on her bottom lip. "Is that why you were so upset today?"

Dingo stiffened. "No." He snarled. "That wasn't why."

Abby hesitated, but then dropped her shoulders and lay down beside him on his bed, her head resting on his pillows. She put her hands to her stomach, which had inflated so much when she did lay down a baby bump was prominent through her shirt.

"You don't have to tell me."

Dingo growled, frustrated. He wanted to tell her, he wanted to tell her everything from the very beginning so he could bitch and moan and she could make him feel better, like he knew she would. He rolled over onto his stomach so he was closer to her, and gently snuggled his face to her stomach, resting gently on her baby bump.

"I'm never going to forgive her for what she did" He snarled to her, but his eyes seemed far away, as if his mind was elsewhere. "You know…for abandoning me like that. I didn't get why and…" He swallowed, a lump building in his throat. He realised he'd never told anybody but his father and his best friend this, and even then it was the hardest thing to say. "I didn't know why…she didn't love me and….why she wasn't there."

Abby looked down, overcome with emotion. She hated it when her sister scoffed at her, for being so impulsive and stupid and falling for 'a guy who thinks with his pants, not his head'. Cree, upon meeting Dingo, automatically thought that shacking up with Wally's brother was an act of revenge, just as a bed buddy and never as a relationship. But Abby knew she was wrong in thinking that, but she couldn't explain or prove why. She just knew Dingo was more than just her lover, and he was more than Wallabee's older brother. She always seemed to look past those cold deep green eyes and see more. She reached down and ran a few fingers through his hair as he swallowed awkwardly, pouring more of his heart out to her.

"I still hate her" He forced a snarl. "I really do. Seeing her again just set me off, you know? I grew up without her an- and my Dad was the only one to explain why. I hate _him _too and my stupid brother. It's why I hate Wallabee so much, you know? He had everything and…I didn't even have a mother." He broke off, his eyes still downcast. Abby sighed, looking towards the ceiling.

"You can't blame Wally for what happened between your Mom and Jake, you know."

"I can" Dingo growled back. "He was the reason I was kicked out in the first place."

"Your Mom only wanted what's best for you…" Abby muttered back, sitting up and gazing at him. "I…can understand where she's coming from…" She added delicately. Dingo immediately stiffened, his furious glare locking on her face.

"So what?!" He suddenly yelled, sitting up and glaring at her. "You'd kick me out too? Send me somewhere else? You'd get rid of your own kid?"

"No…" Abby mumbled delicately, reaching out a few fingers and running them down his arm. He blinked, trying as hard as he could not to soften, as he always seemed to when she soothed him like that. "I'm just saying that…well, would you rather live in constant competition with your half brother, or would you rather actually meet Jake, your own dad?"

Her brown eyes locked with his, and he had to look away from the intensity of her stare.

"I do love Jake" He muttered earnestly. "I do, I mean…for the longest time I was convinced he was the only person who could love me, and he was the only person I could love in return."

"He must know you better than anyone else…" Abby mumbled, looking down at her stomach, her eyes quickly filling with tears and a small smile creeping onto her face. "I mean, he caught on faster than anyone else did, right?"

"Yeah" Dingo returned her watery smile, looking down sadly. He sighed deeply, and eventually looked up. He cupped her chin as he gazed at her longingly, his emerald eyes dewy and swimming with emotion.

"I wish you were mine, Abby." He said to her. "I've never wanted anything else as much as I want you…"

Abby sniffed, overcome with tears as her stomach fluttered with every word. Her deep chocolate eyes were overflowing with tears, and she couldn't bring herself to tear her tearstained face away from his own.

"You already have me, Dingo" She whispered back, sniffing. "You know that."

"Nobody else does" He snarled back, frustrated as he pulled his hand away. "I hate that, you know. I can't call you mine."

Abby shook her head, unable to say anything else. Dingo turned to her, frowning.

"Do you think of me, like…differently now?" He mumbled, stiffening nervously. "Now that, you know, Jake and everything?"

Abby shook her head again, looking into his face. "I don't." She muttered. "I'm just a little confused, that's all."

They sat in an awkward silence. Abby eventually sniffed shyly.

"I told my parents."

Dingo pulled her into a hug wordlessly, and Abby relaxed in his warmth. She swallowed, looking into his face and blurting out something she knew he didn't want to hear.

"Dingo, we have to tell her."

Dingo snarled, his eyes flashing ominously in the dark as he growled at her. "No way"

"She's your mother…" Abby mumbled. She remembered how relieved and happy she felt after she eventually told her own mother. The second she was embraced in a hug from her family she knew everything would be okay. She wanted Dingo to feel the same, the closeness to the rest of his family, not the bitterness he always seemed to carry with him.

"Besides…" Abby said carefully. "I think she already knows…"

Dingo's dark eyes sharply met hers, his growing wider. "What? Don't tell me you told her!" He snapped irritably. Abby's own eyes darkened dangerously.

"No, I didn't." She snarled back darkly. "She just spotted me today in the baby section at the mall and I-"

"Wait" Dingo muttered, his eyes narrowing. Abby groaned, knowing that meant danger. He gave her a careful, and as Abby noticed an almost hurt look. "You…went baby shopping? Without me?"

"Well…no" Abby muttered, slightly taken aback. She never knew Dingo to be almost saddened by that statement, she never imagined him as the proud, chirpy, happy traditional parent coming from the 1950's tradition…fussing over what colour the baby toys were, that sort of thing. He looked pissed off. "I was just looking" She muttered, frowning. "You know, thinking and everything."

"When am _I _going to get involved in my kid's life?" Dingo shot back, annoyed. "You never include me in anything. You're ashamed of me and this kid."

"Stop putting words in my mouth" Abby snarled back, just as fierce. Her pregnancy hormones were starting to get the better of her, as she noticed how quick and exaggerated her emotions had become. "I don't feel that way, and you know it."

Dingo gave her a stern look, snarling slightly and looking away. He slid down slightly to lay on his bed, his eyes to the ceiling. Abby fidgeted slightly, frowning. She knew Dingo was out to make her feel guilty, ever since they started a relationship he'd always fought to have the upper hand, whether it was pouting to make her stay another night or give another kiss, it didn't matter. Abby mostly gave in, but suddenly she turned to him, her own eyes stern and her own concern on her mind.

"Dingo…besides from this, have you always been 100% honest with me?"

Dingo froze, hearing his own heartbeat pound against his ribcage. Honest…yes, he had been completely honest with the girl beside him…Except, of course, for the fact that he had been in and out of jail since he was 15, the small fact he was in a gang, he had been in the drug selling business since he was 16, worked up a notorious reputation for himself and his gang for that reason back in Sydney, has had numerous serious court offences, and the fact that Abby's own brother and law had helped he and his friends commit an international offence by migrating here illegally in the first place. He swallowed the lump in his throat, remembering Jake's fierce warning he had given him before Abby arrived.

"_You're bound to her now…" _Jake muttered, half smirking and half scowling. _"You have to be honest with her, D. It's not just your life and hers you can screw up…"_

"No, Babe." Dingo finally muttered, his eyes locking with hers. Guilt pumped through his veins as he added "I'd never lie to you…"

* * *

Allie shut off her car with a sense of foreboding, sitting in her driveway and staring up at her house nervously. She had nothing to fear, she knew this, she just didn't know what to feel or what to think…so many things were running through her mind and she didn't know what to do. Jake had kissed her, and even though it seemed like an innocent gesture, at the same time it felt so wrong.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she thought of Derek, her husband. She knew he'd be home by now from his trip, and she knew she had to explain everything to him- Jake, Dingo…everything finally out. She didn't know whether or not to be relieved, or completely freaked out. Heaving a shaky sigh, she got out of the car and made her way up the damp brick path to the front door, wincing as it began to rain. With a sense of foreboding the climbed the steps, slowly and unsurely stepping across the now rain splattered front porch, and opened her front door.

"Hey Mom!"

Allie jumped as her youngest son bounded down the stairs, brandishing what looked like a small samurai sword around, beaming.

"Look what Dad got me from his trip!"

Allie forced what she hoped was a realistic smile as her eyes widened. She closed the front door behind her and shook off her coat.

"Great" She gave him a stern look. "You be careful with that, Joey-"

"Yeah, yeah." Joey scoffed, his emerald green eyes rolling towards the ceiling. "Whatever, Mom." He walked away, brandishing his new toy with vigorous energy, muttering under his breath in a faint Asian accent, _"You killed my mother, you killed my father, and now you come for me…but you will not succeed! Waahhhh-ya!"_

Allie sighed again, hugging her sides as she watched Joey skip around the living room excitedly. Maybe Joey already told Derek…maybe he already knew…

"_Evening, Beautiful."_

She jumped slightly as a pair of familiar arms embraced her from behind, his warm breath sending tingles down her neck as he planted a kiss on her cheek, his arms tightening around her form. Despite her worries, a smile graced her face as she turned, coming face to face with her husband for the first time in weeks.

"Derek" She sighed in composure as she looked up into his hazel eyes, his blond bangs brushing into his face. Her smile widened as he hugged her closer and Allie sighed in composure, her head drooping to his chest. She draped her arms around his neck, welcoming his body warmth. "How was your trip?"

"Long" He grunted, kissing her forehead. "It's good to be home."

"Yeah…" She smiled, her eyes sparkling as she gazed up at her husband. She had missed him, she felt so much better when her entire family was together. It warmed her heart to have her family close by, they were a part of who she was. Derek grinned back at her as they closed the distance between them, pulling his wife into a romantic kiss.

"_Ugh, gross!"_

They broke apart and turned to Joey, who was sticking his tongue out at his parents, his nose wrinkled. "Public displays of affection…" He snarled, smirking. "Ew!"

Derek smirked at him. "Bed, Joey."

Joey rolled his eyes in annoyance, but sighed in defeat anyway. "_Fine" _He muttered, bounding up the stairs with his present. His parents watched him go.

"And be careful with that!" Derek yelled after him up the stairs. Allie rolled her own eyes.

"I can't believe you got him that…" She tutted, her arms folding protectively. Derek sniggered at her, his embrace tightening around her form.

"I guess I'm weak like that." He grinned at her, nuzzling his nose against her neck. "Anyway, how have you been?"

The familiar cold, nervous butterflies returned to her stomach as Allie's eyes widened, remembering. She bit her lip, turning back to her husband with a foreboding feeling in her chest.

"Oh, I'm…fine." She murmured off-handedly. "Actually, Derek, there's something I need to talk to you about-"

He leaned forward and slowly began to kiss her exposed neck, leaving trails of light kisses along her skin. Allie paused, the tight feeling in her chest disappearing with every securing show of affection. She closed her eyes, remembering what she had to do, but thoughts of Jake immediately disappeared when Derek pulled her into a tighter loving embrace, his lips going to her ear.

"Can't it wait?" He cooed into her ear. Allie shivered, but with a new found feeling. She nodded as the couple kissed once again.

"Yeah…" Allie muttered, smiling. "It can wait."

* * *

Mushi awoke with a start, a gasp caught in her throat as she jolted out of her nightmare, her eyes rolling in their sockets as she tried to remember where she was. She gripped the stiff white sheets beneath her as she settled back into her pillow, a frown still etched in her face. She rolled over carefully, cautiously, and bit back another startled gasp as she saw who was beside her.

Trent (Jack) was spread out next to her, lying limply on his side as if he had simply collapsed there. His lips were agape and he was snoring slightly, a small stream of drool escaping his lips and pooling onto the pillow. A muscular arm was thrown over her protectively and she watched the rest of his form rise and fall with his snores, the tattoos on his torso and arms seemed to snarl at her menacingly in the red light of dawn. She gulped, twitching under his limp, heavy arm. He growled in his sleep, frowning and twitching. She froze, almost feeling as though she was poking a sleeping lion, but Trent stilled again and returned to his heavy snores. Mushi let out a small sigh of relief. She still wasn't sure about her new abode, and the stranger she was now living with still scared her slightly.

She slipped out of bed quickly and smoothly and stood, rotating her head curiously. She quickly picked up a random sweatshirt from a pile of clothes on the floor and slipped it on, her toes curling on the cold floorboards. She walked over, watching the still snoring figure out of the corner of her eye, and gently pressed on the bedroom door, opening it cautiously. She frowned, hearing music- the gentle strumming of an acoustic guitar mixed with the voice of a seemingly drunk vocalist.

"…_I tried so hard just to get through to you,  
But your head's so far  
from the realness of truth_…"

She frowned, her curious face poking out into the hallway and cautiously stepping out, closing the door gently behind her. She tiptoed into the kitchen, following the quiet music as it steadily got louder and clearer.

_"…Was it just a come on in the dark  
Wasn't meant to last long…  
I think you've worn your welcome honey,  
I'll just see you along,  
As I sing you this song…"_

Mushi's wide bright blue eyes poked out from behind the wall as she snuck a look into the kitchen, where the music was coming from. She frowned.

A figure was spread out across the counter on his stomach, singing along to the words of the song playing in the background. He jilted his head to the words as he mixed a huge bowl of batter, stopping every few strokes to pull the spatula out and watch the brown batter drip back into the bowl. Mushi noticed he was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders (probably double of her own) and shaggy jet black hair, crushed under a hunting hat. He was dressed in a long baggy pair of grey sweatpants with a dark navy singlet, which showed his muscular arms and chest, adorned with many symbols and shapes of black and blue ink. She was so startled by the figure that she stood staring as he mumbled along the rest of the verse calmly, swaying his head to the rhythm as he stirred.

"…_Time can pass slowly,  
things always change  
You day's been numbered  
And I've read your last page  
You was just a temporary lover  
Honey you ain't the first  
Lots of others came before you woman  
Said but you been the worst  
…Sa' you been the worst…"_

Mushi swallowed, eventually pushing herself out of her hiding place and into view. He looked up, his sharp dark blue eyes locking with hers suspiciously. She stiffened, her heart racing. Suddenly his face broke into a large grin at the prospect of meeting someone knew, and he pushed himself up eagerly off the bench, stumbling to his feet awkwardly.

"Hi!" He greeted, bounding towards her. She stepped back, apprehensive. He didn't seem to notice as he grabbed her hand anyway. "I'm Bandit!"

"I'm…Mushi" She mumbled back as Bandit released her hand. She yanked it back stiffly, unsure of what to do next. The two gazed at each other in slight awe for several long seconds before Bandit's eyes widened curiously at her, reminding Mushi of an apprehensive 4 year old boy.

_Mushi… _He thought to himself vaguely. _I know that name from somewhere…_

He took notice of the fearful expression on her face, and smirked.

"You know…" He mumbled to her. "I don't bite."

"I know" She muttered back, completely stumped at what to say. "I…I'm…Jack's friend, I'm staying here."

Bandit frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Jack's friend?"

Mushi nodded, her fear returning. "Y-yeah."

Bandit's frown deepened as he gazed at the trembling girl in front of him. He knew Trent, he especially knew how impulsive and almost stupid Trent could be when he screws around with a girl. He felt himself stiffen at Trent's own code name, knowing there was a specific reason he only wanted Mushi to know him by that…and now she was here… She didn't recognize him, and he didn't recognize her. He rolled his eyes carefully and shook his head, his familiar grin returning as he grabbed the young girl's hand.

"C'mon" He smirked at her. "Do you want breakfast? I just made some!"

She stumbled along as he skipped off back to the counter, vaulting onto the surface with ease and gesturing to his bowl. It was Mushi's turn to frown suspiciously, looking into the glass bowl.

"Is that…"

"Brownie Mix!" Bandit beamed at her excitedly, licking at the chocolate covered spatula gleefully. He licked his lips and held it out to her. "Want some?"

"Uh…no thanks." Mushi mumbled, a gentle grin suddenly tugging at her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she smiled, but looking up into Bandit's gleaming navy eyes made her want to match his wide grin. "I think I'll make my own, thanks."

"Suit yourself." Bandit shrugged, licking at his fingers. "We do have cookie dough too, you know."

"Cookie dough?" Mushi repeated, her smile widening. "Seriously?"

"Yeah…" Bandit muttered, almost pouting. His wide eyes looked solemn. "We've run out of Lucky Charms though…that's gay."

Mushi smirked, Bandit's hyperactivity contagious. "You could say it's…oobergaytasticle!"

Bandit paused, frowning as he looked up, his eyes wide. Mushi blushed as Bandit smirked, muttering an unintelligible "_Huh?" _

"Well…" Mushi blushed. "It's like…gay…as in, bad…but…really gay…tasticle!"

Bandit chewed thoughtfully on his spatula, giving the girl a strange look.

"So…you just make up words just randomly to suit everyday situations?"

Mushi sighed, suddenly feeling stupid. "Well, yeah."

Bandit perked up, his own grin returning. "Awesomesauce!"

Mushi laughed, and suddenly she felt her heart lift as she accepted Bandit's offering of Brownie batter for breakfast. It seemed to Bandit that here was the first person to ever understand his constant excitement and hyperactivity.

"You know…I like you already, Mushmonster."

Mushi smirked, chocolate smeared across her lips.

_I think I could get used to this…_

* * *

Abby winced as she stumbled out of Dingo's bedroom, the bright morning sun singing her eyes and the crisp morning air causing her to shiver. She wrapped one of Dingo's black jackets around her form and ran a hand through her hair, frowning as she made out the blurry image of Dodge smirking at her from the kitchen table.

"Morning, _Abby" _He grinned at her lazily from over his coffee. "Do I have to do the _'walk of shame'_ chant?"

Abby rolled her eyes at Dodge, giving him an exasperated sigh as she hugged Dingo's jacket closer to her body. She raised her own eyebrows at Dodge, who was sitting in front of her wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and a too-confident smirk.

"What about you?" She muttered back, giving him a sly smirk. "Telltale bed hair."

Dodge's own cheeks went a dull pink as a nervous hand jumped to his chestnut hair, which had been teased and knotted due to his night with his girl. He glared at her, his warm blue eyes narrowing jokingly. He liked Abby, and could understand why Dingo was so keen on her.

"Ha Ha, Abs." He grinned at her, but his smile faltered as he watched her get herself together, fixing her hair and gathering her stuff. "Leaving so soon?"

"Have to" Abby muttered back, heaving a deep sigh. "Got a lot to do…"

"Right" Dodge smirked. "You should stay, you could meet my girlfriend."

Abby gave him a shy smirk, her deep chocolate brown eyes apologetic. "I'm sure she's a total gem, Dodge." She gave him a look, which caused Dodge to judge on whether she was teasing him or not. "But I have to finish off the last of my assignment."

Dodge rolled his eyes as she disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. As soon as she did his own door opened, and Fanny stepped out, her eyes sleepy and her hair a mess but yet, fully clothed. Dodge's eyes widened.

"Hey!" He snarled, his arms folding across his chest. He gave her a stern look, his blue eyes cold. "What's wrong with this picture?"

Fanny rolled her eyes at him, blushing under his gaze as she slowly made her way over guiltily, straightening her skirt as she went. Dodge growled at her.

"Get those clothes off, Missy!" He scolded her, his eyes narrowing. She snickered, pulling her jacket on over her shirt.

"I have to go" She explained to him earnestly, trying to ignore his pout. "I wish I could stay, but-"

"_Fine" _Dodge scowled, his eyes rolling. "But-" He snuck towards her, his eyes mischevious. "I'll only let you go…under one condition."

Fanny's eyes narrowed suspiciously as Dodge crept towards her, his arms encasing around her waist. He dropped his demeanor as she looked up at him, her wide eyes causing his stomach to drop and throat to go dry. She seemed too perfect to him, even when she'd just woken up, her face clear of makeup and her hair teased and knotted; she still looked as beautiful as she did last night. She smiled at him, a small blush appearing on her cheeks as he watched her with those wide, crystal blue eyes.

"What's that?" She asked, her arms wrapping around his own waist. He smirked at her.

"I can't believe I'm saying this…" He muttered, groaning. "But…I want you to meet me tonight, at the garage."

"The garage?" She frowned. "Why?"

Dodge shrugged, doubts already flying into his mind. "Just…something of a date…" His icy blue eyes locked with hers nervously. "That is…if you want to…"

"Of course" Fanny smirked at him. "And thanks, by the way…for meeting-"

"I've had worse" Dodge muttered, his eyes wide. "A couple have included a shotgun, you can't beat that."

"I can try" She smirked, pulling him into a kiss. Dodge accepted, his hands sliding down her back and gripping her butt in the process. She squealed, pulling away laughing. As she grinned at him, a sudden thought entered her mind. "By the way…" She muttered, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. "I was just wondering- no biggie, or anything…" She looked down at the floor, suddenly nervous. "My…my friend, well, she's getting married soon and everyone was invited, you know, to the ceremony, and she said I could bring a guest so…" She looked up, her eyes wide. "Did you, you know, want to…come?"

Dodge smirked sheepishly. "I've never really been to anything that formal, before."

Fanny shrugged. "Neither have I, really. I don't really fit in, or anything-"

"Well as long as I don't fit in with you…" Dodge muttered, sniggering. "Then yeah, sure Babe."

Fanny beamed at him, unable to hold in her sudden excitement. She'd never been in a relationship like this before, and she'd never had anyone to bring out as well. She was nervous about telling her friends, but at the same time she was excited. She couldn't resist but bring him into another passionate kiss, jumping on him in the process. The romance was short lived when she opened her eye to spot the time on her watch.

"I gotta go!" She muttered, blushing. "Put me down."

Dodge pouted. "Aw…"

She glared at him, smirking.

"Fine" He sighed, putting her down. She pulled him into a quick hug as she walked to the door, opening it. She scrunched her lips in sudden hesitation, and turned back to him. He smirked at her, and she suddenly blurted it out.

"I…Love you."

His face showed a quick flash of mild surprise before she shut the door quickly, rushing down the hall without looking back. Her face felt as though it was on fire and she gritted her teeth in angry annoyance.

'_Idiot, Fanny!' _She thought to herself. _'Stupid, Stupid, Stupid-'_

Dodge stared, blinking at the closed door, an unfamiliar feeling entering his chest. He suddenly grinned as Abby opened the bathroom door, her face newly made up and her hair pulled into a loose side ponytail. Dodge shook himself out of his stupor.

"You really have to go?" he muttered, still slightly dazed. "I have to deal with him when you leave, you know."

"Then I'd escape soon if I were you…" She muttered back, smiling shyly. She looked down at the jacket she was wearing, one of Dingo's favourites. It was only one size too big, and it felt so warm and snug against her, but she regretfully pulled it off, knowing she shouldn't take his things.

"Listen, Abs…" Dodge muttered carefully, frowning. He had to know, he couldn't bear to see his friend in such a position if it wasn't worth it. Abby was fantastic, but she wasn't worth it if-

"I gotta know…" He mumbled, leaning against the wall behind him. Abby seemed to flinch, she wasn't used to seeing Dodge looking so serious. He groaned, kicking the wall behind him, his eyes stern. "Do you seriously love Dingo? I mean…really?"

Abby frowned at him, slightly affronted. "I- B- Dodge-"

"I just gotta know…" He muttered, frowning. "I know you're pregnant, I know you guys had your little fling beforehand, and I know his appeal to you, especially coming from the relationship with his brother…" He sighed. "But, aside from that, Abby, do you seriously love him…for who he is and…whoever he turns out to be?"

Abby tilted her head, Dodge's words hitting her like a ton of stone. She knew his words, she had been asked the same thing, from Cree, from her own mother…she had asked herself the same thing over and over for a long time, and every time she had come up with the same answer.

"Dodge..." Abby looked up, her deep eyes wide and earnest. Nobody could deny that look, it was so intense and deep her promises seemed solid. "No matter how much I try I can't…physically…stop loving him." A small, shy smile appeared on her lips. "And, I know I've tried, but I can't help it…I can't help that I love him more than anything in the world…and it's the hardest thing I've ever had to do…"

"I know the feeling, Abs." Dodge smirked at her. "By the way, I'd keep the jacket if I were you."

Abby's expression morphed into one of confusion as she looked down. Her baby bump was clearly visible under her tight blue shirt with her black tights. She bit her lip and grabbed Dingo's hoodie again, zipping it up so it hid her stomach.

"When you gonna come clean?"

"I'm working on it…" Abby muttered, and it was half-true. She wanted more than anything to move away and never have to face the growing issue ever again, but she knew this was virtually impossible. Her family insisted she come clean soon, as it wasn't safe for her to walk around hiding her pregnancy, it caused too much stress on her and she was running out of excuses. She knew putting it off made it worse, but she knew her courage was secretly growing…she'd find the right time sooner or later.

She shook her head, sighing. "Anyways, I'll see you later, Dodge."

Dodge pulled her into a hug as she passed, snickering into her ear.

"You're practically family now, Abs." He joked with her, rubbing his fist into her hair and saying, as Aussie- like as possible, "Catch'ya lata', Mate."

* * *

Wallabee opened his eyes and sleepily tried to make out the bright neon red lights that told him the time. He growled as he withdrew his arm from the warmth of his bed to swat at the now bleeping digital clock. He hit it once, twice, three times- and with a rough pull completely yanked the alarm clock out of the wall. It finally silenced. With a slight groan he dragged himself out of bed, pulling on one of his familiar orange hoodies and yawning.

As he stumbled into the kitchen, he blinked in sudden alarm, sure he was still dreaming.

"What the _crud?"_

A girl was sitting on their couch calmly, a few early-rising dormies casting her wide eyed, awed looks as they passed. She had a bowl of cereal in her hands and was dressed in nothing but, from what Wally could tell, was his friend's navy blue sweatshirt. She looked up at him sweetly, her wide brown eyes smeared with leftover eyeshadow and eyeliner.

"What?" She sneered. "There's still some cereal left."

Wallabee frowned, immediately recognizing her. One of the girls at the club…he could tell by her slathered on tan, her chopped shoulder length brown hair and her innocent demeanor. He growled, crossing his arms over his chest and snarling at the girl, who had turned her attention back to cartoons.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He growled at her, frowning.

Bonny scoffed, her mouth dropping open as she turned to him. She suddenly smirked slyly, rising to her feet and placing her hand on her slender hips. Wally issued her with a careful, cautious glare, stepping back awkwardly. Hoagie's sweatshirt only just reached upper thigh, and she didn't look as though she was wearing anything underneath.

"Feisty, feisty." She teased him, her voice almost lecturing. She grinned. "You're more like your brother than you think, you know."

"Shutup" Wallabee snarled at her, growling. "You have no business being here, get out."

Bonny sneered, a sarcastic scoff escaping her throat. "For your information, I have more _business _here than you think." She smirked and, with a flip of her hair, flounced off towards his best friend's room, swaggering as she went. Wallabee growled, watching her go with venom in his eyes as she entered the room he knew was his best friend's, closing it sharply behind her.

* * *

Allie gazed out of her kitchen window blankly, basking in the warm sunlight that was streaming through the window. She nursed her cup of tea gratefully in her hands, letting the steam warm her lips as she attempted to figure out what she should say to her husband. Now was the time, and she knew deep within her heart she couldn't keep it in any longer. She knew her responsibilities; it wasn't fair to live up to them.

"_Mom…Mom…Mom!"_

She jumped; her eyes wide as she turned to the yells of Joey, who was giving her a strange look as he sat at the counter.

"Sorry" She muttered, shaking her head lightly. "What is it, Joey?"

"Is it okay if I go hang out with my friends?" He asked her, smirking. "We were going to go to the mall and play some videogames at the arcade."

Secretly, he was ready for a top secret mission at KND Moonbase, but of course he wasn't ready to tell his own mother that.

"Sure, Joey." She muttered. "Of course you can, go have fun."

Joey gave her a quick hug goodbye before he bounded out the door with a "Bye Dad!" and a second later, Derek walked into the kitchen. He still looked sleepy, though his golden hair was damp from his shower. Allie stiffened, her palms already damp.

"Morning" He muttered to her gruffly as he kissed her lightly on the cheek. She bit her lip as he yawned, grabbing the pot of coffee on the counter and pouring himself a cup. "It's cold this morning."

"It is…" She mumbled back, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. "So…did you sleep well?"

"Best sleep I've had in ages" He smirked back, giving her a knowing wink. "It's good to be home again."

"Yeah…" Allie muttered, swallowing the lump that already seemed to be forming in her throat. "Uh, listen-"

"So what's been happening?" Derek asked her with interest, leaning on the counter and grabbing the morning paper. "Anything new?"

"Uh…" Allie drew in a shaky breath. "Well…there has been a few things…actually, um-"

Before she could blurt it out, she jumped as the phone rang sharply and Derek made a move to get it, but Allie stopped him.

"Just leave it" She muttered, her eyes wide. "This is important, Derek."

He frowned but withdrew his hand, hearing the urgency in his wife's voice. Allie sighed deeply, trying to form the right words in her mind as the ringer automatically transferred to the answering machine.

"Uh…well, you see-"

"_Please leave a message after the tone."_

Allie sighed again, the nerves in her stomach twisting and turning as her eyes met with her husband's. She took a deep breath-

"_Hey Allie it's…well you know who it is…Anyways we have to talk about what happened yesterday, because now this shit is really fucked up, if you know what I'm saying…There's more than you think in this, and I really gotta talk to you, Allie…By the way you didn't tell me when Derek was coming back. That would be pretty freakin' awkward, ya know, did you call him up n' tell him I was here? Anyway you knew I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't urgent, Allie, so you know it is. We have to talk. Same place? Bye."_

The house was filled with a thick silence, the only sound being the dial tone on the machine as Jake hung up. Allie's mouth fell open as it all seemed to crash down around her, and all she could manage to do was swallow and look up into her husband's now furious face.

"Uh…" She managed to issue him a small, shy smile. "Jake's back?"

* * *

Hoagie opened his eyes groggily, looking around the room with faint confusion. He didn't remember how he got to his bedroom; all he knew was that he was now in it. He groaned again, his head throbbing as he looked over at the time on his nightstand- 9:22am. He ran his hands through his hair and sat up, quickly wondering where his clothes went. He frowned as he looked down at his naked, pale chest. A small ripped piece of paper had slid down his torso from where someone had placed it oh-so delicately on his chest. He frowned, blinking a couple of times so he could make out the flirty scribble.

_Thanks for a great night!  
Anytime,  
xxxxx_

Below the scribble was a phone number, followed by a kiss mark, the paper stained with the deep plum lipstick mark. He smirked as he realised the lipstick was scented, giving off the faint scent of berries.

So _that's _what the smell was.

He settled back into his pillow, the paper still locked firmly in his hand as he gazed at his wrinkled bed sheets, a smirk spreading onto his face as he slowly fell back into a deep slumber.

* * *

"_Gross profit equals sales minus cost of goods sold…net profit equals gross profit minus expenses…"_

Kuki looked straight ahead at the opposite wall of the library, muttering her formulas to herself. Beside her was Rachel, going over her history notes and secretly sneaking crispy M&M's from her pencil case. Across from her was Fanny, reading over her notes from yesterday and adding corrections to her essay on Sylvia Plath poetry. Next to her was Abby, her chin propped up with her palm as she read over her notes that she'd copied out onto her laptop. It was a regular, dull study session for the four girlfriends, only broken a few minutes later by Abby snapping her laptop shut and sighing, her head resting on the closed screen. Rachel looked over, smirking.

"Had enough, Abs?"

"Enough to last me the entire week" Abby mumbled back, her voice muffled by her sleeve.

Rachel smirked proudly, zipping up her pencil case and stacking her books neatly, her hazel eyes wide. "Do I propose a study break?"

"As long as it lasts for the entire day" Kuki grinned back, closing her own folder. "I'm in!"

Rachel turned to her redhead friend. "What about you, Fanny? Had enough?"

"Definitely" She muttered, throwing down her pen. "I'm done. Where do you want to go?"

"I'm hungry…" Abby mumbled, a hand going to her stomach. Rachel smirked at her, a light giggle escaping her lips.

"You're always hungry, Abs! It's amazing how you have such a great figure."

Abby flushed a deep crimson, a shy smirk hiding the fact her stomach was doing nervous flip-flops.

"I'm hungry too" Kuki said, chewing on the end of her pen. Fanny spoke up.

"I start work in an hour." She muttered, shrugging. "You guys feel like going to the diner?"

"Sounds like a plan" Rachel grinned. "Do they feel like making waffles at lunchtime?"

Fanny rolled her eyes as they stood, throwing their things in their bags and tucking their books under their arms. "Breakfast- 24/7. It's what the diner's _known _for."

* * *

Mushi stared at the movie in front of her with slight confusion and interest as she plunged her hand into the bowl of popcorn once more, her hand now slathered with butter. Bandit was beside her, thrilled at finding someone who loved scary movies as much as him. The pair had barely made it through breakfast when Bandit had decided that this girl was not like the traditional bimbos that seemed to bunk with them.

"So…I don't get it…" Mushi mumbled, chewing. "Where are they going?"

"To Darwin" Bandit explained, throwing more popcorn in his mouth. "Then they're going to Cairns."

"And where is…"

"To get to Darwin you have to go through this whole heap of desert and follow a highway, 'cuz it's a capital city n' all, and all you meet along the way is alotta' semis. Then you have to go around the border to the top of the country which is Cape York, the top of Queensland."

"And Queensland is-"

"Another state" Bandit grinned at her mockingly. "You don't need to know this stuff, they aren't gonna make it anyway."

Mushi nodded, and settled down to watching the rest of the movie. For once she actually felt like it was her own home, or a friend's home she was visiting, not the stranger's apartment she was being forced to reside in. As she reached for more popcorn, she felt more and more relaxed…but steadily more terrified as she realised the three protagonists in the gore film they were watching did not have a charming Australian vacation ahead of them. She perked up with interest, however, at seeing the bad guy.

"He's wearing a blue tank top" She pointed out, turning to Dingo. "The same one you're wearing."

Bandit snarled at her, snickering. "It isn't a _tank top" _He smirked proudly. "It's a blue singlet, and it's an Aussie custom."

"But the bad guy's wearing one."

Bandit shrugged. "He's gotta be one of my favourite villains…the creepiest, most awesome laugh I've ever heard. True accent, too."

As the morning wore on, so did the movie. Mushi became steadily more sick and scared, grabbing Bandit's arm and gasping midway through.

"Oh" Bandit grinned at her, excited. "This is the best part!"

The dark atmosphere, the creepy, suspenseful music, the protagonist almost looking _too _safe…then-

"RAWR!"

_Both_ of them screamed and jumped, Mushi throwing the popcorn in the air and Bandit gripping her form tightly. They paused, looking around with their hearts pounding in their ears. Hollie was standing behind them, doubling over with laughter.

"HOLLIE!" Bandit hollered at her, furious. "DO NOT SCARE ME LIKE THAT!"

Hollie snickered, casually picking out a piece of popcorn from her hair and chewing it gleefully. "I couldn't resist" She smirked. "What are you guys watching?"

"_Wolf Creek" _Bandit muttered awkwardly. Mushi was still trembling. "Until you wrecked it."

"Oh, as if" Hollie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Besides, don't you have somewhere to be?"

Bandit glared at her. "Not until-" He checked the timee. "-Oh, right."

Hollie shot him a knowing look.

Bandit groaned and vaulted over the couch, grabbing his hoodie off the floor as he went. Hollie turned to the girl on the couch, her eyes narrowing.

"So..." She smirked. "You're Trent's new pet, huh?"

Mushi frowned, confused. "W-what? What are you talking about?"

Hollie grinned, her eyebrows rising gleefully. "You'll find out soon enough."

With that, she giggled. Just then the door opened to reveal Bonny, her shirt askew and attempting to flatten her hair.

"Why, hello" Hollie greeted mockingly. "Aren't you a bit late?"

Bonny rolled her eyes at her friend, smirking. "Maybe I am" She muttered back, her tongue between her teeth. "It was a big evening, after all."

"Oo" Hollie leaned forward across the table eagerly. "Do tell?"

Bonny frowned, looking over towards the couch curiously. "And that is…?"

"Who knows..." Hollie muttered back. "Anyway, continue."

Bonnie smirked, flicking her hair sweetly. "Well…"

"I'm off!" Bandit bounded through the apartment and towards the front door. "See ya!" Mushi looked after him with a feeling of mild sadness. Bandit was fun, for a while he made her forget that she was only a stranger in this household. She looked down at the empty bowl of popcorn sadly.

"What are you doing?"

Mushi looked up, alarmed, as 'Jack' stood over her, his cold grey eyes narrowed and his hands on his hips. She swallowed, shrugging her slim shoulders.

"I was just watching a movie…" She muttered, feeling almost angry at his suspicious glare. His gaze seemed to soften, however, and he gave her a careful look, examining her closely.

"Okay…" He muttered, dropping his gaze. "Listen, I have to…" He rolled his eyes, pondering. "Go…do some stuff, okay?"

"Right…" Mushi muttered. "Why are you telling me?"

He grinned eagerly. "'Cuz I can't leave you alone!" He nodded towards Bonny and Hollie, who were still in a heated conversation about last night's events. "Good luck with those two."

Hollie perked up and suddenly bounded forward eagerly, a tube of liquid eyeliner in one hand and a scary looking eyelash curler in the other.

"MAKEOVERS!"

* * *

"You should have told me."

"But I was just about to-"

"You should have said something."

"I wanted to but-"

"You should have fucking said something Allison!"

Allie winced, gnawing on her tongue to prevent the flood of words that seemed to be forming in her throat. Derek was livid, his hazel eyes darkening to a deep, dark brown and his hands clenched into fists, held at his sides. He twitched with pure anger, his brother's voice still ringing in his ears. He felt violated and strangely sick, among the prominent feeling of fury that was now pumping through his system. Allie sighed, trying again.

"It's not what it looks like" She explained, her eyes wide and pleading. "I didn't ask him to come-"

"Oh, Really?" Derek snarled at her. "But the second he does show up, he goes straight to you." His eyes narrowed into small slits. "Or did you go to him?"

"It isn't like that!" Allie suddenly hollered, stamping her foot in annoyance. Her face flushed angrily. "I'm not seventeen years old anymore, Derek!"

"Really? Because you're acting like it." Derek hissed back. Allie's livid eyes widened.

"ME?! More like _you!" _She yelled back furiously. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, eventually opening her eyes again. "Look…" She growled, folding her arms calmly. "Me and Jake have a history, and that's not about to go away just like that. I went to talk to him about Dingo, Derek. Nothing else."

"How can you expect me to be okay with that?" Derek spat back at her, seething. "You think fucking around with my little brother is something I can just _get over?!" _

"You know I would take it back if I could..." Allie mumbled with defeat. "But I can't, and I have a responsibility to him-"

"Responsibility to _HIM?!" _Derek hollered, his eyes wide and enraged. His muscles tightened and he was breathing heavily, tensing as he loomed over her. "HIM? What about ME?! You're my WIFE!"

"_I KNOW!" _Allie yelled back, matching his volume. Furious tears were now forming in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. "But what about Dingo, hmm? What's he supposed to do?"

Derek gave a furious, exasperated groan, stamping his food against the hard floorboards as he threw his hands up in the air.

"He's in his goddamn 20's Allison! You gave him up _YEARS _ago! We were fucking _DONE _with him and the drama Jake caused! It's ANCIENT HISTORY ALLISON!"

"It's not ancient history!" Allie screamed back, sniffing. She refused to break down into sobs, instead remained tall and strong with a trail of tears down her face. "I-I thought I could forget about him but I can't! He's my child!"

"And he's my _nephew, _Allison." Derek snarled back with venom. He folded his arms stubbornly across his chest. "You know how much it kills me to see him as that? Huh?"

Allie sniffed, but her eyes never left his. "Not as much as it kills me not being there as his mother…" She muttered back, shaking her head with despair. "I have to see him, I have to be with him…I have to see Jake, I can't let this go and act as though it never happened. It isn't fair to Jake, and it isn't fair to Dingo. He needs the truth."

Derek turned back to her, his hands tight, tense fists. "You want the truth?!" He snarled viciously, folding his arms rightly across his body. "Jake's an idiot! He still acts like he hasn't left the AC/DC concert he was BORN IN!"

The couple was engulfed with silence, Derek's furious deep breaths and Allie's silent tears being the only indication of life between them.

"Fuck, Allison" Derek suddenly growled, his brown eyes flashing angrily. Allie stiffened. She wasn't used to hearing him swear, it took a lot to make her husband swear like that. He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes glaring at her furiously, but at the same time pleadingly.

"Don't go to him" he muttered to her sharply, his chest rising and falling with heavy breathing. His own upset gaze locked on her own. "That'll just seem like…Jake won, you know? You may have married me but Jake's still got you right where he wants you."

Allie sighed, her eyes sad. "Jake doesn't want me…" She muttered. "Really, Derek…he isn't a threat to you, I love you and you know that."

"It isn't the point" Derek snarled back. "We loved each other back then, and look what happened over one little mistake."

"It wasn't just one little mistake." Allie growled back, her own eyes narrowing. "I realise what I did was wrong, not just with Jake but with Dingo too. I shouldn't have dumped him like that-"

"You shouldn't blame yourself for-"

"I'm his mother!" Allie spat back, her eyes wide. "Who could have more blame?!"

"It's in the past, Allison!" Derek gripped her shoulders, his eyes pleading. "We took care of it, you don't have to go back to that. Don't go to him…" He looked deep into her eyes. "Please, don't go."

Allison hesitated, her mind working. No logical reason could change it, nor any reasonable excuse. She raised her hands and gently pushed her husband away, Jake's words still ringing clear in her mind.

_We have to talk._

"I'm sorry, Derek…" She murmured softly, her eyes downcast as more tears formed. She sniffed, and quickly grabbed her handbag from the hall table. She turned to him, and tried to ignore that lost, infuriated look on his face. "I'll be back."

* * *

_The four friends sat together in the Grandstand at their local oval, a residential sports area in their neighbourhood that they used frequently as their own meeting place. Not many visited it, and already they had claimed it as their own. They were only 15, but old enough to intimidate and scare people._

_They were still clad in their school uniforms…or what was left of them. Bandit's navy tie was wrapped around his head, which was now becoming almost a ritual with him lately. Dodge's white shirt was unbuttoned, exposing the black singlet underneath, Trent's shirt was completely off and was instead wearing his trademark white wifebeater, and Dingo was busy drawing new patterns on the ripped knee of his jeans with a black permanent marker. They were 15 years old, halfway through year 9 at their local high school and skipping the afternoon detention they had been issued the day before. Dingo's idea._

"_My dad's gonna kill me if he finds out." Dodge scowled at him, narrowing his dark eyes at his friend. Dingo shrugged, passing the cigarette back to Bandit._

"_Just stay at mine." He said. "Dad won't care."_

"_Yeah right." Dodge muttered, his eyebrows disappearing into his long brown hair. "You sure your dad aint sick of me yet?"_

"_Nah" Dingo grinned cockily. "You're like the good brother I never had, whenever he knows you're comin' round he always orders pizza, or sumthin'. Whenever you don't I have to tolerate the 'experiments' he calls recipes."_

_Bandit cackled with laughter, but Dodge gave his friend a stern look. _

"_Ya Dad's alright, Dingo." He muttered. "You know that right?"_

"_Yeah" Dingo nodded, grinning to himself. "He's all I got." _

_Bandit twitched suddenly on his perch, shaking the fence slightly. He scowled at the group of kids who were on the other side of the field, looking their way._

"_WHAT?" He yelled, raising his arms. "WHAT KIDDIES? HUH?"_

"_Bando." Dodge scowled in irritation. "They're children."_

"_So?!" Bandit snapped back, narrowing his eyes at the 'children', who turned back to their huddle. "They're starin' at us!"_

_Dingo rolled his eyes at his friend and scoffed. "What? Afraid they'll bite ya?"_

_Bandit rolled his eyes as his he pushed himself off the railing and instead planted himself next to Dodge, lighting a fresh cigarette and issuing them with a growl. _

"_You going to Chantelle's party tonight?" Trent asked them proudly, smirking. "Guess who is?"_

"_Oh shut up" Bandit snarled, rolling his eyes. "You know I'm grounded."_

"_Naw." Dingo pouted in mock sympathy. "Poor you"_

_Bandit made a random swipe at him but missed, Dingo's quick reflexes proving the better of Bandit's quick punch. Dingo smirked back in triumph, his tongue between his teeth. _

"_Don't worry" He muttered, still smirking. "I'm grounded this weekend too, this time Dad's serious."_

"_Really?" Dodge frowned. "What for?"_

_Dingo growled, looking ashamed as he looked towards the floor of the grandstand. He sneered moodily as he answered. "He caught me with his stash again, he keeps telling me he hates me doing it, but he does it too! It's freakin' stupid."_

"_He's only trying to look out for you." Dodge muttered, his eyebrows raised. Dingo snarled._

"_Yeah, I know, it just pisses me off how he acts so self-rightous about it…" He bit his lip. "I know he's right, that's why I hate it so much."_

_The four friends sat in silence, hearing nothing but the autumn winds whistling around them and the sound of the kids at the other end of the oval talking and giggling with each other. Trent eventually sighed, leaning forward and stamping both feet onto the floor._

"_I gotta ask, D." Trent eventually muttered, giving Dingo a cautious look. "Why do you hate your Dad so much?" _

_Dingo looked alarmed, blinking his eyes in mild amazement. "I don't hate my Dad."_

"_Yeah you do" Bandit muttered with interest. "You're always saying you…you know, you hate him and that."_

"_Not my dad" Dingo snarled dangerously. "The…mmm…" He growled, his eyes flashing. "Don' worry."_

"_Nah" Trent perked up, his eyes wide. "What?"_

"_C'mon D" Bandit smirked. "You can tell us."_

_Dingo twisted his lips viciously, but eventually turned to Dodge for silent support. Dodge shrugged, giving him a small smile. _

"_I hate my uncle…" Dingo eventually snarled, looking furious. "Like…he's my uncle but he's also my stepdad."_

"_Wait..." Trent frowned. "I'm confused."_

"_My family tree's fucked, to put it blankly." Dingo muttered, looking solemn. "Basically my mum was…like…well…" He played with the hole of his jeans, his eyes downcast. "My dad said she was like, really pretty, and they met when he was hitchikin' round the US, when he was only 16…she was only 17, or somethin'…anyways they met n' kinda hit it off…" He paused, wrinkling his nose with slight disgust. "And then…I was born."_

_The three friends paused, digesting this newfound information. _

"_So…" Bandit shrugged, tilting his head. "What's the big deal?"_

_Dingo swallowed, and as he looked up his eyes were angry. "My mum…it turned out she was married to my dad's brother, and they hadn't spoken in so long because he pissed off to the US when he got a decent education. My mum and him had split up the engagement when he cheated on her so she got into a relationship with my dad…but she didn't expect me…and my dad didn't know and…well, basically I was left with an uncle and stepdad who hated me and my mum."_

"_Heavy." _

"_Yeah…" He muttered, his eyes darkening dangerously. He looked pissed off, furious. The guys wondered if they'd ever seen him look so angry, even the time he got an F on his geography assignment. "I fucking hate him so much."_

_They hesitated, and only Bandit was brave enough to eventually ask why._

_Dingo hesitated, looking away and gnawing on his bottom lip. Only his dad knew this, and he wasn't brave enough to draw attention to himself to tell anyone else, in fact it was embarrassing, and showed weakness. He hated that. But as he looked around his small but reliable group of friends, he realised with a sinking heart that they had all revealed to him their own secrets, he should feel secured to do the same. He took a deep breath and turned back, his emerald eyes now flaming._

"_My Mum sent me here" He growled, narrowing his eyes. "'Cuz…'Cuz he hated me and…thought I was a threat to their kid…my brother-slash-cousin." He swallowed as his palms suddenly felt damp. His heart thudded in his chest and pounded against his ribs. He sighed shakily and looked up, his expression unreadable. "And he hit me."_

_The three friends were silent at Dingo's confession. Of course, none of them were unfamiliar with the concept of violence within a household- especially with Dodge's constant half-hearted excuses and Trent's issues, but Dingo- their perfect ruler and leader…they never thought he was at the same level. _

_Trent swallowed._

"_You serious?"_

"_Yeah" Dingo muttered back, his cheeks flushing. "I had the scar until I was eight."_

"_What'd he do?"_

"_Lost his temper and threw me into a wall. I was 2, fucking prick."_

"_Dickhead…"_

"_Yeah…"_

_Another silence. _

"_Dad hates him for it…" Dingo muttered furiously under his breath, lighting another cigarette. "I guess my Mum must have told him, because he hates him for that reason…" A light smile lit up his face. "He always said that if he ever saw him again he'd punch his lights out, for me you know."_

"_He would." Dodge smirked. "Jake's awesome."_

"_True that"_

_Dingo paused, inhaling deeply and sighing. "I'd do the same."_

_Trent tilted his head curiously. "You would?"_

"_Yeah" Dingo flexed his hand into a fist and relaxed it again. "Only I'd do worse, I'd aim for the kill…"_

"_D" Dodge muttered, his eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't go that far…"_

"_I would" He growled back defensively. "That jerk messed with me when I was younger and caused me so much crap, he was the reason my Mum left me anyway" He snarled to himself venomously, a flash of vivid anger crossing his face. "I don't think I could restrain myself, I'd have to bash his face in."_

_Bandit smirked. "I wouldn't doubt you on it, D. Must be a real jerk…sounds a lot like my Dad."_

"_Ditto" Trent blew out an impressive smoke ring from his lips. He grinned as well. "You ever think it'll happen?"_

"_Maybe" Dingo shrugged, his anger easing into a feeling of comfort as his friends talked so lightly about it to him. He smirked. "All I know is when we do meet again, he's fuckin' dead." _

* * *

Bandit swung his legs cheerfully as he sat on the brick wall of the school fence, smirking at the crowd of boys in front of him. He had the power, he knew he did, the only problem was getting these little high schoolers to get that through their heads. Bandit was stubborn, but he was probably the easiest guy in the group. But his eyes were still cold and calm as he glared down at Brayden, whose wide eyes were giving him a pleading look.

"Sorry kiddies" Bandit grinned, winding a finger around a strand of his shaggy black hair. "But I said 250"

"You said 200!" Brayden spat back, furious. "You said it!"

"No, because you see…" Bandit held up his fingers for support. "200 dollars is 50 dollars _less _than 250. Do you see what I mean?"

Brayden growled at him, his mocking voice sounding like something he would use on a toddler.

"We'll get it back to you…in a week" Joel volunteered, giving him a trusting grin. Bandit raised his eyebrows and scoffed.

"'Zif!" he muttered, smirking. "Yeah, my mate'll _really _like that."

Tommy, Shawnie and Lee stood off from the scene, watching the argument unfold between the three of them. They kept their distance. 'King' looked very intimidating, he was by far the most muscular guy Tommy had seen out of professional wrestling, and he was at least a head taller than all of them. Tommy had noticed straight away that glazed look in his eyes, his pale skin and his wide eyed, twitchy look that seemed to be in his expressions. He could definitely tell this guy was a druggo, either that or very hyperactive.

"Look, sorry kiddos." He growled at them, his voice deepening into a more threatening tone. "But if you dragged me all the way down here for a measly 200 bucks, you're outta luck. You can try behind Toys'R'Us, or something."

Joel glared at him, his pride wounded. Bandit blinked back, an innocent look in those daring dark navy eyes.

"Come back tomorrow" Joel muttered darkly. "We'll have the money then."

Bandit rolled his eyes. "I ain't gonna wonder all the way down here when I could be watchin' a _Powerpuff Girls _marathon, you know."

Joel snarled, folding his arms and looking as though he could snap at any second. Amy, who was off at the sidelines, quickly stepped in.

"Well, we'll pay for more!" She grinned, her painted teeth dazzling. "We'll buy more then, we'll become regular buyers, promise."

Bandit rolled his eyes, groaning. "Fine" He muttered, jumping off the brick wall and holding himself at full height, snickering down at them. "350 then. And later on, I can't miss midday TV."

"Fine" Brayden muttered, his eyes rolling towards the sky as he held out his hand. "We have a deal?"

"Deal" Bandit grinned, taking his hand. He slipped a cigarette into his mouth as he walked away, smirking and pulling up the hood of his jacket. The seven teenagers- Joel, Brayden, Amy, Tommy, Lee and Shawnie- blinked in mild amazement at what had just unfolded. As soon as he was out of eyesight, Brayden growled in annoyance.

"He's bluffing" He judged, snorting. "I bet he doesn't even have any mates that help him out. If he did they'd be here for backup."

"What do you do _now?" _Joel snarled at him, but his snarl soon turned to Amy, who jumped. "_We'll buy more, _yeah, where are we gonna get _that _money?"

Amy bit her lip, and Tommy was immediately taken with how beautiful she looked, even when she was nervous. "Well… you said we could get it for cheaper!" She sulked, looking upset. "I didn't want to lose the deal…"

"We're not paying any more" Lee growled, folding his arms. Shawnie did the same. "We agreed on an amount, if you guys wanna buy more it's your problem."

Joel made a threatening move towards him, but Brayden quickly stuck out his arm, stiffening.

"Wait…" He muttered, frowning. "I bet we could just take his stash, all we need is a good threat."

"A _threat?" _Tommy repeated, amazed. "Y-you wanna threaten him?"

"Just a bluff" Brayden muttered, giving a casual eyeball roll. "You know, a heater or a knife. He was unarmed, I could tell, and he looks stupid enough to fool…I bet if you just had a lose threat he'd give you all he's got and run back to his mother." He gave them a proud smirk. "Trust me, my brother's been in the business before. Where he gets his stuff? The guy's a real loser, they usually are."

Tommy frowned. 'King' did not look too much like a loser, he looked as though he could snap their bones as easily as he could snap his fingers. But he looked carefree, almost…stupid. Probably from whatever he took this morning…

"Fine" Tommy eventually muttered, turning to Lee for support. "We'll meet you back here tomorrow then."

Amy turned to him, a dazzling smile on her face that caused the young Gilligan to practically melt.

"And don't worry" She simpered, smirking. "We'll take care of everything…"

* * *

"What'll it be?"

Rachel perked up, throwing down her menu. "Chocolate Chip Waffles."

Kuki, her tongue between her teeth as she pondered over her options, grinned as it was her turn. "Veggie burger"

"BLT" Fanny muttered when it was her turn.

Abby bit her lip anxiously, looking over the menu. The waitress turned to her.

"Can I get…" Abby pondered. "A burger with the lot…."

Fanny's eyebrows rose. "Abs, when they say 'the lot', they mean 'the lot', you know-"

"Yeah, Yeah" Abby muttered, her stomach rumbling. "But I want a side order of steak fries as well as regular fries…and…" She frowned. "Can I get some cheese sauce with that?"

The waitress stared at her in mild amazement as she gathered the menus. "Uh…sure."

"Thanks" Abby smirked, oblivious to her friend's wide eyed gazes. Rachel quickly changed the subject.

"Anyways…" She muttered. "How's Cree's wedding planning going Abby? Thanks for the invite, by the way…but are you sure Cree wants us there?"

Abby smirked, twirling the straw in her drink. "Well, you know Cree… she doesn't have as many friends as she thinks…_I wonder why?"_ She muttered sarcastically. The girls giggled quietly to each other.

Abby suddenly stopped, her deep brown eyes narrowing as she looked out of the window, across to the garage next door, where she was sure, positive even, that the figure about 20 yards away could see her, and was glaring at her knowingly. There were two boys, leaning on the brick wall outside smoking, and one of them had his eyes on her, dark green slits. He beckoned her over and she ignored him, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"We should do this more often" Fanny smirked, sipping her coke. "You know, just us girls."

"I know" Kuki pouted. "It's so great to be back, just like old times!"

"Well, not really" Rachel pointed out, issuing Fanny with a sly look. "You were a right biatch back then, Fannypants."

Fanny's mouth fell open as the rest of her friends laughed at her.

"Was not!" She pouted, growling. "Ok, maybe I was…"

Kuki smirked at her. "Speaking of which, Fanny, I've heard you have a guy we have to lay eyes on…"

Fanny blushed, her cheeks dulling to the colour of her hair. "Maybe" She smirked, a sheepish smile on her face. "We're…pretty much a couple, I guess."

Abby winced, practically feeling the heat of Dingo's intense glare on her skin. She looked back and saw he was glaring at her furiously, his arms folded and his hood up. She growled back at him.

"I can't wait to meet him." Kuki smirked. "When _are_ we going to meet him?"

"No time soon" Fanny muttered hastily.

"Why not?" Kuki perked up with interest.

"He's gorgeous." Rachel suddenly grinned knowingly. "That's why."

"Shutup" Fanny muttered, her cheeks flushing even darker as she nudged her friend. She still smiled to herself shyly. "It's not like that…we just-"

"Sleep" Rachel said slyly, winking at her best friend. "A lot"

Fanny nudged her again as Kuki broke into hysterical giggles, Rachel joining in. Abby finally stood, her eyes wide as she saw Dingo had crept into the diner, giving her a knowing look over her friend's heads. She swallowed nervously as her three friends frowned at her, confused.

"You okay, Abs?"

"Fine" She muttered, attempting a smile. "Just…bathroom."

She walked slowly, casually, to the front door, slipping out when nobody was watching. Immediately she turned sour.

"What are you doing here?!" She spat at Dingo, who was glowering at her from the foot of the steps. "Do you follow me wherever I go?!"

She was pissed, and Dingo could tell she was. Her usually warm eyes had darkened into black, and her mouth was curled into a nervous snarl. He growled back, the fury in his stomach just as solid as it was a few hours ago, where he'd woken up and found she wasn't there.

"Sor-_ry _Abs" He growled back. "I wouldn't have to follow you if you didn't sneak out all the time!"

"I had stuff to do!" She hissed back as they made their way to the side of the building, where they could continue their argument without drawing unwanted attention. "Dammit, Dingo! You don't trust me! You don't want me to have a life outside of you!"

Dingo stiffened, his face dangerous. "Abby, I thought I warned you…I'm not letting you go that easily. You're having my baby, Abby. Remember?"

"Of course I remember!" Abby yelled back, aware his eyes were on her stomach. "I'm very aware Dingo! I'm taking care of it!"

"I don't think you are!" Dingo hissed back venomously. "You cut me out of everything! I haven't even been to an ultrasound or anything like that! You don't even tell me when you're shopping for it! You haven't even told your friends!"

"It's hard, you know that!" Abby snapped back, her voice showing traces of fear. "I can't tell my friends b-because I'm waiting for the right time, and I told my parents yesterday!"

"Big fucking woop" Dingo growled back, furious. "You feel ashamed of this kid, Abs. You feel ashamed 'cause it's mine."

"You're putting words in my mouth again!" Abby almost screamed, her breaths heavy. "Leave me alone!"

She made a move to push past him but he stopped her, his arm shooting out and trapping her between his two outstretched arms. She glared at him, her eyes fierce.

"Abby" He growled at her. "Last night meant everything to me. I thought we really got somewhere. I shared crap with you that I haven't even shared with anyone else." His bright emerald eyes shone through his black hair. "Does that mean nothing to you?"

"Of course it doesn't…" Her own voice faltered, but her eyes were still angry. "Of course you mean a lot to me, Dingo, but I need my own life too, you know."

"I should have a bigger part in it" He snarled in return. "You better start telling more people about the pregnancy, Abs."

Abby frowned, not liking his tone.

"Why does that sound like a threat?"

"Maybe it is" He growled back, his temper growing. "People are gonna start noticing how big you're gonna get, you know."

"It's my baby!" She yelled at him. "I'll do what I think is right!"

"It better include me!" He yelled back.

"Maybe it won't!" She couldn't help but blurt out. She paused, as did Dingo, when they both realised what she just said. Dingo stiffened, his entire body seeming to swell with visible anger.

"D…" Abby gaped at him, her eyes wide and earnest. "I didn't mean it like that…I-It just came out, I didn't even realise-"

Dingo's eyes widened at her, filled with both fury and hurt.

"I didn't realise what I was saying…" Abby's eyes filled with tears, her own heart swelling with sadness and desperation. She started shaking, her eyes wide with fear. She couldn't lose him…she couldn't… "D-Dingo, I-I'm sorry, I…Please forgive me…" She whimpered pathetically, feeling foolish and embarrassed. Dingo snarled at her, ready to stomp off in fury and leave her there, but he couldn't.

"You really piss me off sometimes, you know." He growled at her furiously, his forehead connecting with hers sweetly. She sniffed. "Just promise you won't say it again…or…" He gave her a pleading look. "Or do it, for that matter."

"I won't" Abby sighed. "I didn't mean it that way, it just came out…I only wanted to hurt you."

"You did" He snarled. "That's the worst thing you could possibly do, Abs, deny me of…what's mine."

Abby groaned, tears trailing down her cheeks. "I know but…you have to trust me." She sniffed. "I'll tell my friends soon, I promise."

"You better" Dingo couldn't help but grumble. Abby pushed him off her out of sheer irritation. He could be such a jerk to her sometimes.

"Don't be like that, Abs."

She ignored him, sniffing up her tears and walking away, stomping back into the diner. Dingo watched her go , fuming. He growled in frustration as he stomped away, jamming his fists in his pockets. Little did the couple know, a figure had been watching them in the distance, not close enough to hear what they were actually arguing about, but close enough to see that it was an argument, and close enough to see Abby walk away in tears as she pushed him off her. It was enough to get him angry, and now he was glaring at Dingo with fierce, flaming emerald green eyes.

* * *

_19 year old Jake was sitting at his old family kitchen table, slowly tuning out of the strong lecture his mother was giving him. It was the same thing over and over, and he was starting to get discouraged from visiting her. _

"…_And…Jake! Jake! Jake, are you even listening to me?"_

_Jake looked up, his eyes glazing over his mother's furious expression, her deep brown eyes narrowed and her golden hair falling into her face. She (at the time) was a quick tempered, but soft, beauty at 38. She folded her arms tightly over her chest, her eyes stern._

"_Of course I was listenin', Mum." Jake muttered, rolling his eyes. "You were sayin' something about me being irresponsible, incompetent…idiotic?"_

_She rolled her eyes as Jake's father, Mick, burst into deep chuckles from the other end of the table, pausing to take another deep breath from his cigarette. He was a burly, dark haired man in his late 30's with deep hazel eyes. Jake had inherited his trademark smirk, hot-headedness and his tendency to be a bit of a 'smartass' in his family's opinion. He grunted, blowing a plume of smoke over the table delicately._

"_Settle down, Luce" He muttered to his wife as Jake gave her a defiant smirk. "We love havin' Dingo here." He growled to himself, tapping his cigarette ash into a nearby ashtray. "He's all we got, ain't he?"_

_Lucy rolled her own eyes, looking down at her youngest son thoughtfully. They knew the whole story, what had happened, what it had resulted in and why they suddenly found out they had a 2 year old grandson. Jake had now had him for 3 months, and already Dingo had warmed their hearts and worked his way into the family. He was now outside the family home, playing in the backyard. _

"_Yes, well…" She sighed. "I never trusted that girl, anyway."_

_Jake raised his eyebrows at her, anxious for a change of subject._

"_They're still together?"_

"_Yep" Jake grunted, lighting his own cigarette with a flick of his lighter. "Got their own kid."_

"_Yeah…" Lucy mumbled cautiously. "I got a picture…"_

_Jake didn't answer, just stared straight ahead, his eyes darkening dangerously. She looked down. She knew what happened, but she wasn't sure what to say about the entire thing. She was disappointed, of course, but it was hard to choose between her sons, and it was an extremely hard position to be in. _

"_Don't let your hate get to you, Jake."_

"_I'm not" He growled at her, twisting his lips in annoyance. Lucy gave her son a knowing look, recognizing those signs of danger anywhere. _

"_I understand you're angry…" She said carefully. "But you've got Dingo to look after now, and carrying those feelings will cloud you're judgment and…I know what you're like, Jake, and you shouldn't hold a grudge towards your brother when your main priority should be your son-"_

"_Lucy" Mick growled at her in mild warning. "Drop it."_

_Jake was already twitching with mild fury, danger signs Mick recognized from his own experience with his son. Lucy nodded, biting her lip and breaking off from her rant. _

"_I wish you'd do that outside…" She muttered to the both of them disapprovingly. Jake groaned as he and his father grabbed their cans of beer from the table and filed outside to the back porch, gratefully collapsing onto the chairs outside. Jake's glare softened as he spotted Dingo amongst the overgrown grass, tentatively pushing his tiny Hot Wheels cars through the dirt and over the concrete footpath, making trails in the soft earth. _

"_He's a cute kid, Jake." Jake looked over at his father, who was watching Dingo closely as well. "I know it's hard to think you've missed out on half his life."_

_Jake shrugged, but he knew it was true. "Yeah…" _

"_Don't worry about it too much…" He muttered, stubbing out his cigarette on the post. Jake frowned, he wasn't used to getting actual wise advice from his father. "Ya know? He's gonna have just as much hate as you one day for what's happened, 'cuz no one gets over that." He smirked. "Just be grateful you're in his life now."_

_Jake sighed, blowing his long fringe into the air and leaning back in his chair. Nineteen, his birthday had only been a few weeks ago, and he'd never forget his friend's expressions when he'd turned up with a shy looking toddler on his hip. He never expected this, but he knew he had to take control of it. No matter what Allie suggested in her letter, he was going to take care of Dingo, no matter what._

_Jake frowned and jolted back up, hearing a tiny whimper and looking over the porch worriedly. Dingo was bawling in the grass, his hands and arms covered in dirt and tear running down his blotchy cheeks. Jake swore furiously under his breath, turning to his own father with worry._

"_I seriously turned away for like, 10 seconds!" He hissed a him, his eyes wide. His dad merely chuckled._

"_Welcome to fatherhood, mate."_

_Jake swore again and jumped off the veranda, running to his baby. Dingo was sniffling and crying, still whimpering slightly as he sat on the earth. Jake skidded to a halt, dropping down to his level._

"_Dingo what's wrong? Why are you crying? What-"_

_He frowned, looking down at him. He was in the middle of an ants nest, crying as what looked like a million ants ran over his hands and arms, probably biting him in the process. He let out a sob, shaking and picking them off. Jake swore again under his breath and grabbed Dingo by his t-shirt, yanking him out of the nest and growling at him._

"_They keep biting me!" Dingo sobbed at him, sniveling with pain as he clenched his hands. _

"_Of course they are!" Jake hissed at him, running his hands over Dingo's. "Why were you in there for? You fu-" He caught himself, swallowing as he looked down at the toddler. Dingo sniffed back pathetically, his eyes wide. Jake pulled him up back onto the veranda, still pushing off the vast amount of ants that were on him. _

"_Why were you in there for anyway?" Jake snarled at him. "Ants will bite if you trample them, you know."_

_Dingo hesitated, giving a small sniff as more tears ran down his face. Jake frowned as he noticed Dingo's hand, enclosed and forming a tight fist. Jake glared at him. _

"_What have you got, D?"_

_Dingo looked up at him, his bright green eyes wide as his bottom lip trembled._

"_I couldn' leave him…" He mumbled under his breath, his voice shaking. "T-they were hurting him…"_

_Jake's frown deepened. "Who was hurting who?"_

_Dingo opened a shaky hand, and Jake's eyes widened as he saw in Dingo's pudgy hand, covered in dirt and still writhing, was a long, wriggling worm. Dingo gave him a pathetic, pleading look. _

"_Can I keep him?"_

"_Dingo!" Jake groaned, his eyes wide. "You saved that thing from ants? Are you kidding me?!" _

_Dingo whimpered, recoiling. He brought back his hand, cradling the tiny worm as if it were a baby. _

"_I already named him…"_

_Jake growled in annoyance, glaring at the 2 year old in front of him. But, as Dingo continued to avoid his gaze and stroke the still writhing worm, he realised he couldn't stay mad at him…it was just a weakness he felt he'd always have. His gaze softened. _

"_You really want to keep that worm?" he muttered darkly, cocking an eyebrow. Dingo looked up, his eyes wide._

"_Yeah…T-then the ants won't eat him…" He mumbled weakly, sniffing. "T-they were j-just…all over him an'- and biting him and stuff, I had to save him…"_

_Jake sighed, rolling his eyes but scooping Dingo up anyway, carrying him inside the house to his mother. _

"_Mum..." He muttered, smirking. "We need a jar of dirt for Dingo's new pet."_

_Lucy gave him a strange look, frowning at the two boys as Dingo smiled through his tears, holding up his hands excitedly. _

"_His name's Stanley!"_

_

* * *

_

Allie sighed deeply as she noticed Jake on the street corner, leaning against the sprayed brick wall of the club casually, his hands buried within the pockets of his jeans. It scared her how, even at 37 years of age, Jake still fit in as well as any other teenager that hung around street corners. She swallowed as his brown eyes locked on her car, and she stiffly brought one hand off the steering wheel to signal to him. He walked over to her car and slipped in, slamming the door behind him.

"Hey, Allie."

"Hey, Jake."

The two sat in an awkward silence, Allie nibbling her bottom lip nervously and Jake stumped at what to say. He looked over, frowning as he took a closer look at her.

"Have you been crying?"

"N-no" Allie muttered, shaking her head as she looked away. "It's nothing."

Jake rolled his eyes knowingly. "Allie, I've seen you cry before…I know when you're upset."

"It's nothing, okay?" Allie suddenly snapped, her eyes wide. "You just…rang me at a very bad time, that's all. But I'm here, I'm okay…what's going on?"

Jake's eyes widened at her sudden snap, but shook it off and gave her a serious look.

"Look…It's pretty bad…" He muttered, his eyes downcast. "I don't know if I should tell you…"

"If it's about Dingo, I deserve to know" Allie muttered, looking straight ahead at the diner in front of her. Classy… She thought to herself. "So spill, Jake."

"But that isn't it." Jake explained, running a hand through his shaggy black hair. "It's…it's about Wallabee too, Al. It isn't just about Dingo."

Allie snapped to attention, her hair fanning out as she threw her head around in alarm. Jake blinked back sheepishly.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice lowered to a whisper. "Have…have they got themselves into some sort of trouble, or something?"

"Well…not specifically" Jake muttered, twisting his lips as he thought. He turned back to her, his dark eyes protective. "Allie, you have to swear you won't repeat this to anyone until we figure it out, not even Derek."

Allie's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because" Jake snarled. "It has nothing to do with him at the moment, it's about Dingo."

"If it's about Wally-"

"Promise me, Allie."

Allie sighed, hesitating before turning back, her eyes earnest. "I promise."

Jake sighed, his teeth grazing across his bottom lip delicately before he replied. He looked deep into his ex-lover's eyes, everytime he did he was reminded of all the great times they shared, not caring that it was a day or even a week, he'd always remember her. He loved her eyes, wide pools of endless green, the same as Dingo's eyes. He swallowed, tearing away from her gaze and staring straight ahead.

"Abby is pregnant, I've met her."

"Really?" Allie frowned, her mind working furiously. "Well, that's great, but what does it have to do with-"

She broke off, Jake shooting her a knowing gaze. She gaped, but Jake had already answered her.

"Let's just say history's starting to repeat itself, Allie."

* * *

Dingo sat outside, his arms folded and his eyes murderous. He looked like a sulky toddler, the same glare and the same stance. Dodge smirked from beside him, grinning at his best friend's sulking.

"Chill, D." He muttered, grinning at him. "She's fine, seriously."

"Dodge" Dingo growled under his breath. "She isn't including me in crap! It's like she doesn't even want me to be a father! She said it herself, you know."

"She was angry" Dodge muttered back, his eyebrows raised. "This must be hard on her, you know. You can't just assume she'll take it all fine and dandy, it must be pretty stressful and she has to do so much."

"Whatever…" Dingo mumbled, but he knew Dodge was right. He always was. He stretched out his legs and scuffed his shoes against the concrete moodily as Dodge disappeared back into the workshop, closing the door behind him. Dingo growled to himself, pouting as he propped his chin up on his palm, thinking. He loved Abby, he knew he did, and he knew he always will. The thought of being a dad baffled him, but it was a challenge he was willing to meet. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Abby, and he was sure she was the one for him.

_Have you ever lied to me, Dingo?_

He swallowed, his throat constricting. He thought of all the stuff he had kept from her, pretty much his life since fifteen years of age. He thought it wasn't a big deal, that it wasn't worth fretting over, but at the same time he felt Abby deserved to know about him, the life he'd lead, the life he still lead and his life up until then. He groaned, feeling a headache coming on. He closed his eyes.

"_Dingo"_

He frowned, that voice ringing in his ears. He knew that voice, he knew that accent. It was americanised Australian, and then he knew who it was. He opened his eyes, and looked over to find his little brother glaring at him, his emerald eyes narrowed into slits and his shoulders squared, his stance ready. Dingo's anger bubbled in his chest as he eyed him, trying to hold back from leaping to his feet and smashing his face in.

Wallabee's thoughts were no different, it was taking all self control not to throw himself onto his brother, who was looking up at him so innocently, yet he knew there was fire behind those eyes. He saw Dingo threatening Abby, and now he wanted answers. He growled at him, fiercely, his arms folding over his chest.

"I saw you and Abby just then" Wallabee snarled with venom. Dingo's hard glare remained focused. Wallabee swallowed, his eyes fierce. "I saw her walk away cryin'."

Dingo smirked, a sadistic, sly smirk that made Wallabee want to punch his lights out. He stood, slowly and threateningly, and glared at his little brother, leering over him.

"Oh really?" Dingo growled dangerously. "Congratulations to you."

The brothers stood, glaring at each other fiercely. It seemed any second they would leap at each other and tear the other apart. Wallabee snarled, hating him with a passion. He was so spiteful and yet so confident, he had no idea why his brother hated him so much. Dingo snarled back, his eyes hateful. He could hardly stand looking at his younger brother, for the memories that came back just from looking at him. The tension radiated from the both of them, and Wallabee was the first to speak.

"I know you hate me" Wally growled at him, refusing to drop his gaze. "I dunno why, but I know 'ya do."

Dingo sneered at him nastily, his eyes flashing. "Really? And I thought you were supposed to be stupid."

Wallabee stiffened, determined not to let his anger show. He was protective over Abby, and he saw the way Dingo watched her, it almost sickened him. Even when they were going out he could tell Dingo had eyes for her, and more than a couple of times he'd caught Dingo checking her out. Now that they were broken up he still didn't want Abby to get involved with him.

"I'm gonna ask you this nicely" Wallabee growled at him, and even Dingo was taken aback at how fierce he sounded. His usually boyish golden hair, the same as Allie's, fell into his grass green eyes, and it looked forbidding. Dingo growled back. "Stay away from Abby."

"I didn't know she had an owner" Dingo shot back automatically, furious. "Even though she dumped your ass, she's still yours, ay?"

"She's my mate" Wallabee sneered in return, his cheeks flushing a light pink as his anger rose. "And I saw how you upset her; I'll step in before she gets together with _you. _Besides, from the looks of it she wants nothing to do with you in the first place, if you upset her so much._" _

Dingo stiffened, but a sly smile appeared on his face at the thought of what Wallabee didn't know, the fact that he had wanted Abby, so he'd taken her. It wasn't just because he wanted to get back at his younger brother, but that thought made it so much more lustful.

"She doesn't need you to make her decisions for her." Dingo snapped back, his voice full of venom. "I'd back off if I were you, _little brother."_

Wallabee immediately stiffened with rage, his eyes wide and his hands clenched into fists. Dingo smirked proudly, knowing that he was toeing on the last of Wallabee's quick nerves.

"If I were _you" _Wallabee growled back, just as menacing. "I'd stay away from Abby. She's my friend, and I'll come after you if I ever see you near her again."

"Come after me?" Dingo repeated mockingly with a light scoff, his eyebrows raised and a grin adorning his face. "Oh really? You want me to fuck you up like I did the other day, ay?"

Wally flushed slightly, a pit of pink appearing on his pale face. "No" He snarled, his voice laced with danger. "I'll make sure, Dingo, that you will never see the light of day."

Dingo stepped forward threateningly, but annoyingly his younger brother didn't move, didn't even flinch.

"I'd like to see that" Dingo snarled back angrily. "Why don't you just get me right here?"

He held his arms out at his sides as his eyebrows rose expectantly, daring him to have a go. Wallabee stood his ground, his fists clenched.

"Come on, _Wallabee" _Dingo growled at him, itching for another fight. "I want to see what you got…I'll let you throw the first punch." He leered at him, his tongue between his teeth as he sneered "You ain't _scared _are ya?"

Wallabee wanted to, he definitely did. He wanted to wipe that smirk right of Dingo's face, rearrange his face- period. But he knew Kuki was waiting for him in the diner, and he knew he'd be playing right into Dingo's hands. As if on cue, the door to the garage opened and Dodge stepped out, stepping immediately back as he saw and felt the tension going on between the two. His eyes widened as his brown irises travelled from brother to brother, his frown growing steadily deeper. He folded his arms.

"What's going on?" He snarled, specifically at Dingo. Dingo smirked at his brother, relaxing his arms and walking back into the garage with a scoff.

"Nuthin'"

Wally's eyes followed him threateningly, neither one dropping their gaze.

* * *

Maurice sat at his desk, listening to the dying chatter of his co-workers as, one by one, they left the building for the day- back to their own homes. Maurice was still left behind, feeling as though he was the only person left on the entire floor. He didn't seem to notice; instead he just tapped his pen on the desk and stared straight ahead, his mind working.

The young cop should have had other things on his mind, but the only thing that was running through his head was the thick file in front of him- the information it held, and how many lives it could change. He thought of his soon to be sister in law, Abby, his friend, his little sister. He loved her like a brother did, and he couldn't bear to see the look on her face when she found out- found out that the father of her baby was nothing other than a not-so-common criminal.

He ran his hands through his dreads, groaning as he stared down at the photo of Dingo in his hand, and sixteen year old Dingo smirked back at him.

But…if he didn't tell her, she would never find out. She'd love someone who wasn't real, who wasn't being honest with her. Maurice knew he would cross a very big line in telling her, but he knew in his heart he had a duty to her and his soon to be neice/nephew. He bit his lip.

Should he tell her?

He swallowed hard, dropping the file back into his bag and standing up, defeated. He had some serious thinking to do.

Chad watched him from afar, from the other end of the office. He watched his partner stand up and walk out, his head down and his eyes dark. He had the same expression he always had when he was in deep thought- like he had to make a decision…a big one.

Chad narrowed his eyes knowingly.

* * *

Fanny didn't know what to expect as she walked over to the garage after work. She knew one thing, though, she felt terrible. She caught a glance of herself as she walked out the door and physically winced. Her hair looked an oily mess, her makeup had rubbed off and her beige work uniform was hardly flattering. She nervously ran a few fingers through the ends of her hair as she pulled out her hair band. The only thing that seemed to comfort her, as she finally reached the back door, that Dodge looked even more nervous than she felt. Suddenly she felt anxious…was he breaking it off with her?

_She knew it was too good to last…_

She felt her heart race at a million beats a minute as she watched him. His light grey t-shirt, a perfect fit across his muscular chest, was stained with black grease and dirt from work, as well as a cute smudge across his cheek. His chestnut hair was scuffed and hanging in his eyes, and he issued her with a shy smile as she approached him anxiously. He jumped down to greet her.

"Uh, Sorry" She muttered before he had the chance to say anything else. She swallowed nervously, fiddling with the hem of her uniform. "I…I didn't get a chance to change after work, you know, and I forgot my makeup and…"

Dodge smirked at her, despite his rising fears. He loved her hair, out, wavy and natural, her cute freckles and wide dark eyes. He'd been thinking of her all day, and her curvy figure still looked amazing in her waitress uniform. He gazed at her longingly, and wishfully wondered what she'd think of him after this was over.

"You look amazing, Cherry" He mumbled truthfully, grinning at her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her closer and bringing his face to hers. He closed his eyes lazily. "And you smell like burgers."

Fanny smirked, blushing as she buried her own face in his t-shirt. "Thanks…I guess" She muttered back, smirking. "You smell like motor oil."

He grimaced as she grinned at him, breaking apart. "I know" He wrinkled his nose cutely. "It doesn't make a good combo…"

Fanny gulped, her eyes wide. "Is…that a metaphor?"

Dodge frowned, his head tilting. "A what?"

"A…metaphor" Fanny swallowed, her throat constricting as she looked towards the floor. "That…that we're not a good combination together, like… you want to break up with me?"

Dodge's own eyes widened as he put a gentle finger under the girl's chin, lifting her head to face him. "What makes you think that?"

Fanny shrugged. "I…I don't know. It just seems like whenever something good happens to me it never lasts. Maybe you just wanted me for…I don't know, but it just seems weird that we're…meeting here." Her eyes met with his. "Does that mean…we're not?"

"No" Dodge scoffed, taken aback. He bit his lip. "Though…after this, I thought maybe you'd want to break it off with _me. _I'll understand, just keep that in mind."

Fanny smirked at him cheekily. "I'd never-" She paused, frowning. "Wait…after what?"

"After this." Dodge muttered sheepishly, shrugging. "I thought…you got me to meet your Dad, I thought I'd put you to the ultimate test and get you to meet…my family."

"Oh!" Fanny laughed, her smile causing his heart to lift hopefully. "Of course! No problem…I can handle it."

Dodge issued her with a nervous grimace, his hands slipping into his pockets. "No girl has ever made it, you know…only one or two have ever been able to look at me the same way."

"I already know…your past." Fanny muttered. "Besides, what could be worse than my dad?"

"_My _family…" Dodge muttered back nervously. He hesitantly held out his hand, which she accepted, and led her back up the stairs, his heart pounding. He'd scarcely reached the door in time, however, when they already heard pounding music and Dingo and Bandit attempting to sing along tipsily. Dodge gulped as Fanny came up behind him curiously. He turned to her. "Er…just tell me if one of them gropes you."

Fanny's eyes widened. "Uh, ok."

Dodge bit his lip anxiously and pushed open the door. "School's Out" by Alive Cooper immediately blasted at them from the stereo and a wave of cigarette smoke and alcohol washed over them. Dodge groaned, leading his girlfriend to what he believed was their doom.

Trent was lazing across the sofa, blowing perfect smoke rings into the air, constantly pausing to take a gulp of the bottle of whiskey in his hand. He was chuckling at Dingo, who was jumping up and down along the other couch singing half-heartedly with another bottle. Bandit was nearby, shaking his head and swaying on the spot drunkenly cigarette in one hand and playing air guitar with the other. He was wearing his trademark bandanna and no shirt. Dodge had the urge to push his girlfriend away from this disaster waiting to happen before it got any worse, but he knew he couldn't go back once Fanny followed him in, her eyes automatically widening.

Dodge took a deep breath and with a flick of his wrist turned off the stereo, so the room was filled with a thick silence (except for Dingo's singing.)

"_No more pencils…" _He stopped in mid jump as he realised the music was gone. "Oh…" He smirked. "Hey Dodge!"

Bandit vaulted over the couch to join him, ominously shaking a bottle of beer at him.

"Want some?" He grinned, his eyes twinkling. Dodge rolled his eyes and shook his head, gnawing on his bottom lip.

"Uh…guys…" He muttered, sighing. "I want you to meet my girlfriend."

"Finally!" Dingo snarled, grinning. "It's only been…weeks!"

"What? The ranga?" Trent smirked, rolling over onto his stomach. "What does she rate again?"

Bandit, however, took a totally different approach. He twirled around the room chanting _"Dodge's got a girlfriend…Dodge's got a girlfriend…"_

Dodge slapped his forehead, wondering where in the world he got such a stupid idea to invite the girl of his dreams to meet his mates. Like a lamb to the slaughter, just about.

"Guys!" He growled in warning, and the boys straightened themselves to almost civilized positions. He took a deep breath and pulled her out of the hallway into plain view. Three wide eyed gazes fell on her, and Fanny gulped as she stared back.

"This is…Cherry" He muttered, his eyes narrowing in warning. "She's my girlfriend."

When none of them said anything, just gawked, Fanny nervously tried to say something.

"Uh…hi."

Bandit's grin suddenly widened, Dingo issued her with a trademark smirk and Trent smiled mischievously, sucking on his cigarette. Suddenly it was a wave of half-drunken yells and jeers.

"She's a fuckin' hottie!"

"Dodge where have you been keeping her?!"

"She's sexy for a ranga!"

Bandit broke from them and suddenly pulled her into an enormous bear hug, her feet dangling. She gaped, her eyes wide.

"Welcome to the family!" He smirked at her, putting her back onto the ground. Dodge growled at them, but before he had the chance to say anything Trent had skipped over with a beer.

"Initiation!" He cheered, holding it threateningly. Dodge snarled at him, hiding Fanny from view.

"_No" _He growled firmly, his eyes narrowing. "No initiation!"

Suddenly Fanny felt a wave of warm liquid being poured over her head, down her hair and drenching her work uniform. Her eyes widened as she smelt it…it smelt like vodka. Dodge gaped as he rounded on his girlfriend, who had been attacked from behind by Dingo, who was holding the empty bottle guiltily.

"TOO LATE!" He snickered, grinning. "She's one of us now!"

"_Cherry! Cherry! Cherry_!" Bandit jeered, jumping up and down on the couch like a 5 year old. The rest of the guys joined in.

Dodge nibbled on his bottom lip, his eyes wide as he watched his drenched, shocked girlfriend. "Uh…" He swallowed anxiously. "That means they like you."

To Dodge's immense amazement, Fanny laughed, pushing a strand of vodka- drenched hair away from her eyes and smiling at her boyfriend, who simply gazed back.

"Could be worse, I guess." She grinned mischievously.

"Yeah" Dodge snickered with relief, pulling her into a tight embrace gratefully. "It could be a _lot_ worse."

* * *

Hehe! I hope you guys liked it :P Let me know what you think!

Oh, btw- I'm sure you guys have noticed (if you've been on my profile) I have a wordpress blog now, mostly devoted to my stories. 10YFN is pretty much done, it has a basic guide to my characters ;) check it out if you're interested :P

And remember- review!

Much Love!!!!

-x-


	15. Chapter 15: Pick Your Poison

Greetings!

**Yeah...Yeah...I know :S I feel awful, really slack. In my defence, year 12 is HARD, and I mean, I've just found out what ATAR I need to go to Uni and *grrr* stupid over-90 nonsense! Anyways...yeah, that's my life in a nutshell. On with the show!**

**Note to my kind readers: A couple of warnings...*Sigh* as you can see, my story is now 'M' rated. This isn't for my own happiness, because I don't like my stories being 'M' (though I like reading stories with an M rating, I'm weird) because it kind of makes it look like it's a bit taboo...and i guess it is...but still :( **

**This chapter is dark. I didn't mean it that way...well, I planned it that way, but it was a hard chapter to write. I hope I get some reviews on it :S it's been hell, I tell you. **

**Also, there's a lot of mother talk in this chapter, and to keep the accents going I use both 'Mom' and 'Mum', depending on which accent the character has. Don't get too confused ;)**

**Annnnd of course, you may have noticed, this chapter is LONG. Maybe you should get some snacks or a drink or something, because it's a while to the bottom!**

**And about to make it longer, of course, with my lovely reviewers ;)**

* * *

JustWriting7: _Oh gawsh! *blushes!* thanks! :D I could say the same to you, I love reading your stuff! Hope you like this update x_

shejams: _Lol! I love the rambling, of course. Thanks :DD I love Mushi and Dingo, their randomness is surprisingly understandable to me...hmm :P I hope you like the chapter (:_

itsaDoggyDogworld: _Whew! Lol, I'm glad I used it the right way, was fun (y) ooo thirteen, what an age! Lol, good luck in your teenage years...don't be too scared ;) Lol x_

simi838: _Hehe! I literally lol when I see your reviews, you make me smile :D I hope this was worth the wait XP_

Numbuh 321: _Weeeelllll ye-ah... *nervous whistle* Hmm yes... Lol, I was actually thinking to myself 'hmm...me and my soap operas...' my friend told me it was a bit like the OC, I said no it's KND! Hoho...lame joke :P Lol i hope you like it :D_

sstoons3425: _Naw :) I love that part too...shame he's grown into such a pscho...but who knows? There may be traces of that kindness somewhere...certainly not here :S Lol, enjoy! (try to anyway) x_

hellopandaluver: _hehe! *claps* I love your long reviews, that make me smile :D Prepare for more intensity, I must say... and hmm...I haven't really thought about it, my friends have made some suggestions...perhaps the baby needs to undertake some personality of its own ;) Lol, glad you like the mushi bandit...hmm :P Hope you like the update (;_

stoplight-melody.: _Believe me, I feel your pain *defeated sigh* I'm glad you like it, it's a very big compliment when someone calls my work deep... gawsh! *blushes* :D _

Laurie43: _I hope this chapter's worth the wait! :D I love your long reviews, blow by blow :) Gives me happiness. Lol...hope you like my romance...and everythig else for that matter ;P thanks for the offer, as per usual, I may need some help coming up. Anyways, enjoy! x_

E-D-Songy-12: _Lol, i hope you can get through this! been exhausting to write, I can't imagine reading it :P Warning now...get comfy! Hope you like it (:_

* * *

Jake scuffed his shoes against the ground, tapping his toes against the carpet impatiently. He scrunched his lips in visible annoyance, cracked his knuckles ominously and stared straight ahead, his deep brown eyes focused. His eyes were careful, narrowed slits, eyeing the TV in front of him, but paying no attention to what was actually playing. Instead he had his headphones in, and the music of AC/DC was the only thing keeping him calm.

Bandit watched him closely; blinking nervously at Jake's still, forbidding form.

"Is he…okay?"

"He's fine" Dodge dismissed, stirring his coffee with his finger. He was spread out on the floor in front of the TV with Bandit, who'd escaped Trent's dangerous 'who woke me up early' rant by hiding out in Dingo and Dodge's apartment to watch early morning cartoons. Bandit was beside Jake on the couch, but found Jake more interesting than the TV set.

Dodge recognized all of the signs, and looked up at Jake knowingly.

"He's just thinking…looks pissed off too."

Bandit frowned, looking down at his friend with interest.

"Really? How can you tell?"

Dodge shrugged his shoulders, smirking. "Knowin' him for this long, you get to read what he's thinkin'. He always gets this way when he wants to yell at Dingo, but doesn't have enough evidence to accuse him of doing something wrong yet."

Bandit rolled his eyes, turning back to cartoons. "You know Dodge; I think you're too smart."

"I'm not smart." Dodge scoffed, his brown eyes flashing mischievously. "I'm just observant. I hated seeing Jake angry."

He looked up thoughtfully, frowning. "I'm just glad he's not angry at me."

Bandit chewed on the inside of his mouth, something he always seemed to do when thinking. His blue eyes glazed over thoughtfully. After a while he bit his lip and turned to Dodge nervously.

"Is he…angry at me?" He mumbled in a low voice.

"No, Bando." Dodge snickered. "Only Dingo can piss him off that much."

Dingo suddenly grinned, giving his friend a sly look. "Hey Dodgem-"

Dodge winced at his childhood nickname, but looked up nonetheless. "What, Bando?"

Bandit snickered at him, twirling his cereal spoon in his hand. "Me and the guys have discovered who ya girlfriend reminds us of."

Dodge narrowed his eyes dangerously. "…_What?"_

"Princess Fiona!" Bandit smirked proudly, nervously biting his lip as he noticed Dodge's face morph into one of fury. His eyes darkened dangerously and his lips curled into a snarl.

"The pre-ogre one!" Bandit muttered, rolling his eyes. "Duh! She's pretty and princess-y and all, but still kicks ass and can actually stand us…" He twisted his lips in thought. "…us Shreks."

"Wow" Dodge rolled his eyes. "Thanks Bando."

"You know me, dude." Bandit chuckled. "Coming from me, that's a compliment."

Dodge grinned knowingly, giving his friend a joking grin. "I know."

* * *

A tall figure slumped against the brick wall of the police station, his bright blue eyes darting around suspiciously before he pulled out his phone, punching in the numbers he knew all too well. He pulled out a cigarette as he listened to the ringing. He lit the cigarette with his lighter, hastily stuffing it back into his jeans as the dial tone was cut off. A raspy, snarling voice replaced it.

"_What?" _Chad winced as the voice growled harshly into his ear. He blew out a stream of cigarette smoke irritably. _Ungrateful Idiot…_

"Dingo" He muttered back, annoyed. "It's Chad."

Dingo blinked in frustration, barely awake. His head was throbbing and his joints were aching. He wasn't even out of bed yet. He groaned with annoyance, squeezing his eyes closed as he collapsed back onto the pillow, snarling. He'd only answered the phone because the first thought that entered his mind was Abby, and the fight they had…maybe she'd called to make up with him…

"What do you want?" Dingo growled at him. "This better be quick."

"Well it's not" Chad snarled in return, sucking on his cigarette. "So shut up and pay attention."

Dingo stiffened, his anger subsiding. He knew Chad, the second he saw him he knew he would be nothing but a wuss. To snap at him like that, what Chad had to say must be pretty important for him to be so cocky.

"Listen" Chad muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowed. "My partner ordered the files."

Dingo's own eyes narrowed. "Wh…What files?"

"Your _criminal _file." Chad snarled. "As in- your police record. The record that shows everytime you and your _mates _have screwed up."

Dingo stiffened, his eyes widening. _His _file? The one that was a couple of inches thick, complete with every screw up and mess up he'd managed to accomplish since he was 10 years old?

"_What?" _He hissed. "That wasn't part of the deal, Chad!"

"I know it's not" Chad snapped back, annoyed. "It gets worse. I think Maurice is planning to give it to his soon to be sister-in-law. Meaning, your little girlfriend."

Chad winced as he pulled the phone a couple of inches from his ear. Dingo had immediately burst out in furious snarls and curses. Chad frowned, putting the phone back to his ear.

"…_Fucking backstabber!" _Dingo snarled, his hands fists. Now he was wide awake, sitting up on his mattress. "Find him! He can't give that to her! He can't! Fuck, I will goddamn kill-"

He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself down. A horrific image floated into his mind…all the lies he'd told Abby about his life would be revealed. Abby was the one girl he wanted, the one girl he wanted to keep…the thought of her heartbroken over his past life made him want to vomit. A steam of goosebumps quickly ran up his arms as he thought of it, his stomach churning. _If _Abby found out the truth…_If _Maurice told her…. He gulped. _She'd never trust him to be a father…he'd lose her forever…_

He felt sick.

"Chad…" He groaned, his eyes narrowing. "You gotta stop him. I'll make it worth your while."

Chad dropped his cigarette to the ground, perking up. "Really?"

"Yeah" Dingo snarled. "Get that fuckin' file, and I'll give you an incentive. It can't get to my girl, make sure it doesn't."

Chad pursed his lips, smirking to himself. There was a tense silence at the other end of the line, Dingo tensely waiting for his reply. He finally grinned.

"Sure, D." He muttered back. "I think I can do that for you, provided the price is right…"

* * *

Abby felt her face steadily growing hotter and hotter as her mother and Cree bickered louder and louder, passing more clothes that Abby wouldn't be caught dead in into her arms.

"Cree that is way too tight, do you know nothing of pregnancy?"

Cree flushed angrily at her mother's statement, her hands on her hips. "Hello! Vanessa is pregnant, _Mother_, and I'm her best friend! We both agreed that these type of shirts give the best flattering look-"

"She wants to hide it, not make it stand out-"

"But this stuff's just trashy! Why don't you just stick her in a dressing gown and put her in a trailer park?"

Abby snarled with visible annoyance, her stomach rumbling and her anger magnified by the emotional bender she knew she was on…'_PMS times a thousand'_, she thought to herself. Her mother and Cree immediately stopped their arguing and turned to her, their eyes worried.

"Abigail? Are you okay? Do you want to sit down? Do you need something to eat? I can-"

"No!" Abby muttered, hastily swatting at her mother's fussing. She gave them both a furious glare, folding her arms across her chest. "I just don't want to be here!"

"Abby" Cree sighed in that bossy 'big sister' way and rolled her eyes knowingly. "You're just going to get bigger, you're nearing five months and you're just lucky you're one of those pregnant people who doesn't show-"

"So basically I'm fat?" Abby snarled at her, looking down at her stomach self consciously. It was true, she was in the middle of her second trimester, and therefore her stomach was only scheduled to grow bigger, but secretly she was hoping she was one of those pregnant people who didn't show until very late in the pregnancy. So far her wish had come true, and to the naked eye the already curvy girl only looked like she'd put on some puppy fat around her middle. But as her mother said- soon it will be as noticeable as ever…which is how Abby ended up in what she called her personal hell.

_…Maternity Wear Shopping._

Abby glared at the frilly, bright, cheerful clothing around her with hate. She hated it here, she hated the store, the people who always seemed to smile and coo at her, the constant bickering by her sister and mother over what would cover/flatter her stomach more, she hated it altogether.

"Well, you're gonna get bigger…" Cree mumbled, suddenly picking up a shirt off the rack. It was an off-the-shoulder peasant top, bright pink with yellow trim. It made Abby want to gag. "Ooo! Abby! This is-"

"Put it down and you won't get hurt." Abby snarled at her, her eyes narrowed. "Since when did all Maternity wear become flowery and frilly related?"

"It's supposed to be a happy time of your life" Her mother muttered, her deep brown eyes watching her daughter closely. "Abby dear, how's Wally?"

"Fine" Abby said shortly, swallowing. She didn't feel like getting into it, but was already bracing for the next question she knew was coming.

"So…you still haven't told him-"

"No!" Abby growled. "Why do you think I'm so tense?"

"Settle, Abs." Cree muttered, now going through a range of dresses. "You're going to give yourself an early birth with that stress level."

Abby bit back a retort as she winced, winded as her baby rolled within her stomach. It took a while to get used to it…

"How about we take a break?" Her mother suggested, much to Abby's delight. "We can get something to eat and then come back to it…"

Cree snarled irritably. "We haven't even gotten anything!"

Abby, however, beamed. "Sounds good to me!"

* * *

Allie rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers, burying her face into one of her couch pillows. Her head was heavy with thought and her body was aching. Her usually sleek blonde hair was a tangled mess and her eyes were bloodshot after a long night of worried crying. She groaned, raising her head to face the morning sun now streaming through the living room window. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, already trying to forget the night before. She wasn't even sure if she could face the day…

_"Morning, mum."_

She quickly raised her head, blinking rapidly in alarm. Her gaze softened as she saw Joey standing in front of her, holding a cup of tea out to her over the arm of the chair. He looked sheepish, as though scared one of his friends would somehow find out the kindness he showed to his mother and tease him about it while fighting adult tyranny. He couldn't help it though, Joey had noticed the stress and sadness his mother seemed to feel, and he couldn't help but help her. Allie smiled at him gratefully, pushing herself to a sitting position and holding out her arms for a hug. Joey rolled his eyes and reluctantly fell into her grasp, but smirked as he hugged her back.

"Thank you, Joey." She murmured to him, grinning. "It's just what I needed."

"What's up with you, mum?" Joey mumbled, frowning. He looked up at her, his green eyes wide. "You and Dad, you both seem so…tense. Is…anything…um…"

She ran a few fingers through his mop of blonde hair, issuing him a secure smile. "Nothing you need to worry about, Bub."

Joey wrinkled his nose with distaste. "You know I hate that nickname."

"I know, that's why I call you it."

"Great…" Joey muttered, attempting to hold back a grin. "Can I have the couch back now? There's a cartoon countdown on…"

"Sure" Allie muttered, rolling her own eyes as she sipped her tea. She rose to her feet, attempting to smooth down her hair. She attempted to hide her grimace as she sipped her tea...way too strong. Joey was never any good at it, but she knew it was the thought that counted.

The doorbell rang and Allie quickly checked her reflection in the mirror. Her face was a mess of smeared makeup and her hair stuck out at all angles. She groaned, tying up her hair as she opened the door.

_"Oh…"_

"Hi Mrs. Beatles!" Kuki chirped back, her violet eyes wide. Her glistening smile sparkled in the early morning sun as she issued her a cheery welcome, as bright as she always was. Allie groaned, her head pounding at Kuki's brightness.

"Uh…hi Kuki." She mumbled back, wincing. Kuki's bright grin faltered as she bit her lip, her nerves setting back in at Allie's groan. She ran a hand over her eyes as she pointed to the ceiling. "Wally's in his room."

"Uh…thanks." Kuki muttered, flashing another grin. Allie just rubbed at her eyes, the girl's cheeriness becoming too much to take so early in the morning. Kuki gently wondered up the stairs, her spirits dampening with the thought that maybe Wallabee's mother genuinely hated her. Derek trudged down the stairs, his eyes darkening dangerously.

"Hi Mr. Beatles!" Kuki chirped hopefully. She was met only with a grunt. With a defeated sigh she climbed the rest of the stairs, her high hopes immediately dashed.

She pushed open the door and had to smirk at the vision of her boyfriend, fast asleep in his childhood bed. Since his childhood Wally had obviously grown, and his socked feet stuck out from his covers cutely. She skipped up to him, filled with a new found happiness and pushed her face to his, watching the way he slept. His lips were agape, his hands twitched and his breathes were quick and steady, frowning as he dreamed. She let out a small giggle and his eyes opened, revealing those wide, crystal green irises she loved so much.

"Sorry…" She muttered, her teeth chomping down on her bottom lip nervously. "I didn't mean to wake you…"

Wally smirked, his eyes half lidded and his grin lazy. He reached out to her limply and pulled her onto his small single bed, hugging her close. He took in her sweet lavender perfume; it always seemed to soothe him.

"Shutup" He muttered back, grinning into her hair as he cuddled her close. "You're the best thing to wake up to."

Kuki's grin widened as Wally's strong arms embraced her, the two squeezing together in Wallabee's childhood bed. Wally had come home last night to greet his Dad, who he hadn't seen in a couple of weeks. In the end he'd messaged Kuki saying he was staying the night, it was just the sweet girl she was coming to see him. She buried her face in his chest, cuddling his warm body and sliding her own legs under the covers. She sighed, now completely relaxed. The two lay together in silence, taking in each other's scent, eyes closed and in an embrace. Kuki's eyes opened and she looked up into Wally's face, which was just above hers.

"Wally?"

"Mm?"

"Do you…love me?"

One bright green eye opened. He seemed to sigh at her, drawing her in closer.

"Of course I do, Kooks. You know that."

"Yeah…" She mumbled, running her fingernails down his washboard-like abdominals. She bit her lip nervously, looking downcast as she snuggled towards her boyfriend. "I was just…wondering…"

Wally heard the concern in her voice and immediately sat up, propping his head up on his hand, his eyes narrowed with concern. Kuki looked up, her head resting peacefully on his pillow. She swallowed, her violet eyes gazing deeply into his.

"Well…what would make you…not love me?"

Wally frowned, looking troubled. A sudden feeling of doubt seemed to ebb into his system, sending waves of shock through him. Did Kuki _not _love him anymore?

"W…what?" He mumbled, his frown deepening. "Why?"

Kuki blushed, turning onto her side so her face looked into his. "I was just…wondering, like…no matter how much you loved me…what would make you…not love me anymore?"

"Well…" Wally choked out, taken aback. He swallowed. "I guess…" He gave her a stern look. "If you cheated on me, I…I'd still love you but…I couldn't be with you…you know?"

Kuki nodded, but her wide eyes told him to go on.

"And…I dunno, Kooks." He mumbled sheepishly. "What do you want me to say? Why do you ask?"

"It's just…" She swallowed, her fingers drawing nervous patterns on his shirt. She sighed, feeling stupid. "I just worry that's all…like…especially when…your Mom seems to hate me so much."

Wallabee let out a scoff of relief, earning a frown from Kuki.

"Jeese, Kooks." He chuckled, wrapping his arm around her. "That's it? You think my Mum hates you?"

"I don't _think _she does, Wally." Kuki mumbled miserably. "I _know _she does. And I know she's your mother so…"

"Listen, Kooks." Wally muttered, still smirking. "Even if my Mum did hate you, which she doesn't, 'cuz my Mum can't hate anyone, I'd still love 'ya, that won't change no matter what my family says."

Kuki smiled, her cheeks pulling into a half grin. "That kinda makes me feel better…"

"It should" He snarled jokingly, planting a kiss on her temple. "You should know I love you, Kooks… Nothing will change that."

Kuki grinned, sitting up and wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's neck. She pulled his lips to hers and they shared a passionate kiss, their lips scraping against each other's sensually. Kuki smirked as she pulled away, her eyes twinkling teasingly.

"What did you want to do today?" She asked excitedly. Wally groaned, closing his eyes and burying his face in his pillow.

"I got a test today…" He mumbled, looking annoyed. "It's this arvo…gotta study."

Kuki sighed, but still kept her smile in place. Wally had to grin at her, she always looked so happy, no matter what.

"That's okay" she shrugged. "Did you want to do something tonight…or…" She issued him a cheeky smirk, her tongue between her teeth. "Or are you sick of me?"

Wally growled at her, wrapping his arms around her stomach and heaving her so she was on top of him. She squealed, giggling as she embraced him from the new angle, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I could never get sick of you." He grinned at her as he shivered, her light kisses on his neck causing him to shudder. He smirked. "That is a promise."

She laughed at him, her delicate hand on his chest. "So…do you want to come over to the dorm tonight…we could…" She bit her lip, holding back an evil smirk. "Watch your favourite movie?"

Wally frowned suspiciously. "Which is…?"

Kuki giggled. "Rainbow Monkeys Save the World III?"

Wallabee snarled. "No"

Kuki pouted teasingly at him and Wally rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't put you through that torture." She laughed, drawing circles on his chest. "Pick me up at seven?"

Wally grinned, kissing the top of her head sweetly. "As long as no colourful dancing monkeys are involved, it's a date."

* * *

Cree watched her sister with slight apprehension as Abby carefully added gravy to her fries, delicately swirling the brown liquid in interesting patterns and shapes, her eyes following it. She put the gravy down and then added a splash of vinegar to the mix. She finally shoved some in her mouth, her eyes looking up to see her sister's lips agape.

"What?" Abby mumbled, frowning. "I'm hungry."

"You have some weird pregnancy cravings…" Cree muttered, looking away. "That's all."

Cree's eyes widened as she received the most furious look from her sister she'd ever gotten…even from childhood.

"Uh…well, no offence…" She muttered back. She looked over at her mother, who was nursing a cup of coffee and flicking through a parenting magazine. She bit her lip anxiously and cleared her throat.

"Um…I have an announcement to make…"

Abby frowned at her sister, licking the gravy off her fingers as she did so. Their mother's eyes narrowed with concern, and Cree's cheeks seemed to flush nervously. Abby stiffened. Cree was rarely ever nervous…she'd hardly ever seen her sister anxious or scared at all.

"Um…" She gave her mother a half smile as she chuckled to herself nervously. "I've been, uh, a bit sick recently, so I went to the doctor…"

Abby winced as her mother gasped, grabbing onto her arm painfully.

"No! No, I'm not sick…" Cree explained, her eyes wide. "No…the doctor found…something else…"

It was Abby's turn to gape, her own brown eyes widening as she gaped at her sister. Was she sick? Did she have some kind of…tumor or something? Guilt flowed into her as the possibilities ran through her mind. Here she was being so paranoid of her own pregnancy, when her own sister's life could be at stake-

"I'm pregnant!"

…_Or not_.

Abby's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widening. Their mother squealed, throwing her arms across the table and pulling her eldest daughter into a tight hug. Abby grinned widely at her sister, who had blushed darkly at the statement. Abby couldn't pinpoint what she was feeling…she was used to thinking about pregnancy in a foreboding, dreading sense…telling Wally, her unsure future, Dingo… But seeing Cree looking so excited and happy, the thought of being an aunt and her sister being a mother, brought immediate joy to her.

Then, looking down at her own swollen stomach, she wondered how Cree felt about her younger sister beating her to the punch.

"Congratulations Cree!" Her mother cooed to her, unable to hold back her wide grin. "To think! Two grandbabies born within months of each other! How far are you along? What sex do you think it'll be? Do you know where to put the nursery yet, because I would-"

Abby tuned out of her mother's rambling, returning to the pile of fries in front of her. Sadness seemed to ebb through her suddenly, almost bringing tears to her eyes. She attempted to hold them back. She understood it, and she knew why, but her mother never made such a big deal about her pregnancy, in fact their mother didn't show that much interest. She knew why…but still, it made Abby want to cry.

"Excuse me…" She muttered, casting her mother and sister what she hoped was a believable smile. "I have to go to the…er…bathroom."

She pushed her chair in and made her way to the bathroom, running her fingers carefully under her eyes as she went. She pushed the door open and made her way to the sinks, gazing at herself in the mirror.

She didn't look like she'd changed, but she knew she had. She still had the same long brown hair, curly and wavy, the same heart-shaped face, wide brown eyes and plump lips…but she felt like she was a totally different person, and she hated to admit it, but the only person that brought her back to her old self was Dingo. She ran the water over her fingers and dabbed them over her closed eyes, sighing. Dingo was the only one she could be her true self with, the only person she didn't have to put on an act for.

"Abs…"

She jumped, her eyes widening as she saw Cree had followed her, and was now sheepishly making her way over. She gave her sister a nervous smile.

"Look…I'm sorry Abs."

"For what?" Abby muttered, frowning.

"For…stealing your thunder." Cree admitted, looking down. "I know how hard it is for you then…I knew Mom was going to make a big deal out of it-"

"Don't say that Cree" Abby muttered. "That just makes it so much worse. I'm happy for you, I really am. If anything I'm stealing _your _thunder. You're supposed to be pregnant first, after all."

Cree smirked. "Nobody's supposed to be anything, it's just the way it turned out. Mom's just making a big deal out of it because…well…I guess not being the black sheep, and all-"

Abby growled, folding her arms. "Wow, thanks Cree."

Cree wrapped her arms around her little sister. "You know, Abs…this doesn't have to be as hard as you make it."

Abby frowned as her sister released her. "What do you mean?"

Cree bit her lip, her eyes earnest. "Look Abs, you have yet to tell the family about…the felon-"

"Dingo" Abby growled protectively, her eyes narrowing. She knew that was Cree's 'playful' nickname for Dingo; at upon seeing him Cree immediately thought of the FBI's Most Wanted List.

"Yeah…" Cree muttered. "Look, who knows if it'll work out with him? Wouldn't it be easier to play it safe? Stay on the boat, you know? Don't rock it?"

"Well…" Abby frowned. "What do you mean?"

Cree sighed, and gave her sister a thoughtful, knowing look. She was worried for her little sister, the situation she'd gotten herself in. She didn't want to see her so stressed and worried, her life so unsure and unpredictable.

"I'm saying that…well…what Wallabee doesn't know, won't hurt him."

"Cree!"

"Hey, hear me out." Cree hissed, before Abby could blurt out any more retorts. Abby's eyes were wide and her mouth was agape, wondering how her sister could ask such a thing. Cree bit her lip and began.

"Look, nobody has to know, okay? You hurt so many less people that way, Abs. This whole situation happened because Wally was a downright jerk to you and you know it…treating you second best and everything, I would have done the same thing…But, you know this will screw everything up if you come clean…It'll be like…an episode of the Maury Povich show times a thousand-"

"I know" Abby said glumly, her eyes wide. "B-but-"

"Dingo doesn't have to know either. Think about it Abby, you know nothing about him…how can you put your baby in his hands? You don't know what he's like or what father he would be or how long you guys will even last!"

"But Cree-" Abby squeaked, now panicking. "I could never-"

"Just think about it, Abs." Cree muttered, her own eyes wide and earnest. "Please just…for me?"

Abby shook her head, her eyes now filled with tears. She heaved a deep sigh, and pushed passed her sister without another word.

* * *

Bandit wondered into his apartment when he was sure the dust had settled over Trent's dangerous early morning wakeup, he thought this way he'd be safe. He obviously thought wrong.

"BAH!" He jumped a foot in the air upon seeing Mushi, who jumped as well. Her lined eyes widened at him as her hands went to her hair, tears already forming in her eyes at Bandit's shocked, wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression.

"What?" She squeaked, her hands on her hair. "Is…Is it that bad?"

Bandit gaped at her, blinking dully. He turned to Hollie, who was admiring her work as she sat on the arm of the chair, grinning and twirling the scissors in her hand. Bonny was beside her, wiping the last of the hairdye off her hands with makeup remover. Bandit shook his head, trying to break away from his stupor.

"What did you do to her!?" He hissed at Hollie, who rolled her eyes.

"As if you'd know anything of fashion!" She growled back, turning back to Mushi. "I think she looks divine!"

Bandit looked back, frowning. Yeah…she did. That was the problem.

Mushi barely looked like herself, which was what caused the most shock to Bandit. Her hair had been chopped and dyed- no longer flowing, even, innocent black and blonde locks, but layered, choppy hair with mixtures of pink and lilac streaks weaving through her black hair, which now fell to her chest. The lilac streaks brought out the small amount of violet in her eyes, which had been darkened with liquid eyeliner and smeared with silver eye-shadow. Her face was now caked in makeup, her freckles hidden and her cheeks dulled a light tan with matching patches of pink blush. Worst of all…Bandit had to grimace…was her body, which was now more visible that what he'd first seen. No more trackies or sweatshirt, instead she was clad in a pair of Hollie's favourite short denim shorts and one of Bonny's sequined halter tops- the ones that clearly showed navel, back and hips. As she stood awkwardly in the tiny shreds of fabric, with the dolled up face, Bandit truly felt sympathy.

"What do you think Bando?" Bonny grinned proudly. "Is she club-able? We need to get her into the club scene, you know. She passes?"

"Uh…yeah" Bandit muttered, his eyes still wide. "Sure…great job, girls."

The two squealed, pleased with their work. As Hollie piled up her makeup and Bonny wound up her hair straightner, Mushi was looking at herself in the mirror, awkwardly prodding and poking her newly made up face.

"So, Bon." Hollie giggled, issuing her friend a sly grin. "Hot date tonight?"

"You know it." Bonny smirked back. She turned to Mushi, her eyes wide. "Hey! You should come! We could get you into the club and teach you some moves and-"

"No"

The two looked over at Bandit, who was hunched over and snarling at them.

"She's…got plans tonight. With us."

Bonny rolled her dark chocolate eyes, well aware when the guys had 'men's stuff' to do it couldn't be helped. No amount of whining, pining or tantrums could budge their plans…they'd been there before.

"Fine" Hollie pouted, sulking. "Whatever. We'll go by ourselves then." She shot her new friend a glare, but her gaze softened as Mushi's own confused eyes widened. She felt pity for her. Of all the guys…Trent had to get her. Trent, Hollie knew, was never one to be messed with…

Poor girl.

She shook her head out of the thoughts as she followed her bestie to their bedroom, grinning as she caught up with her.

"So Bon! New guy? Do tell…"

Their voices carried up the hallway and Mushi slackened when they left, suddenly feeling empty. They were genuinely having fun with her and even Mushi was enjoying herself. It took her back to when she was younger, when her and her sister would play makeovers. Of course, they barely knew what half the stuff was (and sometimes it resulted in Mushi having lipstick for eye-shadow) but it was still great, the memories still remained…

She jumped again as she saw Bandit had stomped up to her, his face stormy. She swallowed. She could barely recognize him, his navy eyes had lost all of their laughter, his face showed no sign of cockiness, glee or hyperactivity… She actually felt fear at looking up into Bandit's face, which showed nothing short of anger.

"…How do you get that shit off?" He growled at her, his eyes narrowing. She shrugged, taken aback.

"Um…a wipe?" She guessed, her eyes wide. Bandit rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her over to the sink. He grabbed a cloth and ran some warm water over it, wringing it dry and holding it out to her expectantly. Mushi blinked at it, unsure.

"They spent hours on this…" She mumbled back, glancing at him. "They'll be-"

"Screw 'em" Bandit snarled, his face wrinkling with disgust. "You look way too pretty for makeup already."

Mushi blushed, grateful her face was concealed over the vast amount of foundation smeared on her. She was positive Bandit had just paid her a compliment, though he looked like he barely recognized the weight of his words. He was looking away as she meekly wiped at her face, grateful her pores would soon be able to breathe. She looked down at the sink as she scrubbed at her cheeks, but found herself straining her eyes so she could gaze at Bandit out of the corner of her eye. He was still watching her, her expression morphing back into his usual calm, but when she turned to face him he looked away.

"How…how's that?" She muttered hopefully, her eyes widening.

"Better..." Bandit smirked goofily. "I hate that stuff…"

The two jumped as a loud, rhythmic stomping interrupted their thoughts, and a second later Trent rounded the corner, his unlaced checkered skate shoes stomping across the floorboards menacingly. His hair was stiff scuffed from his troubled sleep and his bloodshot eyes were narrowed, his hands curled into fists.

"BANDIT!" He snarled, growling and pointing an accusing finger at his friend. "Did you steal my stash?!"

"No!" Bandit squeaked, his eyes widening. He paused, frowning carefully. "At least…I don't think I did…"

"Well, find out!" Trent snarled, his lips curling into a scowl. "That's worth hundreds, that, and it's good! You better not have downed them all while on a freakin' bender, because I'll kick your goddamn-"

He paused, stopping in mid rant as his eyes found Mushi, who was looking on at the scene with mild confusion, mild interest. She started as his grey eyes narrowed.

"Are you wearing makeup?" He muttered to her, his voice growing dangerously low. Mushi quickly glanced at Bandit, unsure at what to say.

"I…uhn-"

"She was." Bandit mumbled, his eyes rolling. "But I told her to take it off."

Trent stiffened, his eyes now darting from his friend to his girl, his grey eyes suspicious.

"Why?"

"Because it…was gross-looking." Bandit mumbled sheepishly, issuing Mushi a sly look. "She doesn't need it."

Trent frowned at the compliment, his eyes growing dangerous as he glared at the both of them, his gaze switching between the couple. He grazed his teeth against his bottom lip anxiously and carefully, surveying them both suspiciously. Bandit seemed to hold his breath.

"Okay…" He mumbled finally, swallowing. Bandit swallowed awkwardly, shrugging off the feeling of tension that seemed to fill the room. He was beginning to regret saying anything. "Hey Mushi…" He looked up as Trent raised his hand, beckoning the girl over with his finger. A sly smirk was painted on his face. "C'mere…"

Mushi gulped, hesitating as she stole a quick glance at Bandit, who didn't even appear to notice. He was searching the fridge for a drink. She took a couple of nervous steps forward, heading towards him. He watched her approach and gripped her hand as she neared, walking away with her hand locked in his. She followed numbly, her heart hammering in her chest. She barely knew this guy…she didn't know anything about him, her senses kicked in and she felt like running. He closed the door behind him and he crept towards her, cornering her against the wall.

Trent gazed down at her curiously, his grey eyes wide. He was a full head taller than her and she had to crane her neck to look up at him sweetly, innocently. He had to smirk at her, his fingers trailing up to her chin. She was so stiff and still…nervous, almost scared of him.

"Moosh…" He murmured to her, and Mushi blinked at the foreign nickname. "Are you and Bandit…" He twisted his lips, eyes flickering as he looked down in mock-thought. "You know, you guys fooling around?"

Mushi's lip drooped, her eyes widening as she felt her throat constrict. "N-no!" She choked out, gaping. "No, we-we were just hanging out, I don't think-"

"You can tell me if he tries anything with you…" He talked over her smoothly, stroking her chin with his fingers. She shivered under his silky but strong touch. His eyes flashed as he spoke to her. "I won't tell him you said anything, Mushi. You can trust me on that."

"But we're not!" Mushi said in a hushed voice, her eyes wide. "Bandit's been really nice, he hasn't tried-"

She broke off, feeling the intense heat of his dangerous glare.

"I didn't want you to get close to him." He sulked. "I don't trust him, he's such a manwhore, Mushi. I didn't want you near him."

Mushi frowned, feeling a streak of anger burn through her. "But I-"

Trent pushed his face to hers, their noses inches away from each other's. He stroked her cheek delicately with his finger, as if cherishing the fact he was touching something so pure and beautiful. She stayed perfectly still, gazing into those crystal grey eyes that gazed at her sternly, his smirk playful.

"Remember, Mushi…" He cooed to her, running his palm down her exposed forearm. "You are _mine…" _

She was about to open her mouth and retort but Trent edged forward, leaning in as though he was about to kiss her, then stopped midway and swooped down to her neck, gripping her arms with his hands. Mushi gasped, a flood of emotions running into her as she felt his lips kiss at her neck, trailing his lips from her shoulder to her jawline. He travelled back to the base of her neck and paused, his kisses becoming harder and much more forceful. He sucked on her neck- the one spot Mushi jumped and gasped at the most- and Mushi's heart thudded in her chest as he sunk his teeth into her flesh, causing Mushi to jump and moan with slight pain. He licked and kissed the new mark, tightening his grip on her body. Mushi closed her eyes at the touch, her eyes flickering as both pleasure and pain went through her, his eyes eventually rising to meet hers. He kissed her sweetly on her cheek before letting her go, walking swiftly out the door and into the hallway.

Mushi frowned with confusion, tentatively touching her now numb and damp neck. She turned her head to look in the mirror and was unsurprised to see a big purple bruise already forming, a mark of territory.

* * *

Wally sat in a daze, staring blankly at the chalkboard in front of him as he slumped in his seat. He couldn't help it, he was too busy daydreaming to worry about the test in front of him…he was done anyway, he just hated being the first to rise from his seat. A couple of other people had already proudly presented the professor with their finished sheets and walked out smugly, and Wallabee couldn't stand being one of those stick-up-the-ass jerks. He quickly finished the last problem with his pen, tapping it quietly against the desk. He couldn't help but feel at home in his lectures. Maths, he couldn't get in elementary school, but as he worked his way through high school he soon found a love for science, specifically biology. His professor once told him he had the brains to become a doctor, but Wally had merely scoffed. As if, he just liked studying living things…though he'd never admit it.

His mind soon drifted to Kuki, as it always did during class. Her long ebony hair, silky skin, the smell of lavenders she always seemed to carry with her, her sweet petite body…

He shook his head out of his stupor and stood, realizing he was attracting some strange looks. He'd have to think about later on his date…

He dropped the booklet on the desk and walked out, closing the door quietly behind him. He'd barely taken two steps, however, when the door was thrown open and Hoagie jogged up behind him, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"Hey man! Long time no speak, huh? Some test!"

"Yeah" Wally managed to mutter, his eyes wide. He'd barely noticed Hoagie in there, as Hoagie looked irritated and grumpy. From past knowledge Wallabee knew it wasn't the best idea to bug him when he looked like that. He shrugged, walking along the hallway with Hoagie by his side. "It was a'right…"

It was a weird feeling to Hoagie, walking side by side with his best friend again. Hoagie had been silent over the past week, keeping to himself. Wally still hadn't mentioned the whole thing with the brunette, silently hoping it was just a one-off. But he had to admit, he was worried about his best friend.

"So what's been happenin'?" Hoagie asked, giving his friend his trademark goofy grin. "I feel like we haven't talked in ages, despite us being in the same dorm room-"

"That's because we _haven't _spoken." Wallabee muttered, giving his friend a careful look. "I have no idea what you've been doing, but I have barely caught a glimpse of you…"

"Yeah, been busy." Hoagie shrugged sheepishly, giving his friend a guilty grin. "I met a chick, ya know. Could be serious…"

Wally bit his lip, hoping it wasn't the same girl he saw clad in just his sweatshirt. If it was…

"You should meet 'er." Hoagie said as they opened the door to the courtyard, stepping onto the pavement outside. Wally cast him a cautious glance, frowning suspiciously. Hoagie laughed.

"Relax! She's fine."

"I hope so…" Wally muttered, frowning.

"How about tonight?" Hoagie suggested, smirking. "You doin' anything?"

"Yeah…" Wally mumbled, smiling at the thought. "I'm meeting Kuki, kinda like a date…"

Hoagie smirked, punching his friend in the arm. "Nice."

Wally shrugged humbly but grinned all the same. "Thanks."

* * *

Allie wondered down the empty corridor, her heart pounding and her palms sweating. So many thoughts were running through her head, she didn't know where to begin. Her head was heavy, pounding and aching. Her heart seemed to be aching as well; her and Derek had barely glanced at each other when Allie had walked out the door, unable to take it any longer. She was scared, and she was angry, but most of all she was confused, and she knew the guy who would be the closest to solving her problem.

She approached the door and, taking a deep breath and swallowing the lump in her throat, she knocked on the door, turning away for fear of who would open it. She nibbled on her bottom lip and scuffed her toes against the floor. From one of the closed doors, she could faintly hear thumping music playing.

"_Allie?"_

She turned, grateful to see Jake's wide eyed, shocked eyes widening at her, his lips agape. He quickly looked over his shoulder and looked back at her, still amazed at seeing her there. She swallowed, fidgeting.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" He hissed, stepping forward. His eyes narrowed as he closed the distance between them, his expression suspicious. "Are you _insane_?"

"_No"_ Allie growled back. "I have to talk to you, Jake. We have to talk and you know it. You can't drop a bomb on me like that and just expect me to be okay with it."

Jake growled, and for a moment Allie was sure he would slam the door in her face, but then he stepped aside reluctantly, letting her inside.

"You're lucky Dingo's still asleep." He mumbled to her, closing the door. Allie frowned, looking over.

"W-why?" She mumbled, her eyes wide. Jake rolled his eyes but gave her a dark look, his muscular arms folding across his chest.

"He freaked out when he saw us together…" He muttered back, grabbing her wrist. Allie felt her heart sink in disappointment. Dingo had seen her and she never knew…

She looked around in mild apprehension as she took note of the apartment. Jake led her down the hall to what appeared to be the living room. He walked swiftly passed and Allie scarcely had time to notice the young man sitting cross legged on the couch before Jake pushed her lightly into a room, turning back to the guy, his wide, icy blue eyes issuing them a look of confusion.

"Keep this on the down low, Dodge." Jake muttered to him. Dodge shrugged, frowning, but turned back to the TV nonetheless. Jake walked in and pushed the door shut behind him, leaning on it. He heaved a sigh and ran his hands through his thick hair, which was still damp from his morning shower. Allie gave him a sheepish look, awkwardly sitting down on the bed in the middle of the room. She guessed it was Jake's room, from the looks of things.

"So…" She spoke with a choked voice, finding it difficult to find the right words. She looked up at him, her emerald green eyes wide and dewy. "So…have you talked to him about it?"

"Nah…" He muttered, shaking his head. "When…when I met 'er, I just told her about me being Dingo's father, nothing else. They talked, but Dingo doesn't feel like sharing." He added this with a hint of venom, his dark eyes flashing with anger. "I reckon they had a fight."

Allie swallowed, her own fingers entwining anxiously. "I don't know what to feel…"

Jake stiffened, looking up. "About what?"

Allie shrugged her slim shoulders, her eyes still on the floor. "Well…I should be angry…furious, that…that Abby would do something like that…I mean, I always noticed Dingo checking her and her doing it in return…but to go behind Wally's back-" She shook her head, and Jake noticed with slight apprehension Allie's own pupils flashed with visible fury. "I could kill her, you know? Nobody cheats on my baby…but…but it's Dingo! And…and I just go back to me and how…I did the exact same thing…that scares me."

She looked up, her eyes wide. "And- And Jake, I don't know what to think o-or what to do…I want to tell Wally, then I look at Abby and I want to protect her, but I want to help Dingo but I know he won't let me-"

"Calm down" Jake snapped at her, walking over towards her and sitting beside her. He looked worried, but his expression was calm and steady. "We can work this out…"

Allie sniffed, feeling her own tears come. Jake hesitated, then put a comforting arm around her shoulder, heaving a deep sigh.

"I mean, it's not like it hasn't happened before."

Allie gave him a weak smile, but inside she still felt cold. It was all happening so fast…Dingo coming back, Wally and Abby breaking up, seeing Kuki, then Abby in the baby department, the fear on her face, the happy grin Wally always seemed to have when Kuki was near…

She shook her head. "We have to tell him."

"No we don't." Jake growled back. "We ain't tellin' anyone until we get the full story."

"Wally deserves to know!" Allie choked back, her eyes fiery.

"Abby and Dingo deserve their privacy more." Jake shot back protectively. "I know you're used to looking after ya'self and ya' kids more than your 'half-son' or whatever, but my priority's Dingo and _only_ Dingo."

Allie shot him a furious look, looking so fierce even Jake flinched.

"That's below the belt, Jake!" She hissed at him, moving away. "That's not it and you know it! I just think-"

"What's better to protect?" Jake questioned harshly. "Wally's pride or Abby's baby? I don't want her freaking out and it harming the baby, because that can happen, Allie."

Allie swallowed, looking away. As much as she hated to admit it, Jake was right. They had no idea how to handle the situation, so they might as well get all the facts first, then act towards best actions. But one thing Allie didn't want to do was harm Abby. She always liked her, seeing her in the baby department only brought back all the memories of Allie all by herself, the same sad, desperate look she had the whole time she was pregnant with Dingo. Alone in the world…no support. She didn't want that to be Abby…

"It's crunch time…" Jake snarled under his breath. Allie turned to him, her eyes wide.

"W-what?"

"It's crunch time." Jake repeated, growling. "She's getting bigger, almost noticeable. It's like, ya know, something's gotta give. Either Abby comes clean or somebody else finds out and tells him, either way someone has to get everythin' out on the table, otherwise it'll be a huge drama."

"It'll be a huge drama anyway!" Allie hissed hysterically. "Wally will be devastated!"

Jake shot her a furious glare, and Allie looked down in slight embarrassment.

"I…Uh…I know, I'm…sorry."

"It's Dingo too, you know." Jake snarled. "He loves this girl, I know it. He loves the baby too. He ain't gonna let her go, Al. He's gonna stick at it and never leave her side. He's stubborn, that's what scares me." He frowned, looking towards the wall with his eyes narrowed, focused. "He's protective, and he overreacts…what scares me is that he's unpredictable, he's like me."

He turned to Allie, whose expression had morphed into one of fear and horror.

"I'm scared he's going to do something stupid." He mumbled. "He always does stupid stuff when he has no control…and he's never had a girl as nice as her…"

"S-stupid?" Allie muttered back, frowning. "I…it just seems awful to me…" She looked down, her face sad. "I don't know anything about him."

Jake turned to her, his eyes sympathetic.

"He's…he's a good kid." He mumbled sheepishly. "You know, when he wants to be. But he's got issues, Allie. I knew he always would."

"Issues?" She bit her lip. "Like…like what?"

He shrugged moodily, looking angry. "I…like…I could never leave him by himself, he was always convinced I'd never come back."

Allie looked away guiltily, feeling tears form in her eyes. She willed them away.

"He's never been the nicest kid." Jake muttered, rolling his eyes. "Always mean, a bully, you know. Like me. He's nice when he feels like it, but other than that-"

"Wally's like that…" Allie mumbled. "Only nice to people he decides he's going to be nice to."

"He can hold a grudge." Jake nodded. "And…well, he's never gotten over the whole…thing."

Allie looked up, seeing that Jake was pointing towards his forehead. She felt a flow of emotional flood into her. She hated thinking about that, the day Derek lost his temper with Dingo and lashed out at him…having to take him to hospital and explain, how she couldn't stop crying, Dingo was petrified, staying at her parent's house with two boys who hated each other, Derek distraught, Dingo having to leave…the memories came flooding back. She pushed them away as the tears trailed down her face.

"It hasn't been easy, Allie." Jake mumbled, so silently Allie could barely hear him. "I love him to death, but it hasn't been easy."

Allie sniffed miserably. "Have you ever…" Allie swallowed nervously, as if apprehensive of the answer. "Have you ever had any major problems with him?"

"Loads" Jake muttered back, not missing a beat. "Picking him up from jail all the time, car accidents, him being stupid, drunk, in fights, in hospital, whatever…"

Allie looked down, now thoroughly miserable.

"Worst thing ever though…" Jake snarled to himself. "Was when he really, _really_ scared me…"

* * *

"_Dodge, what the Hell do you think you're doing?!"_

_Dodge looked over, his icy blue eyes wide. Trent was looming over him threateningly, his grey eyes narrowed and his hands fists. He knew Trent would never try anything with him, but seeing as Dodge had no way to tell what Trent had actually taken, he had no idea what his friend was capable of._

"_Screw off, Trent." Dodge's voice came out in a low squeak as he hid in the phone box, the payphone clenched tightly in his hand. "He's fucked and you know it."_

"_It's normal!" Trent hissed back nervously. "He's fine!"_

_Dodge looked over at his best friend, his heart thumping in his throat every time he laid eyes on him. It was his first time, and Dodge was nervous enough not to take it. Not Dingo though, Dingo dived straight in, curious and bored. Dodge knew something was up, and he knew Trent could get in serious trouble, but he didn't care. He wouldn't be responsible for his friend's death. _

"_Trent" Bandit mumbled, his eyes unnaturally wide. "He's getting worse."_

"_SHUTUP!" Trent yelled. "LET ME THINK!"_

"_Forget you!" Dodge snarled. "I'm dialing!"_

_Trent furiously stomped forward and hit the phone box cradle, ending the call. Dodge shot him a furious glare. _

"_Dodge, you know what they do to guys in juvie? My bro told me about it! I could get 10 years, I'm only fifteen-"_

"_Trent!" Dodge hissed, his eyes wide. He could feel the tears brimming in his eyes as he tried to stay calm, but really he could feel his heart thumping in his ears. "Look at him!" _

_All three of them did, wincing. Their proud leader was sitting, unnaturally stiff and still, his shoulders hunched and his eyes wide, scarily wide. His emerald irises had dulled to a grayish green, and they were twitching, his eyelids fluttering open and closed. He was staring straight ahead at the brick wall, shivering and shaking, trembling and a small trickle of drool escaping his lips. What freaked Dodge out the most though, was what he was saying._

"_They'll come for me…" He rasped, twitching as he did. "They're coming for me, I'ma kill' em, kill'em, screw…damn…kill…" he suddenly punched the wall, probably breaking his wrist in the process. He didn't seem to notice. "Coming…for me…"_

"_He's whacked out!" Dodge hissed at Trent. "That is not normal! He's going to do some serious damage if we don't-"_

"_Put the phone down!" Trent snarled at him. "It works differently for people, okay? He took it, he knew the consequences, if this is how he reacts then it's normal-"_

"_IT'S NOT NORMAL!" Dodge screamed at him. "HE'S FREAKING OUT!"_

"_Oh crap…" Bandit muttered, wincing as he looked over at their drugged up friend. Dingo slammed his head against the wall repeatedly, fighting against his grip to do it again. Dodge jumped, shaken._

"_LEMME GO!" Dingo hollered, fighting against Bandit's protective hold. He let out a sadistic giggle, trembling and twitching as he laughed. "It doesn't even hurt!"_

_Horrified Dodge slammed the phone box closed and dialed the number, preying nobody saw them. It was 11 o'clock on a Saturday night; they were at their favourite hangout, at the football field. Dodge clenched the phone to his ear as he tried to block out his friend's yells and hollers. He knew Trent was scared, Trent always got aggressive when he was freaking out. He squeezed his eyes closed, cursing himself for wanting to do this stupid thing anyway. _

_The ringing broke off as Jake answered, grunting into the receiver. Dodge gulped._

"_Jake…" Dodge whimpered. He looked over at Dingo, who was backed up against the wall, trembling and shaking. "S-something's happened…"_

"_GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Dingo screamed at them, trembling as he backed against the wall. Dodge's eyes widened as Dingo began to scratch at his arm, rapidly and harshly ripping at his skin. "GET THIS OFF ME!"_

"_There's nothing there, D!" Bandit yelled back, grabbing his arm. Dingo struggled against his grip. "It's your SKIN!"_

"_GET IT OFF ME!" Dingo yelled, shaking. _

"_Wh…what?" Jake muttered through the receiver, sitting up. "Dodge? What's going on?"_

"_You better get down here before something happens!" Dodge choked back. "Dingo's fucked up, he's going to hurt himself-"_

_Jake hung up, throwing on a jacket and rushing out the door without a second thought._

_Bandit swore loudly as he attempted to grab him, Dingo screaming and kicking in the process._

"_He's freaking out!"_

"_FUCK!"_

"_YOU'RE A FREAKIN' IDIOT, TRENT!"_

"_I DIDN'T KNOW OKAY?!"_

_"Dingo!" Dodge screamed at his best friend, who was still putting up a huge fight. "You have to calm down!"_

"_I'LL GODDAMN KILL YOU!" Dingo struggled against Bandit's grip, his eyes wide and his body shaking violently. "I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I WILL! LEMME GO! LEMME GO!"_

"_He took too much!" Trent yelled, his eyes wide. "That's the problem."_

"_THAT STUFFS SCREWED UP!" Dodge hollered at him. "THAT'S THE PROBLEM!"_

"_He scratched me!" Bandit growled, wincing as his forearm trickled with blood. Dingo was still fighting in his grip, and Dodge and Trent grabbing him and pinning him to the ground. Dingo struggled in their tight grip, kicking and screaming. _

"_GET OFF ME! THEY'LL KILL ME!" Dingo screeched, sobbing and shaking. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU! GET OFF ME! LEMME GO! LET ME GO!"_

"_He's seriously effed up!" Dodge squeaked, his eyes wide. "We have to take him to hospital-"_

"_NOOO! NO!" Dingo screamed, thrashing around. He pushed them off and rolled onto his stomach and crawled forward before any of them could react. His hands enclosed around an empty glass bottle and he smashed it against the wall, turning to them with the new weapon in his hand. All of them jumped back._

"_WHAT NOW?!" Dingo hollered at them. "TRY AND KILL ME NOW!"_

"_Dingo we're not trying to kill you!" Dodge yelled, his eyes full of terrified tears. "Mate, put it down!"_

_

* * *

_

"Oh my God…"

Jake swallowed, looking over at Allie with slight apprehension. Her face was white and her eyes were wide. "Wha…What did you do?"

Jake shrugged moodily, looking as though he regretted starting this conversation in the first place. "He was only sixteen…" Jake muttered darkly. "I felt awful 'bout it, 'cuz I was always smokin' pot and stuff, dealing since he met me, he probably thought nothing of it… But as I saw him, I took him to hospital, he was pretty bad…attempting to kill himself and everything around him."

* * *

"_GET THE HELL OFF ME!" Dingo screamed, kicking and throwing that broken bottle around. Jake yanked it bravely out of his hands and threw it onto the sidewalk. Dingo was still trembling and shaking, his eyes twitching and his fingers scratching at his skin again. The rest of the guys followed anxiously as Jake pretty much carried Dingo through the doors as Dingo hollered and yelled, screaming about whatever was trying to kill him, attempting at every moment to bash his head against the wall. Jake and Dodge had a firm hold of him as the doctors examined him, but the hysterical teen lashing out made it difficult._

_

* * *

_

"The docs called child services…" Jake muttered quietly. Allie gaped as he cleared his throat, tensing at the memory. "I mean, I don't blame 'em, but still. It was pretty harsh for a while, the cops told them his history, though, how I hadn't done anything wrong and Dingo was…well, a little messed up, I guess."

"I'm so sorry" Allie mumbled, scarcely louder than a whisper.

"It was angel dust" He said offhandedly, snarling. "Heavy hallucinogen. The docs told him after he snapped out of it that he had a bad reaction, his nervous system can't handle it…took him 10 days to recover fully. He couldn't remember anything…it was so strange though, seeing him like that…totally different…he wasn't himself…"

Jake groaned, falling back onto the bed. He closed his eyes and sighed, looking back at Allie with tired eyes.

"It's hard seeing your kid like that, Allie. You feel like a failure. Dingo promised to never do it again but… he still did it, ya know? He can't handle emotional stuff… A lot like me."

He looked glum and Allie's heart ached. He suddenly grinned, looking over at Allie.

"Even if he can be a brat, he's more like you, which is a good thing."

Allie sniffed, her head lifting hopefully. "Really?"

"Yeah" Jake muttered, looking up at the ceiling. "He does stuff that you do without even realizing it. He scolds me a lot, rolls his eyes like you do…he hates admitting he's scared, he's as stubborn as anything, hates walnuts and hates making decisions...and when he loves something he keeps it to himself, never likes to share, when he gets really angry he silently lashes out…but thinks family's one of the more important things in life."

Allie blinked. "You remember all that about me?"

"I've raised _that." _Jake sniggered. "He doesn't realise it, but little things he does just mirror you." He looked down at Allie's hands, specifically her nibbled cuticles. "He bites his nails, too."

Allie grinned, the remainder of her tears drying on her cheeks.

"We're gonna have one hell of a battle on our hands…" Jake mumbled after a few moments of silence had passed them. Allie sighed, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, yeah."

* * *

Maurice jumped with alarm as he felt a short, quick tap on his head. He snarled as he looked up, seeing Chad looking down at him with a sly, cocky look. His blue eyes twinkled mischievously as his partner's eyes met his.

"Wake up sleepyhead…" Chad cooed to his pal, grinning from ear to ear. "You looked out of it…"

"Not now, Chad…" Maurice grumbled darkly, burying his face back into his arms. "I'm not in the mood…"

"Sure" Chad smirked, gently prodding the bag beneath his friend's desk. He knocked it over swiftly. "Not getting cold feet, are ya?"

"No!" Maurice muttered, sitting up and shaking his head. "No, of course not… I'm just tired, that's all."

"Tired…" Chad repeated, nodding his head gravely. "I see…" He looked hesitantly up the hallway of cubicles, but everyone seemed to be on their lunch break. Chad smacked his lips together sternly, trying to find the right words. "This wouldn't have to do with…a certain meeting would it?"

"…Meeting?" Maurice sat up, his dark eyes narrowed. "Wha-"

"You were never any good at choosing sides…" Chad murmured carefully, leaning on his friend's desk. His icy blue eyes seemed to narrow sternly, his face calm. "Were you?"

Maurice gulped guiltily, turning away and snarling.

"You wouldn't get it-"

"Of course I don't!" Chad snapped. "You stabbed me in the back."

"I did not." Maurice growled in return, leaning back in his chair and surveying his friend with caution. "I double crossed the deal, okay? But he crossed the line first."

Chad rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his blonde hair, flicking his foot so Maurice's bag spilled under the table. Maurice didn't notice and Chad continued to scowl at his partner.

"Maurice…" Chad growled. "You should be keeping your cool. Things happen, ya know? So the guy got Abby pregnant…" He leaned forward, his eyes never leaving Maurice's. "It takes two, you know."

"She doesn't know what she's getting into!" Maurice retorted. "He's lying to her! She doesn't know about his past or his 'habits' or his job…" He shook his head. "She wouldn't be with him if she knew… She doesn't know how dangerous he can be."

"Everyone deserves a second chance." Chad muttered back, his frown deepening. "And we promised to keep their privacy. Everyone has an entitlement to that, Maurice. Human rights."

"This goes beyond that." Maurice snarled. "Abby has the right to know the truth."

Chad never dropped his gaze, but he gently kicked along the bundle that was now on the floor, nudging it along the carpeted floor subtly. Maurice sighed, his chin in his palm.

"I don't want Abby to be made a fool." He snarled. "She deserves better than that."

"Maybe she does." Chad shrugged, his gaze softening. "But she's made her choice."

"Not yet" Maurice growled. "When she knows the full story, then she can make her choice."

Chad raised his eyebrows. "Does that include your side?"

Maurice gulped. "If it comes to it…"

"You're terrific." Chad growled at him. "Knocked up, in college, young, now you just have to rub in the fact that the father of her baby is also a criminal…"

Maurice sighed, overcome with guilt again. He shook his head and turned to his computer screen, his head heavy with thought.

"Just leave me alone, Chad." He muttered. "I have some thinking to do…"

"Well…I can't stop you" Chad sighed in defeat as he finally succeeded in kicking the bound pile from view. He held back a proud grin. "Just think about it, Maurice. You're treading on thin ice…don't do anything you'll regret."

He walked off swiftly, leaning down and picking up the file as he passed. Maurice continued to stare at his humming screen, lost within his own thoughts. He knew he was risking it, he knew that if Dingo ever found out he'd be dead meat…

Then he thought of Abby, her smile, her laugh, the thought of her as a mother…he doubted she could handle the truth, but he had to let her know… he had to help her through it…he had to come clean.

He shook his head and sighed, rising from his chair and walking into the lunch room. He desperately needed a coffee.

* * *

Fanny was studying quietly in her dorm, but her mind kept wondering away and a couple of times she had to furiously pull herself out of her stupor. She couldn't stop daydreaming, vivid, sweet images kept fluttering into the young redhead's mind. She shook her head roughly, sighing and trying to find her place on the page.

"Mornin'!"

Fanny jumped as Rachel vaulted over the couch to sit beside her, her expression scarily cocky. Fanny narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously, but Rachel merely blinked back innocently. Fanny mumbled back a response, burying her face back into her book. Rachel grinned mischievously, leaning forward.

"What'chya readin'?"

"Just a textbook…" Fanny mumbled back, frowning. "Why?"

"Just wondering." Rachel grinned, smirking.

"You were not." Fanny growled, throwing her book down and glaring at her best friend. She could tell when something's up. "What is it?"

Rachel blinked back sweetly, playing the innocent card. "Why, whatever do you mean, Fanny?"

"You're up to something." Fanny growled. "I can _smell_ it."

Rachel issued her with a cocky smirk, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Well, seeing as you asked, Fan, me and the girls were wondering when we could meet this fine lad of yours, hmm?"

Fanny blushed, leaning over and grabbing her book. So that's what it was about…

"You've already met him" Fanny muttered offhandedly. Rachel frowned, perking with interest.

"I have? When? I don't-"

"Tattoo guy" Fanny merely grunted. She braced herself as Rachel drew in a large gasp.

"NO WAY!"

"Shh!" Fanny snarled irritably. "I…I don't want to make a big deal out of it. We've just started seeing each other and-"

"YOU AND TATTOO GUY!" Rachel hollered, her eyes wide. "Damn, Fan! He was YUMMY!"

Fanny whacked her friend with her heavy book, causing Rachel to burst into laughter.

"Shutup!"

"Oh my God!" Rachel eventually recovered, grinning widely. "You and Tattoo guy!"

"His name is Dodge." Fanny muttered. Rachel smirked.

"Like that helps. I thought you said he doesn't do relationships?"

"He changed his mind." Fanny mumbled, unable to hold in her proud smirk. Rachel giggled.

"Must be pretty serious, huh?"

"No!" Fanny growled at her, her eyes narrowing. "W-what makes you say that?"

"Nothing" Rachel grinned. "You just seem really into him, that's all."

Fanny growled. Over her dead body would she ever admit she was 'head over heels' for a boy. No, she would retain her dignity; she would keep that part of her old self…

"Ha" Fanny smirked. "As if."

Rachel shrugged her shoulders, attempting to hide her knowing smirk. "Whatever you say, Fan."

She gazed at her friend thoughtfully and looked back at her phone in her hand guiltily. She knew she'd have to tell her…

"Guess who just texted me…" Rachel smirked slyly. "Somebody who's coming baaaack…."

Fanny rolled her eyes, hating these stupid games Rachel insisted on playing with her.

"I don't care Rachel" She grumbled, flipping through the pages in her book. Rachel bit her lip, clearing her throat and giving a little cough.

"Okay…" Rachel muttered, smirking to herself. She was tempted, she surely was, to tell her friend all about it…but she held back. Fanny did look serious. Instead she put her phone away back into her pocket and rose from her position, leaving her friend to study in peace. But she smirked anyway, biting down on her fist. She just couldn't wait to see what her best friend will do when she hears that her long time crush and former best friend, Patton Drilovsky, was coming back to town…

* * *

_Dingo gazed at the sleeping girl beside him, his arms locked around her slim waist and his lips pressed against her bare tanned back. Her long wavy hair flowed out at all angles, smelling of a sweet, tropical shampoo. He simply gazed at her, never wanting to look away._

_He loved this girl…just the night before he was introduced to her as his little brother's girlfriend. He had to have her, he didn't care. He didn't see her as Wally's, he saw her as his. He spread his fingers on her smooth skin as she murmured in her sleep. Her sensual lips parted as she frowned, rolling over to face him. He grinned, feeling a light, warm feeling enter his chest. He ran a hand down her face as she slept, cuddling her closer. _

_He remembered his brother, years ago he thought he wouldn't be able to hold back from completely destroying him, but he did…only when he saw the girl he was with. He remembered her and she remembered him. The night they shared was unavoidable…_

_To think she called herself somebody else's…_

_Dingo hugged her close, his own eyes closing. She was his… Anger rippled within him at the thought of his little brother, touching, caressing…putting his hands over her body. He tightened his grip on her sleeping form as she sighed, her lips curling into a dreamy smile. He smirked in return, running a few fingers through her soft hair. _

"_You'll be mine one day, Abigail…" He murmured to her softly, his forehead pressed against hers. "Please be mine…"_

_

* * *

_

"Thanks for…you know…"

She looked up, her brown eyes looking curiously at her daughter. Abby blushed, fidgeting restlessly as she fought to continue her sentence. They were sitting together in the doctor's office, waiting for Abby's appointment. Abby was simply grateful for someone to be there with her, she was afraid to ask Dingo…just in case somebody saw them together.

"Thanks for…being here." She finished lamely, sighing as she kept her eyes to the floor. Her mother wrapped an arm around her as Abby continued. "I know you don't want to…"

"Of course I do!" She tutted, giving Abby a stern look. "I didn't want you to do this by yourself, and I feel honored to see how my grandchild's doing…"

She swallowed, her head tilting curiously.

"Do you…know what the sex is yet?"

Abby shook her head, but her brown eyes looked into her mother's as she felt her spirits rise. "No but…well, I feel like it's going to a boy."

"A boy…" She smiled sweetly. "Why do you think that? Moving around a lot?"

"Yeah" Abby muttered, and she found herself grinning. "It always moves around…I just feel like…it's a boy."

"Ben was like that…" her mother smirked at the memories. She looked down, sighing. "It's funny…when your babies have babies…"

Abby swallowed, unsure of what to say to that. Her mother looked up again, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. She bit her lip nervously and Abby braced herself.

"So…Abby…the father isn't-"

"No" Abby said shortly, looking away. She didn't feel like getting into it. Every time her mother or sister neared the subject she had the familiar feeling of sickness, her stomach tensing and fluttering anxiously. "It's…I don't think it's possible…me and Wally…we…always used…_protection_."

"Ah…" She muttered back, falling into silence again. Abby raised her eyebrows. She knew her mother wouldn't give up that easily.

"So…Abby, Dear…Who is this guy?"

Abby sighed, her chin resting in her palm. "I really don't feel…"

"Abby…" Her voice was so stern Abby had to look into her mother's face. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips were scrunched. "You may not think so…but, we do deserve to know who this guy is…the position you're in…emotionally and financially-"

"I just don't know what's going to happen!" Abby hissed back, pulling up a random magazine. "Cree's already given me crap about it, okay? I don't go a day without being told I've done something wrong, so don't worry, Mom, I'm completely fine in knowing I've screwed up-"

"Abby…" Her mother said gently, placing a hand on her arm. "That's not what I mean…"

Abby lowered the magazine, her gaze softening.

Her mother sighed, her gaze lowering. Abby really did love her Mom; she always seemed to be there when Cree wasn't, whether it was for advice or just a good natured hug. "I meant along the lines of…" She put her arm around her daughter's shoulders as Abby leaned forward anxiously.

"Abigail." Her mother's deep brown irises locked with hers. "This guy, this baby's- _your _baby's father, is going to be in your life forever. I…I don't know if you grasp that, Abby. I don't know if you understand that. You're a smart girl, Abby, you always have been. But this is forever, Abby. We all know you can handle being a mother, and you will be a great mother…but…this baby, it needs a father, Abby, and the real father should have the opportunity to be there…ignoring the subject isn't going to make it go away…"

"Mom…" Abby took a deep breath, her shoulders shaking as she sighed. "It's more than that…this guy…" Her eyes were wide, tears were forming. The weight on her heart was heavy as she tried to form the words in her mind. How could she? She was like a totally different person, the words she was about to say sounded so foreign, as if they weren't meant to be said out loud. She felt like a total idiot, her face was burning and her eyes were watering…

"Mom…I love this guy" She said it in barely a whisper, looking down into her lap. She sniffed pathetically. "Believe me, I feel like…like a real idiot." She sniffed again, tears tickling her cheeks. "I…I never thought I'd be like this but…but Mom I am…I am and I feel really stupid. I feel stupid because I can't…I can't stop these feelings, I feel all over the place and…and…" She looked up, her face a mess. Mrs. Lincoln just gazed at her daughter, her lips agape. "Mom, I love him with all my heart. I'm scared of that…I'm scared because I know I could never be with him…"

"Abigail…" Her Mom whispered, taken aback. "Who is it?"

"I can't tell you…" Abby mumbled back tearfully. "We should never have been together…"

_"Abigail Lincoln!"_

The two jumped as the nurse sharply called Abby's name. It was time for their appointment. They stood, her mother handing her tissues from her purse as they walked in.

"Don't worry, Abby…" her mother offered her a small smile. "It'll work out, Baby, I promise."

Abby sniffed, dabbing at her wet face with a tissue. "I hope so…" She mumbled glumly, her hands on her stomach as she walked into the office, the prospect of seeing her baby the only thing keeping her spirits up.

* * *

_This better be quick…_ Chad thought to himself angrily as he waited beside his favourite nightclub, staring around the deserted street impatiently. He was missing his lunch break for this, and all that was there to comfort him was a pack of cigarettes. He flicked his lighter in frustration, the stubborn flame refusing to blaze.

"_This better be quick."_

Chad whirled around to see Dingo beside him. Chad shook his head in disbelief- he must have the sneaking skills of a cat. He was hunched over irritably, his arms folded and his hood up. His black hair hung in his shadowed eyes and his emerald eyes flashed angrily. Chad straightened, his nose in the air.

"Where is it?" Dingo spat at him, looking disgusted. Chad raised the heavy file- four inches thick and fluttering with loose paper bound with twine and paperclips. Dingo held his hand out for it but Chad retreated, a smirk working his way onto his face.

"The payment first."

"The file." Dingo snarled viciously. "You might be ripping me off, dickhead. I don't wanna have to ask again."

Chad hesitated, but decided it was in his best interest to hand it over. Dingo scarcely had to look at it. It only took one quick flick-through of the paper and the weight in his hand for him to clarify that the file was, indeed, genuine.

"Fine" Dingo mumbled, holding it close. He narrowed his eyes as the young cop. "There better not be a double."

"The only copy in the country." Chad shrugged. "The rest's locked away, unable to reach public eye."

"Good" Dingo snarled, shoving a fist into his pocket. He withdrew a pile of bills from his pocket and handed them over, Chad trying not to look too eager as he quickly counted them and pushed them into his own pocket. He grinned.

"Nice doing business with you."

"Yeah" Dingo scoffed, rolling his emerald eyes. "Sure."

He was about to turn away and head back, forget this whole thing ever happened, but then Chad found he couldn't resist, he had to open his mouth and offer a quick quip while he could.

"How's Abby?"

Dingo stiffened, his muscles tightening dangerously as he snarled, turning back to the smug blonde. He hated people talking about his girl…especially smartasses like him.

"Fine" He growled. "Why?"

"Oh…no reason." Chad muttered, shrugging as he grinned. "Just…congratulations, that's all." He slipped his hands into his pockets as he eyed him innocently. "A lot of people would kill for that, I would know."

"Kill for what?" Dingo asked, aware he was playing right into his hands. He didn't care, if it concerned Abby, it concerned him. He narrowed his eyes at Chad, who looked away, smirking.

"Abby's a fine piece of work…" Chad said delicately, his eyes twinkling. "Everyone wanted her, ever since she grew up being as _fine _as her sister…I have to admit, even I made a play for her…if she wasn't so dedicated to that idiot jerkoff it probably would have worked…" He pretended not notice the threatening growl Dingo gave him. "She's hot, you know…guess that's all gone now that you've made a claim on her nobody else can…at least until…" He looked over slyly. "Unless someone else knocks her up…who knows? She may have six little brats running around by the time she's 25 if you leave the picture…all to different guys…I know I'd like to have a piece of that-"

It took all of Dingo's energy to not launch himself at the smug jerk in front of him and pound his head into the ground. No…Dingo held back. He gave Chad a furious, hateful glare, his emerald green irises radiating with pure malevolence.

"Oh…don't worry Chad." Dingo managed to grin, his evil smirk causing Chad to pause, lost for words. "I'm sure you'll find your own knocked up whore to take care of one day…after you've finished paying whatever child payments to your other kids by hookers…But you know, until then…" He crept forward, his voice dangerously quiet and his face threateningly close. Chad froze.

"Until then…keep your hands off my girl…or it's your head." He traced a delicate line across his throat, his eyes flashing cheekily. With that, Dingo grinned and walked off, his evil chuckle still echoing in Chad's mind.

"That…" Chad muttered to himself once he was sure Dingo was out of earshot. "Is one crazy dude…"

Dingo's anger still burnt fresh through his system, his face growing hot and his body feeling numb. Chad's words had really hit him hard, and he could even feel some tears prickle at his eyes. He rounded the corner to the garage, where he was positive Dodge was working. Without a second thought he grabbed the metal bucket from the back door and yanked it open, stomping into the workshop and throwing the bucket to the floor with a loud clang. Dodge jumped, unfortunate enough to smack his head on the car bonnet he was working on.

"OW! Mother-" He looked over, wincing. "D? What are you doing here?"

Dingo snarled, holding up the large file in his hands. "This." He dropped it into the bucket, snarling as he did so. "Gimmie your lighter."

"Hey…" Dodge said delicately, frowning and walking forward. "Slow down…what?"

"This" Dingo hissed, pointing to the offending item now lodged within the metal bucket. "Is our file- every little thing we've done- traffic offences, jail time, suspicions, photos, family records- is in here, every…little…thing." His face contorted into an angry snarl. "Maurice was gonna give it to Abby. He was gonna go public with it…make sure Abby didn't trust me." His expression changed, his face calmed, his eyes looked downcast…he looked almost fearful. "He was gonna keep me from…letting me see my kid…"

"Aw…D…" Dodge looked down, his own eyes narrowing. "But…"

"It's all of us." Dingo hissed, grabbing the lighter from Dodge's hand. "Your girl would probably find out too…everything we've done…"

Dodge's face froze with fear, his body tensed as he looked down at the manila folder below him. It was fat and thick, lodged with papers and documents that would destroy everything he worked for. His face flickered as he thought of his girl…his Cherry…her eyes wide, her mouth open…her glare hateful…

He shook his head. Never again…He'd never let her see him like that again.

"_Burn it." _He snarled, a voice he'd forgotten he had. He watched as his friend let the flames of the lighter lick the paper threateningly, then gradually they grew and spread as more flames engulfed the paper, turning it black and burning it to a crisp. The friends sat in silence for a few minutes, watching with mild awe as all their memories, all the proof, burned to a crisp, turning the file into nothing but a pile of ashes. When all that was left was smoke, Dodge was unable to turn away, he still stared at the pile of ashes, apprehensive as though it was going to reform and relive, grow and come after them for vengeance. Dingo sniffed, faintly aware he was crying.

He needed to escape…to blow off some steam

He needed Trent.

* * *

It was getting close to dusk and Kuki was attempting to wave her hair, winding the strands into miniature curls around her finger and letting them fall loose around her arms, but it turned out to be a mass failure. Her stubborn hair simply fell in its sleek, straight form around her elbows. She groaned, heaving her shoulders as she gave up. She reached for a clip on her dresser and pulled half her hair up in a twist, brushing it down. She looked in the mirror and had to scoff at herself as she realised she had been wearing a goofy grin…without even noticing. She shook her head and sat on the edge of her bed, grinning to herself.

She couldn't have been happier, she felt warmer than she ever had before…she had her friends back, she had Wally, her life was back. She kept thinking back to when she was in Japan…sure, it had been okay, but it never felt like home…it never felt like how it did when she was with Wally. She thought back to him…his grin, his eyes, his laugh, his hugs… She sighed in composure, smearing some gloss onto her lips.

A small tinkle reached her ears and she dived over her bed playfully to answer her phone. A text message from Rachel.

_Hey Kooks! I have to ask you something, are you busy? X_

Kuki smirked and rolled her eyes, pushed herself off the bed and made her way out of her dorm room, across the hall and knocked on the door opposite. Rachel answered, her eyes wide.

"I guess not." She laughed. "Sorry, I thought you might have been with Wally."

"Not yet." Kuki smirked. "I'm going to meet him at the café, what is it?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed, opening the door wider for her friend. "Come in…"

* * *

Mushi wrinkled her nose in discomfort as Trent's arm tightened around her neck, drawing her closer into his hard body. She was pushed against the arm of the sofa and, on her other side, Trent as he held her close to him, his arm around her shoulders and a cigarette dangling from his fingers, the ashes narrowly missing Mushi's pale legs. Every time she seemed to shift with irritation Trent tightened his grip around her shoulders, drawing her closer to his chest. They were lazing on the couch in front of the TV, and Mushi couldn't help but steal quick glances across Trent to Bandit, who was spread out on the other side of the couch, resting against the arm and lighting what looked like a splif. Her eyes darted back to the TV constantly, feeling Trent's grey eyes on her, and then turn back to see what else he was doing.

Trent snarled quietly to himself, his head tilting to lean onto Mushi's slim shoulder. He tightened his grip around her neck again, his fingers tickling her exposed neck, dangerously close to her chest. She stayed completely still and he buried his forehead into her hair, pausing to take a drag of his cigarette. Her eyes flickered over casually to Bandit, who didn't appear to notice or care. She swallowed as she leaned back in the chair, suddenly cautious of the mark on her neck.

There was a short, loud knock on the door and Trent turned his attention to Bandit.

"Get it, Bando."

"No way" Bandit snarled. "You get it."

"You get it." Trent retorted.

Mushi looked over, frowning at the door that was at the most 5 feet away from the couch they were sitting on. Bandit growled, nudging Trent with his sneaker.

"I aint getting' it."

"Get it!" Trent growled at him. Bandit didn't reply, only responded with flicking his friend the middle finger.

"HOLLIE!" Trent yelled, leaning over the back of the couch. "OI! HOLLIE!"

"WHAT?!" Came Hollie's scream from the other side of the apartment.

"GET THE DOOR!"

"YOU GET IT!"

"YOU GET IT!"

"GET IT, HOLLIE!" Bandit yelled at her. There was a crash and a slam and Hollie stomped out of her room and furiously marched down the hall, snarling to herself as she went. On the way to the door she hit Bandit upside the head, causing Bandit to pout. She threw open the door and snarled at who was behind it.

"YOU!" She growled at Dingo as he waltzed in. "You have a key!"

"I know…" He said silkily, his eyes flashing. "I just wanted to be polite…"

Hollie threw her hands up in the air in annoyance and stomped off, growling as she went. Dingo watched her go with mild amusement as he shut the door, collapsing onto the nearest armchair with a strong air of defeat. His black hair hung in his face pathetically and his eyes seemed sad, looking up at the ceiling with a look of sadness. Bandit looked over, frowning.

"Sup, D?"

"Nuthin'" Dingo growled, tucking an arm behind his head. "Just pissed… Dickhead was sayin' stuff about Abby and everythin'…that's all."

Bandit smirked. "Wan' me to smash his face in?"

A grin crossed Dingo's face. "Nah…thanks though."

He looked over thoughtfully, his green eyes flashing mischievously. "Was hopin' for a pick-me-up though…blow off some steam…"

Mushi noticed a flash of annoyance cross Bandit's face as he watched his friend closely, his eyes narrowed, but Trent immediately perked up, casting him a sly smirk.

Bandit growled at them both.

"D-"

"Shutup, Bando." Trent and Dingo both echoed.

"I got some quality stuff" Trent volunteered, his eyes widening in anticipation. Bandit snarled at them both. Bandit, he knew himself, was the number one drug user in the group. He had tried every substance under the sun and he was raised under it too. His mother was a heavy user, leading him to become addicted to heroin before he was even born. He was used to being played as second string to illegal substances, he'd done it all his life…but he'd never seen someone react like Dingo had that night…it had scared him out of his wits, frightened him to no end. Bandit genuinely thought Dingo was about to rip his skin off while under that stuff… It had literally shaken Bandit so much to see someone as level as Dingo freak out like that. He wrinkled his nose with distaste, noticing Mushi's wide eyed, anxious gaze as he looked over to Trent. He stiffened.

"Dingo you're not-"

"Hell yeah!" Dingo smirked gleefully, pounding his fist on the coffee table. "Gimmie!"

* * *

Abby walked quietly up the hallway to her room, her head low and her files hugged to her chest. Her mother insisted that she stay over to talk, but Abby blurted out excuses of work to do and stuff to think about…she knew the reality.

She unlocked the door and stepped inside, making a beeline for her bedroom. She dropped to her bed and quickly glanced at herself in the mirror- her wide brown eyes were sad, but eager, her long hair, tied into a small loose ponytail on the side of her head, waved down to her elbows. She dropped the files she held so protectively to her chest to her lap and opened it, her fingers stroking the paper carefully.

Patient: ABIGAIL LINCOLN

Sex: Female

Age: 19

OBSERVATIONS

_20 weeks: Fetus has reached length of app. 9.5 inches. Normal. Increasing muscle development, quickening normal. Heartbeat normal. Ultrasound shows possible sex of male. _

Abby couldn't tear her eyes from it- the doctor's untidy scrawl. She gripped the papers in her lap tightly, eventually pushing it away on her bed. Her baby kicked lightly, still only tiny, but growing. She found herself grinning, a wide smile pushing onto her lips. She put her hand to her stomach and felt her baby boy's kick, her spirits lifting with every feeling of movement. Her own baby boy…

She glanced down at the ultra sound pictures in front of her- the dark blot that was her baby, moving and squirming as the doctor looked over her. She had to grin as she saw him on the screen, the doctor confirming brightly that it was a healthy baby boy…she thought she even noticed her mother tearing up.

She jumped out of her stupor as she heard her familiar ringtone and she put the folder to one side delicately, reaching down and pulling her phone out of her bag and flipping it open.

"Hello?"

"_Hey Abs."_

Abby smiled into her cell as she recognized that strong British accent.

"Hey Nigel…" She greeted back, crossing her legs.

Nigel threw his legs over the arms of the sofa as he leaned back on the cushions in his dorm, talking to the ceiling as he held the phone to his ear. "How are you, Abby?"

"Pretty…alright, to be honest." Abby sighed, clutching at one of the pillows on her bed. "What about you?"

Nigel ignored this, and Abby couldn't blame him. She knew Nigel didn't ring for simple small talk.

"Listen, Abs…" he muttered. "How are you really? How's it all going?"

Abby shrugged her shoulders and lowered her voice, apprehensive that her roommate would overhear. "I've…told my parents." She murmured softly. "They were alright with it…Mom came into an appointment with me and everything today."

"That's great" Nigel commended, genuinely pleased. He had been worried for his friend, every time he seemed to see her she looked sadder and sadder and he felt guilty, always being so busy. He looked around cautiously before continuing. "Have you told…you know…"

"No" She mumbled. "I think I'm ready though…" She swallowed the lump forming in her throat as her stomach tensed. "I think I'm ready to tell everyone…"

"That's great!" Nigel sighed in relief. "Really, Abs…it'll be okay, I'll stick by you."

"You alone." Abby mumbled sadly.

"Don't say that." Nigel ordered, smirking. "We'll love you no matter what, Abs. You know that…just get it off your chest…it's healthier for you."

"I guess…" She sighed. "Listen, I better go. I have a lot to do and I think there's somebody I better see…"

"That's cool." Nigel grinned. "The guys are getting together tonight by the way, feel free to come round."

"I'll see what happens…" Abby smirked nonetheless. "Thanks, Nigel."

"Feel better Abs." With that, Nigel closed his phone and slid it back into his pocket.

"Is she okay?"

Nigel jumped, looking up to see Wallabee standing next to him, his emerald eyes wide with concern. He was dressed in his best jeans and a clean white shirt with his favourite orange hoodie- the sleeves rolled up and unzipped.

"Uh, yeah…she's alright." Nigel muttered awkwardly, rising to his feet. "I better go get read-"

"I feel bad…" Wally mumbled, looking down as he buried his fists into his jeans. Nigel gave him a pitying look. He felt horrible, keeping such a secret from his friend. Wally deserved to know, but he shouldn't be the one to tell him…

"Why?" Nigel asked, frowning.

"'Cuz Abby's always by herself…" He muttered. "I feel some responsibility to her…after all I went out for her for so long…"

"Don't worry too much…" Nigel mumbled back sheepishly. "I mean, she's a big girl. She can take care of herself…"

"Yeah…" Wally sighed, giving Nigel a quick grin. "Yeah, I know."

Nigel sighed back and wondered into his room to get changed. Wally sat by himself, deep in thought. He couldn't shake it…he couldn't shake off all those memories with Abby that he had. He loved Kuki with all his heart, but Abby still rung clear in his thoughts. He'd neglected her as a girlfriend, and now he was neglecting her as a friend. He felt terrible, the guilt pumped through him dully. He flipped his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. He still had half an hour before meeting Kuki…maybe he should go see Abby. He rose to his feet, his mind made up.

He'd go and see her.

* * *

"Listen, Mushi…"

Mushi looked up to see Bandit looming above her, his hand nervously going to her shoulder. His deep blue eyes were focused and he watched her carefully, checking behind his shoulder before he continued.

"Can you go to your room or, or go hang out with Hollie and Bonny for a sec? And…lock the door."

Mushi frowned, her bottom lip drooping as she watched him. "Bu-"

"Just do it." Bandit muttered sheepishly, frowning as he looked over at his two friends, who were already giggling and snorting with pointless laughter. He felt anxious enough that they were actually going through with it, if anything happened he didn't want Mushi to be there. "Trent and Dingo can be a bit…" He rolled his eyes carefully. "Unpredictable. Not saying they're bad, just inexperienced and…high swung."

Mushi swallowed, but she felt a rush of fear enter her suddenly. "Oh…okay."

She wondered up the hall, looking back at Bandit as she went. She couldn't tear her gaze away, but sadly ended up smacking into the opposite wall. Thankfully, he didn't see. He was too busy glaring at Dingo to notice.

_"So-So I said…"_ Dingo mumbled, a lazy grin garnishing his dazed features. "I said…that…aw…I can't remember…but it was funny! I…It was abou-about hookers…or sumfin'."

"W-what'chya say?" Trent asked wildly, twitching. Dingo rolled his eyes in thought.

"I-I don't 'memba…but it was funny!"

Both of them burst into hysterical giggles, falling onto the hard floorboards clutching their sides. It was then that the real fear crept into Bandit's consciousness, he knew of all people Dingo could not handle the hard stuff, especially when it came to emotional escape…which he knew Dingo did it for anyway. He especially knew his friend became increasingly dangerous when it was a hallucinogen, and from the looks of the stuff spread out on the table, the two of them could barely recognise which was what.

Bandit cringed as he heard knocking and opened the door reluctantly, wincing as he saw Dodge behind it.

"Hey Bando…" Dodge greeted, smirking. "What are you guys up to?"

"Uh…" Bandit bit his lip guiltily as he heard a crash behind him, followed by Dingo's manic, irrational laughter. He looked over to see the two guys doubled over, laughing about nothing. Bandit already guessed they'd snorted a whole bunch of coke, now lodged in their systems and speeding up their senses. Dodge's eyes narrowed dangerously as he saw the two on the floor, cackling and grinning about nothing. He turned to Bandit, his icy blue eyes stormy.

"I tried to stop them!" Bandit hissed. "He only just got here an-"

"Doooodgee…." Dingo cooed from behind them, his eyes unnaturally wide and fluttering. "Is that you?"

Dodge jumped forward, already anxious his friend had had an epileptic fit or something. He hated how Dingo was looking at him, all dazed and weirded out…he could already tell his friend was out of it."Yeah…"

Dingo rolled over with laughter, pointing and giggling. "Where did you get the third eye?"

Dodge glared at Bandit angrily as Trent joined in, bursting out into uncontrollable laughter.

"He's…he's like one of those cyclopes…or something!"

They both laughed, clutching their sides and the coffee table for support.

"hallucinating, Bando?" Dodge snarled dangerously. "Really?"

"I told you!" Bandit pouted meekly. "For once I had no part in this!"

Dodge looked over at his drugged up friends in annoyance. Being the only one who actually passed year 10, he was able to regonise every sign of his friends being completely hyped up and already hallucinating. A couple of times he'd had to save his mates from combining the deadly cocktail of coke and alcohol, he really didn't want to put those skills to the test…again.

"D…" He snarled at his friend, walking over and snatching the packet of pills out of his hand. "What have you been taking?"

Dingo didn't reply, he stared at his hand where his pills no longer were, flexing and staring as if amazed the packet had suddenly disappeared from his grip.

Dodge shakily read the package carefully, his frown deepening. He growled to himself, his stomach immediately filling with fear and his heart pounding harshly in his chest.

"You idiot, Dingo!" He hissed at him venomously, hitting his friend on the head with it. "It's ACID! Moron! LSD!"

Dingo tilted his head, blinking rapidly.

"Aw…crap." Bandit mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Jake's gonna be so pissed."

"You freakin' dickhead, Bando!" Dodge snapped back, his patience wearing thin. "Dingo can't handle this crap! Hell even I can't! He'll go psycho!"

Trent giggled as he watched the TV, his eyes glued to the screen, his face less than an inch away.

"_Pretty bunnies…"_

"Control him." Dodge growled at Bandit, grabbing a hold of Dingo's hoodie and pulling. He pulled Dingo to his feet, Dingo jumping around, twitching as he did so. His pupils were already widely dilated, a danger sign, he was sweating and his eyelids were fluttering. He snarled bitterly at Dodge, pulling back in annoyance.

"Get off me!"

"Yeah, Yeah." Dodge snarled back fearlessly, pushing him into the hall. He turned back to Bandit, his eyes narrowed in warning.

"I'll keep a hold of him if you handle _him." _Dodge jerked his head in Trent's direction, where Trent had began to lick the screen of the TV, his eyes still wide. "I'll see if I can knock some sense into him…" He groaned and followed Dingo across the hall, where Dingo was standing pathetically, shaking.

"You alright?" Dodge muttered, gulping. Dingo suddenly burst into frightened tears, clutching onto his friend with a vice-like grip. Dodge stumbled under his friend's forceful hug, groaning under his weight.

"D-"

"I'm so sor-sorry!" Dingo sobbed into his shirt, real tears running down his face. "Please don't le-leave me!"

"Yeah, Dingo…" Dodge sighed. He knew whatever Dingo had taken had clearly messed with his system, because only the hard stuff caused such dramatic mood swings. "Just…let me-"

Dingo blinked rapidly, his emerald eyes glistening. He was concentrating on something at the end of the hall, but Dodge couldn't see anything. He groaned, pulling him into the apartment, Dingo struggling against his grip and still staring at the nonexistent being Dingo was now yelling at.

"FUCK YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"Dingo calm down!" Dodge hissed viciously, shaking him. "You're hallucinating!"

"That's what she said…" Dingo whispered back, his eyes wide and his face scared. "You won't leave me will you?"

"No" Dodge growled firmly. "You're a danger to yourself."

"Aw….Dodge…" Dingo breathed, his face drooping onto his shoulder. "I luff 'chya."

"Great." Dodge growled, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. He perked up suddenly, hearing a door slam.

"_Dodge?"_

"Crap!" Dodge hissed, turning to his best friend (who was still drooling). "Jake!" He grabbed Dingo's arm and pushed him into his room, nervously sticking his head through the door.

"Now, D…" He growled carefully. "You stay quiet okay? Because then the…monkeys…won't eat you."

Dingo giggled back innocently and put a finger to his lips, uttering a "shhh…" Dodge groaned and shut the door, nervously approaching the source of Jake's voice. He was convinced that if Jake found Dingo in his current state, he would do more than flip out…he would _explode._

"Hi Jake!" Dodge grinned, hoping his voice sounded better than he felt. "How's it goin'?"

Jake appeared from the hall and jumped at the hyperactivity in Dodge's usual calm tone. He frowned suspiciously, an eyebrow cocking upward.

"Fine…" He mumbled. "Jeese, you're on the pep pills again Dodge?"

Dodge stiffened, his eyes widening. "Um…"

He was truthfully lost for words as Allie appeared from Jake's room, her cheeks tearstained and her hair a mess. She sniffed as she spotted Dodge, Dodge gaped as he stared back, rounding on Jake with an accusatory look in his eye.

"Jake…who is this?"

"Oh yeah…" Jake mumbled, looking over at Allie thoughtfully. He turned back to Dodge with a sheepish smirk on his face. "Dodge…this is Allie."

"Hi." Dodge muttered awkwardly. "But Jake-"

"She's Dingo's mother…" Jake snarled under his breath. Dodge quickly closed his mouth again, simply staring at the woman. After everything he'd heard…he expected someone that resembled white trash…not…Allie. She was elegantly but simply clothed, her hair golden and her eyes a calm green, not like Dingo's fiery emerald orbs.

"Oh…" Was all Dodge could mumble. Jake rolled his eyes and gripped Allie's hand, directing her to the door. Dodge numbly followed.

"Jake!" He hissed. "What is she doing here? Dingo will flip if-"

"Relax." Jake snapped back. "Dingo isn't here, is he?"

"Uhn- yeah I know!" Dodge growled back, his eyes still wide with amazement. "But still…"

Allie kept silent as Jake and Dodge argued, thinking it best to keep quiet about the entire thing. It was getting late, and she knew she should be getting home soon…

"I better go…" She mumbled to Jake. He squeezed her hand and directed her to the door.

"Jake, you might want to escort her out…" Dodge suggested casually, his eyes quickly darting towards Dingo's door and back again. "You know, it gets kinda dangerous out and you might wanna…" He fell into an awkward silence as Jake's stare became increasingly more cold and suspicious, his dark eyes narrowing at Dodge knowingly. Allie frowned with confusion.

"Yeah…good idea, Dodge…" Jake said silkily, gripping Dodge's arm with a cocky grin. "You can come with me."

"But-" Dodge choked up, his eyes widening. "I mean…eh…okay."

* * *

Wally stuffed his hands in his pockets as he wondered down the hall, looking around with mild interest. He felt guilty and out of place, going to see his ex-girlfriend when he should be meeting his own…but he had 20 minutes to still meet her…right?

'_Maybe I'll even see Kuki there…' _He thought to himself lightly. _'Then I can see Abby and ask how she is…' _He wrinkled his nose slightly. _'But I can't ask her on a date…that'd be weird…' _He shrugged his shoulders and sighed, knowing that he didn't want to do it, but he knew he had to. Abby was his friend, and he did feel he had been slack to her.

He reached the door and knocked, shuffling his sneakers as he waited for a reply. There wasn't any. With a short glance over his shoulder he pushed the door open and entered, slightly surprised the door was unlocked. He looked into the room suspiciously, frowning. All he was met with was silence.

"Kooks?"

His frown deepened as he heard no reply. He stepped into the room, slightly unsure.

"Abs?"

Again, no answer. He took a nervous step forward. He knew it was a long shot that something had happened to them, but his protective side kicked in as he looked around the room with caution. '_Maybe Kuki had already left…but where was Abby? Nigel said she was here…'_

He looked in Kuki's room but noticed it was empty- her handbag gone and her room tidy. He heaved a sigh of relief and made his way to Abby's room, knocking on her closed door. Nothing. He tentatively opened the door, revealing a room he'd been inside more than a couple of times. He noticed her mirror, still decorated with pictures and stickers she'd collected over the years. He took a step inside. He saw her dresser, where her favourite jacket was thrown over haphazardly, her shirts and socks everywhere. As he stepped inside more, he noticed her bed- her purple and blue comforter, her mismatched pillows, stereo on her bedside table…yep…regular Abby.

Then he noticed what was on her bed.

Wally looked away, knowing he shouldn't be snoopy, but something about the papers on her bed stood out- against the cool shades of blue and purple that decorated her bed. The papers were neat and tidy, in an official manila folder- not like the casual messy that Abby loved to live in. He took a step forward, frowning as he did so, into her room and walked slowly up to her bed, guilt ebbing through him.

Abby was his friend…

He frowned as he noticed the label- Patient Abby Lincoln. _Patient? _He knew he should leave it alone…but still the thought didn't leave him- the thought that maybe Abby was in trouble, maybe sick or hurt…that's why she was so upset. He kept his hands deep in his pockets. He didn't want to know…it wasn't his business.

That's when it caught his eye.

His deep emerald eyes narrowed at that corner of paper- the piece that was just sticking out of the folder. He leaned forward and tugged, slipping the piece of paper from the rest of the documents. As soon as he pulled it out, it shone brilliantly in his hand, capturing the light and glaring at him ominously. Immediately as he saw it his heart pounded, his mind raced, his body numbed… He dropped it, and it floated to the ground slowly. His stomach dropped with it.

He swallowed, his breath racing, his throat constricting…

An ultrasound picture of a baby…

He choked up, looking down, his heart hammering in his chest. No…

It stared back at him ominously. It was a baby…It was Abby's baby. All of a sudden everything flashed back- Abby, her behaviour, her tears, her resistance, hesitation towards him. She felt afraid, she felt guilty. Thoughts rushed into his head at a hundred miles an hour…he couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, all he could do was stare at it, the baby on the floor…Abby's baby…

_His baby…_

* * *

Abby parked outside the apartment she knew too well, switching off her car and staring at it. She climbed out of the car and walked up to the apartment dully, her head down and her tears drying on her face. She sighed as she made her way into the building, up the stairs and into the lobby, pressing for the elevator. Little did she know, just the other side of the building, coming out of the stairs and into the downstairs carpark, was Allie, Dodge and Jake, standing in silence.

"Well no murderers or rapists here!" Dodge sang as they reached the underground carpark, Allie shooting him a suspicious glance. He grinned. "I better go back up and-"

Jake swiftly grabbed the back of Dodge's hoodie, shooting Allie a calm, sweet look.

"I'll see ya later Allie." He smirked. Allie shot him a concerned, almost hesitant look. He gave her a subtle wink in return. She shrugged back and hugged her arms as she walked back to her car, her head swimming with thoughts. Her talk with Jake didn't solve anything, but it still left her feeling a bit calmer about the situation. She unlocked her car and entered, starting it up and reversing.

It was only when she was out of sight that Jake tightened his grip on Dodge's jacket, turning to him with a knowing grin, his eyes fierce.

"Alrighty Dodge…" He cooed ominously. "Now you can tell me what's going on."

"What?" Dodge asked, trying his best to sound incredulous. "Listen, Jake, you got it all wrong, I was just anxious that Dingo'd come back and you would be with her, honestly-"

"Drop it." Jake snarled at him, immediately cutting off his rant. "I've known you since you were ten, I can tell when 'ya lyin'."

Dodge groaned, snarling. "I'm not lying, Jake."

"Fine!" Jake sang, grinning. He leaned into Dodge's face, his dark eyes flashing. "Then let's go back, shall we?"

* * *

Abby wondered down the hall silently, her hands trembling and her eyes filled with tears. She was anxious, and she didn't know why. Maybe because she was going to see Dingo for the first time since they fought…she always hated going back, he seemed so frustrated at her, then so cocky. It was like he knew she always wanted to come back…like he could read her own thoughts.

She put a hand to her stomach. Somehow, she wasn't afraid of it showing anymore. She was wearing a loose blue shirt and some hipster jeans, her shoulders and arms covered with a long grey cardigan. She pulled her loose brown hair into a long ponytail that hung over her shoulder as she reached the door, sighing as she stopped.

She reached out her knuckles to tap on the door, a frown appearing on her face as the door opened anyway, creaking forward slowly, ominously. She poked her head inside the dark room, her lips agape.

"D-Dingo?" She muttered, sneaking through. The silence scared her…so did the dark. She hugged her stomach in comfort as she took a few uneasy steps forward, the floorboards creaking underneath her. "Hello?"

_THUMP._

She jumped, gasping as she heard a loud thump on the opposite wall…as if someone was kicking it. She swallowed nervously as she took a step forward, frowning. Dingo's room… She walked forward, craning her neck and straining her ears.

"Dingo?"

She reached the door and her fingers grazed the doorknob, her ear pressed against the wood. She didn't know why she was so nervous… She pushed on the wood and opened the door, her eyes widening as she was met with darkness. She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. Her hand went to the wall, slid down the wallpaper to the lightswitch. She flicked it up, and the sudden light almost blinded her.

"Ohmygod!"

Her hands went to her mouth as she gasped, immediately turning into a sigh as her hands slid to her chest, a small smile gracing her features.

"Dingo…" She sighed, her mouth agape. "You…you scared me…"

Dingo was standing in the middle of the room, right next to the bed. His expression was unreadable, his eyes were on Abby but he didn't seem to be looking at her. His eyes were wide, his pupils almost completely covering his emerald green pupils. His cheeks looked tearstained, his body was trembling, his fingers…eyes…lips…were twitching. He was staring at Abby, and suddenly Abby knew something was wrong. She frowned at him, her eyes narrowing.

"Dingo…" She said softly. At any other time, that voice would have calmed him like no other, but he didn't seem to have heard her. "Are you okay?"

Dingo tilted his head, his emotions pumping through his veins at alarming speed, anger, hate, pain, love, sadness…everything was a blur. Nothing seemed to make sense. Flashes kept rushing through his mind_…he was alone…Dodge left him alone…_

"Fuck…" He mumbled, his expression blank as he stared at the girl in front of him. Was it a girl? She kept changing…_his mother, Hollie, Jake, Dodge, she kept changing…morphing…nothing was real…he could barely feel himself breath, himself think…_

"Go away…" He muttered, stumbling back against the wall. He scratched at the paint, his sweat drenched hair hanging into his unblinking eyes. "Go away…"

"Dingo…" Abby walked forward, her heart thumping. What happened to him? "Dingo what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Pretty colours…" Dingo seemed to mumble, watching her with fascination. He wasn't blinking. Abby was beginning to panic.

"Dingo!" She took a couple of steps towards him, her eyes wide. "D? What's wrong? What…what happened to you? Tell me."

She took another step and Dingo twitched, backing against the wall. His eyes grew wide and furious, flashing with visible anger. Hate pumped through his body. He snarled in warning.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" He suddenly screamed at her, piercing the strong silence. Abby jumped back, her heart hammering. He'd never screamed at her like that…she'd never heard that voice. "Get away from me…" He growled at her, trembling. "I'll fucking kill you…"

Abby shook her head. "Dingo…" She didn't understand. Tears sparked at her eyes, she willed herself out of this nightmare, this couldn't possibly be real. "It's me…It's Abby…"

Dingo's thoughts were speeding up, everything was happening so fast. The room was spinning, his heart was thumping against his ribcage…He ran his hands through his hair, but he couldn't feel his fingertips. _The anger was burning, the hate was rising, he didn't care…he wanted to hurt something…He couldn't feel the floor beneath him. He took a few steps, trying to distinguish what was in front of him…he couldn't hear Abby's voice, he could hear somebody else's… He blinked, trying to figure out who was talking… He opened his eyes. The brown hair was red, the brown eyes were hazel, the tan skin was pale, those plump lips were a snarl…_

"_You…" _He snarled at her, and all of a sudden his body was encaptured in what he felt the last time…when he was younger, more vulnerable, the substances within him…everything was a blur…

"Dingo?" Abby pleaded with the boy in front of her, her eyes wide and filled with tears. She reached out for him. "Babe…are you okay?"

Dingo twitched, his green eyes flashing as his glare met with her deep chocolate brown eyes. A gasp caught in her throat.

"Dingo…"

The rest of her words fell short on her lips as Dingo suddenly slammed his fist into her face as hard as he could, sending her sprawled out onto the hard floor. She barely has enough time to gasp before a dribble of blood began to crawl down her face, the force of the blow cutting into her brow. Her head was empty…The room seemed to spin. The pain was extreme, blinding and hot, warm blood sticking to her fingers, the shock was the most painful thing...

_"Ow…"_

She looked up at him, one eye blinded with blood and the other wide, blinded with sheer terror. Dingo looked down at her, his lips pulled into a pout as he held his wrist.

"You hurt my wrist…" He mumbled to her, nursing his still clenched hand. His face suddenly split into a wide, sarcastic smile, and his mocking laughter filled her ears, echoing around the room. Abby scrambled to her feet, fear and horror jolting energy into her limbs. She was too frightened for the tears to come, her breathing came in small, rapid, terrified breaths. She stumbled to the door, her muscles too petrified to even function. She clutched at her throbbing head, pain ebbing through her body as she did all she could think of doing.

_Run._

* * *

Jake and Dodge wondered down the hall, both snapping at each other silently. Dodge stubbornly refused to give Jake the satisfaction that he could read him that easily, and Jake refused to give up. Both were as prideful as each other. As the two males wondered up the hallway from the stairs, Dodge was the first to notice the frantic footsteps of Abby approach them, her frightened pants ringining in his ears. He turned the corner and just had enough time to catch her before she ran into him.

"_Woah…_" he frowned, looking at her with confusion. "Abs, calm down, you're-"

A gasp caught in his throat as he looked at her. He saw blood and immediately he gaped, his eyes widening.

"A-Abs-"

"GET OFF ME!" She screamed wildly, shaking with uncontrollable sobs. She ran down the hall and into the elevator, pressing the buttons frantically before Jake or Dodge could run after her. They both simply stared after her, too shocked for words. Jake's eyes narrowed.

"What the-"

Dodge didn't reply, just ran up the hall to his room, shoving the door open and running in. he could hear Jake on his heels, but he really didn't care. He just hoped with all his might it wasn't what he thought it was…

Dingo was on the floor, tears streaming down his face and his injured hand still clutched close to his chest. Dodge gasped, his body heaving with defeat.

"Dingo..."

Dingo sniffed pathetically, his wide eyes looking up at Dodge pitifully. He twitched.

"She hurt my hand..." He mumbled, gesturing to his blood splattered knuckles. Dodge felt as though his insides had turned to ice. Dingo sniffed again through his tears, his eyes fluttering open and closed as he spoke. "She hurt m-my hand a lot…"

Dodge swallowed, frozen to the spot.

_Crap. _

* * *

_Btw;;_

_"Angel dust" is PCP- a very, very, very bad drug that makes people go crazy. A famous rapper ate a girls lungs while on it, and another lady ate out her four year old's eye :S. See kids? DON'T DO DRUGS! _

_I would add more...but I'm so tired and I should be working on my 9 minute speech I have to say tomorro :( *sigh*_

_Make me smile (: Hit the green button..._

_You know you want to :D_

_x_


	16. Chapter 16: A Tangled Web We Weave

_*Pants* Well I've returned once again! :P SO SO SO SORRY If I took so long, I took note of the date and was like *GASP* a MONTH? REALLY? Soooo i thought I better get my butt in gear :) It's been pretty hectic, half yearly exams, studying, a couple of speeches and assignments...ugh! Can't wait for school to be over :S Us Australians aren't lucky and get three months off int he middle of the year, sadly. *Sigh*. Also, please forgive me if there are any mistakes and I don't fix them straight away like I usually try to do...because I'm going on a three day camp after this to look at...'interesting' things such as rocks and dirt...fun(?). :D So I thought I'd finish and submit this right away! All...19,000...words... *Pant*_

_Btw, I've just finally watches a full episode of Underbelly…it took me 3 seasons but I finally watched a full ep! I just realised how similar the gangs are to Dingo's. Pretty cool show, I must say (:_

_And now, my lovely, lovely reviewers!_

Laurie43: Lol, I did try and put some much needed romance in, but you are correct in thinking some sadness can overpower the romance…and there's never trouble-free romance in my stories ;) Lol, I love your rambling. And you're right in thinking more drama is approaching! Hope you can get through my chapter :D

E-D-Songy-12: Ugh, too right that. Could not be truer! Hope you like the update (:

Numbuh 321: Lol yeah, poor Dingo *cough* :P Hehe, yes! DRAMA! *Rubs hands evilly* Lol, Hope you like the chapter (:

super ario: AGH! Sorry to keep you waiting :S I'm a little slow, I get distracted easily and I- ooo shiny thing!- Ahem, anyway… Lol! Don't worry, you're not the only one! I personally love a good fight scene…and I promise there is one coming very soon ;)

stoplight-melody.: Gah! *Blushes* Thankies! Hehe another fight scene is only too seductive to write, especially against my main boys :D I'm planning a big one, I hope it's worth the wait :D

simi838: Lol, thanks, but I choked up anyway. *Sigh* always do ;) Hehe, I hope you can get through this chapter! :S I really should stop writing so much…I'm nearing a record here I think… Hope you like! ;P

Lexi: Aw! :D thank you so much! You're too kind :D I'm thrilled Dingo/Abby is loved, not hated too much. I try, that's for sure…but doesn't mean I don't fail lol. Let me know what you think about the chapter (: I love to hear from people!

hellopandaluver: YAY! Hehe XP Lol, I love your reviews, makes it seem like an episode of Jerry Springer tho ;) Hehe, I hope all your schoolworks good! (And I don't distract you too much ) :D Let me know what you think! (You know I love to know ;P)

suave sway: Lol, I'm glad m story was worth it :D Glad to have you aboard! I hope you like this update just as much (:

1000GreenSun: Geeheehee! *Claps excitedly* Thanks! I'm so glad my characters are loved, even though can be right –explicates here- sometimes ;) I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

JustWriting7: Aw, thank you (: I hope you like this chapter just as much! A lot to get through though…maybe get a drink or a snack? ;) Lol, I hope it makes you just as happy as your review made me :D

NinjaxTurtles: Gawsh :D Thank you! YAY! I'm glad the length is actuall good and not a burden…well it is when you have to edit it, but still :P Enjoy the update (:

Nixie: Thanks! :D Uh… *Does awkward Bandit pose* Well…Um…you see about that…*Grins sheepishly* Uh…Look over there! *runs away* Hope you like the update ;)

XxsecretninjaxX: A lot of drama I do aim for, lol. I hope my long chapters are more of a good thing than an annoyance…I can't help it sometimes :S I get waaaay to into it I know *sigh* hopefully everything pans out. Weeeelll….enjoy the update ;)

lou laou: Thanks ;) I hope you like it! :D

SwAlLoWiNg DaNtE: Wow what a responsibility! Lol, I had to admit I have been distracted by my discovery of Naruto/Sasuke fiction and I stole some off your profile :P Hehe…anyways onto the subject… I hope you like the update (:

**

* * *

**

Abby shakily drove her way through the wet streets of the city, her eyes clouded with unshed tears and her shoulders shaking with frightened sobs. She felt so shaken and alone, she could barely straighten her thoughts to figure out what to do next. She couldn't believe it, her heart pounded painfully in her ears and she shuddered in the cold, gripping onto her steering wheel as though it was a life preserver.

Dingo…the one person she thought she would love no matter what, the person she had trusted and loved, no matter how wrong it felt. The same image kept flashing through her mind like a reoccurring nightmare, Dingo's wide eyed, unnatural stare, dilated pupils, his skin sweaty, his eyes frightened and the eerie shaking of his body. She could tell he was out of it, but what hurt was that it wasn't him…she never knew that side of him; she wished she never did…

She sniffed pathetically as she pulled up to the curb, feeling like a true loner and a failure. She felt so stupid, putting her trust and love in her own boyfriend's brother, and now bleeding and bruised like a regular girl on the wrong side of the tracks…a regular victim.

Her body shook with sobs as she put a calming hand to her stomach, where she hoped the shock of the attack hadn't put any risk to her growing fetus. Her heart ached with pain and despair…her own baby's father had attacked her like a common enemy…of all the people she thought she had gotten through to him…she thought she was someone _special. _She had to scoff to herself, her nose running and her eyes swimming with tears.

_I guess I was nobody special…_ She thought to herself sadly as she got out of the car, locking it behind her. She was still shaking with shock as she hugged herself in comfort, entering the building she knew so well…to the one person she knew would bring her comfort.

_I guess I wasn't worth it…_

She wiped hastily at the bleeding on her forehead, where a small trickle of blood had begun to run down her face. Her head pounded with pain at the blow, which had been hard enough to tear the skin. She thought vaguely to herself whether she'd need stitches. She sniffed, more tears surfacing.

_I've never been in so much pain…_ She thought to herself pathetically.

* * *

Wally sat on the edge of Abby's bed, his head in his hands and his heart pounding, his breaths coming in short, deep gasps. He had no idea what to do, what to say. Everything was just coming so fast, way too fast for him to take… A Baby…the words were revolving around his head like a whirlwind, causing his skull to pound in pain and strain. He couldn't believe it; he looked up at Abby's wardrobe, where her mirror hung just in front of him. His eyes were wide, his face paler than usual and his hair a mess. He couldn't believe what he saw, he simply gazed in disbelief.

_Abby's pregnant…pregnant…a baby… _

He looked down blankly at the worn floorboards beneath him and hung the sonogram picture in front of his face, his eyes wide. His fingers trembled as he gripped the picture anxiously, his lips agape in complete shock and disbelief. He couldn't believe it…he simply stared at the blob on the page that resembled a baby- two legs, two arms, a head, a heartbeat… It was in Abby's stomach…

How could she keep it from him?

He felt his eyes fogging with tears as he thought of everything else- his family, her family, _Kuki…_ How many people knew? Was she going to get rid of it? Why didn't she tell him? Why would she want it to be a secret?

He just gaped at the picture, unsure of what to say or do. He gulped, his heart throbbing in his ears. He needed to talk to someone…

He flipped his phone open and glanced at the screen thoughtfully, nibbling on his bottom lip nervously.

* * *

A pair of wide violet eyes, darkened by a light lining of black eyeliner, gazed around the crowded coffee shop anxiously. They fluttered sweetly, earning the attention of many of the college boys nearby. The owner of those wide purple orbs, Kuki Sanban, looked worriedly around for any glance of her boyfriend, who was now half an hour late.

"Don't worry, Kooks." Rachel muttered. She was standing beside Kuki, her expression now morphing into one of concern at her friend's anxiety. "He's probably, you know…stuck in traffic." She took a casual sip of her espresso.

Kuki sighed, her head tilting towards her blonde friend. "He isn't driving, Rach, he's walking from the dorms."

"Ah…" Rachel mumbled, biting down on her bottom lip. She looked away, stuck on what else to say. Kuki sighed glumly, slumping in her chair. She hated those nagging thoughts that were now worming her way into her consciousness- the thought that Wally forgot about her, stood her up. "Right."

Kuki wound a finger around a long, silky strand of black hair. Rachel smirked as she realised how beautiful her friend looked, without even trying or knowing what she was doing. She was wearing her cute lilac dress with her long white cardigan, her long black hair out and flowing to her elbows. The only downfall was the look of deep sadness locked into her pretty face.

"Maybe you should call him…" Rachel suggested, shrugging her shoulders and giving her friend a pitying look. "There's got to be a good explanation…I mean Wally's rarely late…"

Kuki bit her lip. "Do you think that'll be…" She fiddled, her fingers locking and entwining nervously. "Don't you think that'll be too desperate?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "It's your boyfriend, Kooks! You have a right to know where he is!" She handed over the cell phone and Kuki gave it a hesitant, cautious look before dialing. She held the phone up to her ear, her eyes wide as she listened. Busy.

"He's…on another call." Kuki muttered, hanging up. She chewed on her tongue carefully. "I hope he's alright…"

_Alright enough to not call me first… _A thought echoed through her mind. She growled to herself as she threw the phone back onto the table, ready to give up.

Rachel perked up with interest as she saw the familiar figure of her boyfriend appear. She threw her hand up and waved in welcome as she saw him approach, her mouth drooping at who was behind him. Kuki looked up with interest as Rachel scoffed.

"I don't believe it." Rachel smirked. "He's here already."

"Who is?" Kuki frowned, her eyes narrowing. "What are you talking about?"

Rachel stood and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend as he approached, her mouth stretching into a wide grin at who had followed him.

"Hey Nigel." She greeted, kissing him on the cheek. She sniggered as she put a hand to her hip, surveying his friend with interest. Kuki frowned too.

"Hey Patton." She grinned, smirking. "Long time no see."

Patton smirked back, his eyebrows rising into his shaggy black hair.

"Same to you." He shot her a cocky look as she slumped down beside her, squeezing into a table amongst the crowded coffee shop. "How's college?"

"Fine and dandy…" Rachel muttered back. "How's the military for you?"

"Same ol'." Patton smirked back. His gaze travelled to Kuki. "Have we met?"

"Oh, sorry." Rachel gave a light laugh, her hand going to Kuki's arm. "This is Kuki, she moved to Japan about 10 years ago and has just come back for college."

"I knew I recognized you!" Patton grinned, holding out his hand. Kuki took it, a shy smile gracing her features. She could barely recognise old Numbah 60, but she did notice that he hadn't changed much in 10 years. Still the same shaggy black hair, still the same freckles, even the same combat boots, his cargo pants tucked into them, but he had grown layers of muscle and a rugged, handsome face. Kuki even found herself blushing at the sight of his deep dark eyes, but turned away, troubled, when she thought of her boyfriend.

"Don't _worry, _Kuki." Rachel whispered to her lowly, her hazel eyes wide with concern. "Wally wouldn't stand you up, I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation."

Kuki swallowed the lump forming in her throat as she gave her friend a confident smile, her lips trembling slightly.

"Yeah…" She muttered, gripping her coffee cup tightly. "I know…"

* * *

Maurice sat in his favourite chair in his living room, his body tense. He could guess…He could probably work his suspicions into a damn good accusation…but he didn't want to cause a scene. He knew Chad stole his folder…he _knew_ it.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Cree asked again, her eyes wide as she passed him a coffee. He nodded, flashing what he hoped to be a trustworthy grin, which she returned. She looked back to the TV dully. Cree couldn't tell him the news…she already noticed he was in enough stress already. She sighed, leaning her head against the couch. Even though she was clad in her favourite yoga pants and college sweater, she couldn't relax…almost like she could tell something was wrong.

Maurice sat opposite her, also gazing listlessly into the flickering TV screen. The anger pumped through his system steadily and he attempted to calm it with Cree's warm coffee. He growled, staring into the contents. He couldn't believe Chad would go behind his back like that, just like he couldn't imagine what he would actually _do _with the file. He brought his legs to his chest and sighed, his body tense. He couldn't relax…so much had happened, and he could tell so much more was about to come…

The couple was interrupted with a frantic, angry knocking on the door.

Maurice frowned, looking over at his fiancé with slight apprehension.

"Who would that be?" He mumbled. Cree shrugged, but rose to answer it anyway. Running a nervous hand through her hair, she approached the front door. A few more frantic bashings on the wood caused her to pause. She put her eye up to the peep hole, swearing silently to herself as she threw it open, her eyes widening at what she saw.

"Abby…"

Her sister stood in front of her, trembling and shaking. The side of her face and hair was sticky with blood and her eyes were wide with terror. Her chest was shaking with sobs, her lips chapped and choking out ramblings Cree couldn't make out, her nose was running and her hands were clenched to her stomach. All Cree could make out from her sister's sobs was her name, and it made her heart ache.

"C-Cree!" She sobbed fearfully, her eyes wide. She sniffed, her eyes widening pleadingly at her older sister. "Help me."

* * *

Allie drummed her fingers against the counter, gazing out into the night sky from the kitchen window. Memories continued to flood her mind at alarming speed, and nothing she could do seemed to stop it. She sighed to herself moodily as she gazed into the sink, cherishing the few memories she had of Dingo as a baby. She couldn't help it, the Dingo Jake described as a teenager didn't seem like her baby, the first son she had. She wished things were different, she wished Dingo loved her as much as she loved him…she wished she knew who he really was.

The sound of bare feet crossing the kitchen told her Derek was trying to sneak behind her, still confident on ignoring her as much as possible. Allie smirked to herself, listening to her husband shuffle around in the fridge, positive Derek was putting as much effort as possible to stay mad at her, but she could tell it was wearing thin.

She sighed knowingly as she felt him sidle up against her, leaning against the counter beside her. She looked over, her wide green eyes meeting his own bloodshot ones. He groaned, running a hand through his hair. He looked tired.

"I can't stay mad at you." He admitted, growling lowly. Allie smirked.

"Though I have to admire how much you try."

They grinned at each other, her head drooping onto his shoulder and his arm wrapping around her shoulders. They embraced- a silent peace offering between them. Allie sighed gratefully. She didn't need yet another conflict in her life, especially with her own husband.

She heard the familiar, always efficient ring of her cell phone and she untangled herself from Derek's grasp to answer it. She held it to her ear, unable to hold back her relieved smile.

"Hello?"

"_Mum?"_

She froze. It sounded like Wally, and he definitely sounded upset. She immediately frowned, Derek following.

_What's up? _He mouthed to her. She bit her lip.

"Wallabee?" She answered, swallowing. "What's wrong? You sound upset…"

A million worried thoughts began to run through her mind- _Dingo, Jake, Abby, pregnancy…what if Wally found out about the affair? What if Abby finally told him? What if Jake-_

"_Mum…" _Wally ran a hand through his hair, feeling completely deflated and depressed, and the only person he could think of to call was his own mother. He let out a heart-retching sigh, feeling the frightful tears come on. "Mum, Abby's pregnant!"

Allie's eyes widened. _Oh no…he knows_. Her instinct immediately came into power, and she feigned a look of complete surprise and shock.

"Oh, no Wally…" She gaped. "Really? Are you positive? How far? Did she-"

"I don't know, Mum!" Wally groaned. "_I found a picture of the sonogram, th-the picture thing! Abby's pregnant with my kid! I don't know what to do o-or how far along she is! She didn't even tell me! She kept this from me! Mum…" _He sighed deeply, his head drooping against the wall. _"I don't know what to do…"_

Allie gaped. "B-but…" She frowned, attempting to ignore Derek's near frantic signals, gesturing to ask what was wrong. "But…she didn't tell you?"

"No!" Wally groaned, his head in his hands. _"She didn't tell me! She didn't even tell me she's pregnant, much less how along she is! She didn't tell me she's having my kid! Mum I could be having a baby and she didn't even care, she didn't tell me!"_

"You-your ba…" Allie swallowed. "Oh…Wally…"

She couldn't do it, especially not at that moment. She just stood and gaped, the phone still clutched to her ear, Derek frowning at her suspiciously and Wallabee almost in tears at the other end of the line. She barely knew what was going on, if Jake knew, if Dingo knew, especially if Abby knew… What was _she_ doing? Will she tell him the truth?

She bit her lip. "Wally…" She sighed. "You have to talk to her."

* * *

Maurice gazed into the swirl of light brown liquid as he listened to Abby sob from the other room. He gripped the milk carton threateningly, his grip growing tighter with every insignificant sniff she gave. Clutching the warm mug tightly he made his way to her, his teeth clenched tightly together as he spotted her and his fiancé on the couch, Cree whispering soft reassurances to her sister as she wrapped her arms tightly around her shivering form. Both were shocked beyond words, unsure of what happened and not wanting to jump to conclusions. Cree was dabbing at her sister's forehead, wiping away the blood that was already starting to dry. Maurice offered her the cup of tea and Abby reached out and grasped it, her hands shaking. She looked so pathetic, so unlike Abby, that even Cree felt tears cloud her eyes as she thought of who was capable of doing this to her sister…who could break her so much?

"Abby…" She whispered to her, Abby's chapped lips sipping her tea timidly. "What's wrong?"

Abby shook her head, too overwhelmed to speak. _Where to start?_

"_Abs…" _Cree muttered, her eyes widened fearfully. "It's okay…"

Abby broke into a fresh wave of sobs, shaking her head and crying desperately. Cree bit her lip worriedly, looking from the gash on her head to her distressed sister.

"Abby you have to calm down…" Cree mumbled. "It….it might hurt the baby if you're stressed…we'll take you to hospi-"

"_No." _Abby snarled, her silent spell breaking. She swallowed. "N-no hospitals…" She put her hands to her stomach worriedly. "I think I'll be alright."

Cree frowned anxiously. "But-"

"He's kicking like mad…" Abby whispered, sniffling. "If-If I feel any pain I'll go…but he seems okay…"

Abby was worried about her baby, but the last thing she wanted to think about was doctors and nurses fussing over her, sticking in needles and tubes and attaching her to machines she didn't understand. She hated being treated like a victim…something she never wanted to be, and something she never thought she was going to be.

_Until now…_She thought glumly, a tentative finger rising to her head, where a tiny cut reminded her of what Dingo had done. She could still see him- his wide, unnatural stare, his cold eyes, his twitching form…that wasn't him…yet it was. It was still him, the father of her baby… She shivered, sniffing sadly. She actually felt fear overwhelm her.

"Who did this to you?" Cree asked, a frown working into her features as she eyed the wound on her sister's forehead. Abby winced at the question…it made her feel like a regular beaten girlfriend, the stereotypical role she never thought she'd fill.

_It wasn't his fault…_A quick thought worked its way into her mind. _He was obviously drugged up, he thought you were someone else…he made a mistake-_

_A mistake that could have harmed the baby. _The thought battle raged on in her head. _It was careless, stupid and selfish if he does stuff like that. He lied, he's in no way fit to be a father, he's clearly a whole different person you don't even know-_

_He loves you, and that's enough._

"_Abby?" _Cree cut into her thoughts like a knife, her eyes wide at her sister's silence. Abby cleared her throat, her eyes wide. She shot a quick, careful look at Maurice, who was watching her closely. She shook her head quickly.

"Nobody." She mumbled. "S-some guy in the street-"

"Don't lie to me." Cree snarled back, her eyes narrowing. "You came to me for a reason. He hit you didn't he?"

Abby sighed pathetically, her eyes filling with telltale tears. Cree's mouth became one thin line, her eyes darkening to a dangerous black and her hands curling into fists. _That bastard. _

"I'll kill him."

Cree and Abby looked over in alarm at Maurice, who had snarled so suddenly and sounded so dangerous. Abby's eyes widened.

"Maurice-"

"Don't make excuses for him Abby." He rose, his own hands curled into fists and his eyes narrowed, his lips curled into a snarl and his chest heaving. "He's Hell, I tried to tell you, but I didn't know how to warn you enough." He growled lowly. "He's got a criminal record a mile long, assault, theft, drugs-"

"He was out of it." Abby murmured, her eyes widening as every word cut into her. She sniffed pathetically, all of her tears suddenly drying up as she curled into a ball, her hands gripping her stomach in comfort. Her unborn baby was rolling around restlessly, kicking against her stomach and organs. She rubbed and stroked her stomach, as if hoping to soothe him. She sniffed. "I could tell he was on…something…I think he thought I was…" She broke off, her emotions bubbling to a breaking point. "S-someone else…He was on something, twitching and stuff."

"He's a drug dealer, Abby." Maurice snarled. "Him and his whole family, I wanted to tell you-"

"Why didn't you?!" Cree snapped at him. Abby, however, frowned.

"His whole family? You mean-"

"Well, his father's side." Maurice explained, trying his best to ignore Cree's glare. "I mean, he's in this whole gang, the underground of the drug world in Sydney, I should have said…but I didn't have any evidence and you loved him so much-"

Abby looked down, his words settling on her heart like a huge weight. The father of her baby…the supposed 'love' of her life…

"You are not serious in letting him anywhere near your baby, are you?"

Abby looked up at Cree's fierce accusation, her eyes widening nervously. She knew in her heart her sister was right, Dingo had frightened her so much, gone from so loving to so violent in such a small moment, just the thought of seeing him again brought fear into her heart. She hated the fact he lied to her about so many things, his life and habits, but mostly she hated the fact that everything she thought of- a possible future with the guy she loved so much, who just seemed such a perfect disaster, wasn't as perfect as she thought, and the truth had hit her with the force of Dingo's hard punch. It made her want to cry all over again, but all of her tears had dried up.

"I know, Cree." She mumbled pathetically. "I-I hate what he did, I hate he hurt me and I hate he lied to me…the guy I saw…I-I don't want him to be a father…but…" She sniffed, her bottom lip trembling. "I'm just so scared…I put so much faith in him and it was all a lie-"

"Abby" Cree snarled, her hand grasping her sister's. "You don't need him."

Abby let out a dry sob. "B-But Cree-"

"You _don't_ need him Abs, and you _don't_ deserve him." Cree said sternly, pulling her sister into a hug. "I don't want to see you going back to him, he doesn't deserve someone like you in his life, you're too good for him." Her eyes narrowed as she looked deep into her sister's face. "I knew he was nothing but a criminal. He's not fit to be a father."

Abby sighed, her figure slumped and depressed, looking as though she had completely given up. The only energy she showed was the hand to her stomach, a calming hand to relax her restless unborn baby.

"What do you suppose I do, Cree?" Abby asked, her chest heaving as she sighed deeply. "I'm running into a brick wall here…I've gotten myself into a situation I can't get out of. I can't stop Dingo becoming a father, I don't want my baby to be seen as a bastard or a burden, and I'm not sure I can do it on my own, or keep this secret any longer-"

"You won't have to." Cree muttered darkly. "And you don't have to move, either."

Abby broke down into a new flow of sobs, unable to hold them in any longer. The tears may have dried up, but the sadness still remained. She couldn't help it; she needed her friends, someone to talk to.

She gripped at her phone and dialed the only number she can think of, one of her best friends, remembering his promise to be there no matter what.

* * *

Patton casually glanced over to his two friends, unable to tear his gaze away from the lovey-dovey cuddling that was going on between them. Nigel had his arm firmly locked around Rachel's shoulders, with Rachel's head drooped onto his shoulder, nuzzling against his neck. He always knew they'd end up together in the end; the two seemed to perfectly suit each other. They seemed so cozy and peaceful… Patton groaned, his chin nesting in his palm. He hated how he felt so down whenever he saw couples like that…like he wished he could have something similar…

"_Bonny, would you just-"_

"_Ugh, puh-lease!"_

"_I'm serious, for the last 10 minutes all you've done is-"_

"_You can shove your 10 minutes up your-"_

Patton looked over in mild alarm at the bickering couple in the corner, blinking in surprise as he noticed the tall, brown haired familiar looking guy snarling at his girlfriend. Rachel scoffed, Patton immediately turning back to her.

"Hoagie." She snarled, looking over at the couple with distaste. They were off to the side, tucked into a corner of the coffee shop sitting across from one another, arms and legs crossed. Patton could already notice the change in Hoagie, his former pudgy, freckly face was stormy and rugged, his icy blue eyes narrowed at the girl's direction, his shoulders hunched. Even Patton found he couldn't look away from the girl, she looked calm and classy, her cold look deep set in her dark eyes and tanned face, her lined eyes narrowed. She had short, choppy brown hair and a slender figure, cased in a skin tight short dress. He looked away, his eyes wide.

"_Bonny." _Rachel spat out the name with distaste. "I have no idea why he would go for her, she's caused so much trouble and she's just so cheap, nasty and trashy-" She paused, taking a deep breath, a fake smile plastered on her face. "And I am _totally_ okay with that…"

"He'll get over her." Nigel growled. "I hope he does before I kill her, though."

Patton smirked. Kuki even smiled weakly, but she still looked glum. Rachel reached out and gave her a quick hug, a pitying look on her face. Nigel suddenly straightened, a frown working into his face as a low ringing reached their ears. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone, his eyes widening as he read the caller ID.

"Sorry…" He muttered. "I gotta take this…"

He squeezed out of the table and dodged his way out of the crowds to the door. As soon as he was out in the crispy night air he held the phone to his ear, his eyes wide. "Abs? What's up?"

* * *

Fanny trudged towards the coffee shop drearily. Only an hour ago Dodge had called her to sadly inform that 'unexpected plans' had arisen, and that they couldn't go out tonight. Meaning she had nothing to do…again.

_If it's not study, work, or boyfriend…It's nothing. I'm so boring! _She thought to herself dully, her eyes rolling as she pushed open the door to the crowded coffee house. She scanned the crowd of students, looking for any signs of her best friends. She worked her way through the crowd, roughing pushing anyone who seemed to get in her way. She caught sight of her roomate and made a beeline for her.

"FYI…" She snarled to Rachel as soon as she got into view. "Next time you feel the need to make a grilled cheese sandwich in the microwave, there is a thing called a scraper!" She plunked down on the seat beside her roommate, already in a grouchy mood. Rachel bit her lip as she watched Fanny's eyes widen, gazing at the man opposite her with absolute shock.

"Hey Fanny." Patton grinned, his black bangs falling into his dark eyes dreamily. "Long time no see."

"And still…" Fanny snarled, but a smirk was tugging at her lips. "The sight of you makes me sick."

Patton nodded, his spirit immediately lifting at spotting the redhead beauty before him. "I missed you too."

Fanny turned back to Rachel, divulging back into the amount of melted cheese in their microwave. Patton couldn't look away; instead he just gazed at her. For countless nights he knew that Fanny Fullbright was the cause of his frustration, the reason he couldn't sleep at night. He fumbled a relationship with her back in high school that barely lasted a month…he'd lost her, and he'd realised in the last few weeks he regretted it, he couldn't let it go. She giggled at something her roommate said, her delicate hand rising to her luscious looking lips, her crystal white teeth pulled into a perfect smile. Her cute freckled cheeks and clear skin looked beautiful under the dim light, her hair still grew long and wavy…He couldn't help but stare. He couldn't believe he let her go…

"Patton!"

He jumped, looking around in alarm as Rachel stared at him knowingly, a cocky smirk on her face. Her attention immediately turned back to her boyfriend who'd just arrived back at their table, his look of concerned masked under his look of feigned disappointment.

"Who was that?" Rachel asked, falling for it. Nigel sighed, running a hand through his short bristled hair.

"My Dad." He lied, the lie almost scalding his tongue. He shook it off. "He wants me for some 'father bonding time'…apparently the football's on TV and he wants me there…my uncle's at the game and they can see him…or something."

* * *

Cree made her way swiftly to the door, nibbling on her already chapped lips and her stomach squirming uncomfortably as she opened it, her fingers clenched on the doorknob worriedly. Nigel stood in the doorway, his sunglasses perched on top of his short bristled black hair, exposing his dark almost black, brown eyes, wide with worry. Cree seemed to sigh with relief. She knew her sister and Nigel had been close friends, and at her confession she knew that Nigel knew about her sister. She hoped he of all people would be the one to protect and convince her to do the right thing.

…And stay away from that low life criminal.

"Hey Nigel." She muttered glumly, standing to one side and gesturing him to come in. "Sorry to be a bother-"

"Don't be stupid." Nigel snapped curtly, but Cree could tell this was just his worried nature. "Is she alright? I mean, is she okay-"

Cree nodded towards the living room, where the sad figure of Abby sat, her head leaning against the arm of the couch and a thick blanket coating her body. One delicate hand was cushioning her head against the couch, the other resting on her slightly swollen stomach, her eyes wide and blinking slowly. Nigel approached her, just like he would approach someone deathly ill on a deathbed. His eyes were wide as he watched her, hardly believing the look of immense sadness and defeat on his friend's face, the same friend who seemed virtually unbreakable. His wide eyes watched her, a look of complete shock and fury locked in his eyes.

Abby cringed, tears dripping down her cheeks as she turned, the dried blood still visible under her hairline, near her temple. She blinked her bloodshot eyes at him pathetically as she sniffed, her hands cuddling the blanket closer to her form.

"W-what happened?" Nigel asked, feeling crushed at the look of defeat and sadness on his friend's face. This wasn't the real Abby, Abby would never let anyone do this to her. She must have been mugged…or targeted…or…

Abby didn't reply, she looked too glum or too ashamed to speak. Cree cleared her throat loudly, her eyes narrowing.

"Abs…" She mumbled, her voice laced with sternness. Abby sighed, pushing the remainder of tears down her cheeks. Nigel read the look on her face, and suddenly knew this wasn't just a random attack…

"Abby." He growled to her, his eyes narrowing. "Who did this to you?"

Abby took a deep breath as more tears flooded her eyes. She sighed, looking up at her friend with an honest look upon her face. What was the use lying anymore? She could hold it in no longer… Nigel gazed at her sadly, his face showing great concern and worry.

He deserved to know…

Abby sniffed, a lone tear tricking down passed her lips.

"The father of my baby." She mumbled back sadly, her eyes wide and sad.

* * *

Jake flicked his lighter gently, the small flicker of flame burning brightly for that split second before being extinguished again with a tap of his thumb. Dodge stood beside him, his figure slumped and hunched against the cool evening winds that whipped around them as they stood outside their apartment on their balcony. Dodge ran his callused hands through his hair, an unlit cigarette firmly locked between his lips. He seemed to be trembling, completely opposed to Jake, who was standing stiff and still, staring at the flickering flame of his lighter. His gaze lifted, trailing to the closed sliding glass door behind him, where he could still see Dingo's still figure spread across the couch, his eyes closed and his face peaceful.

"I can't believe him." Dodge snarled under his breath, a frown darkening his features. "After everything…he's still…and to attack her-" He broke off, biting down on his lip and swearing under his breath, his sentence ending in a low hiss.

Jake flicked his lighter again, enclosing his fingers around it and pocketing it. Dodge swallowed nervously at his silence, debating on whether or not to take it back. Before he could, Jake sighed.

"I gotta admit, Mate." He groaned, leaning forward. "He's my kid, my baby…" He looked back through the glass door, snarling as he turned back to the city scenery before them. "Doesn't stop me from wanting to bash his head in, though."

Dodge gave a light chuckle, but still looked downcast as he lit his cigarette, blowing a trail of smoke into the crisp night air. He sniffed dully, scuffing his shoes against the ground.

"Don't you have a date tonight?" Jake smirked eagerly, his eyebrows rising. Dodge shrugged dully, his eyes darkening.

"Had to cancel." He grunted, sighing. "You know, 'cause of him." He jerked his head towards the glass door once again. Jake frowned, his own eyes darkening to a pitch black.

"You shouldn't have canceled cause of _him." _Jake snarled, looking bitter. "God, bad enough for him to screw me over, not you too."

Dodge groaned, finally giving in and plunking down beside him, looking glum.

"It's gonna end up fucked anyway, Jake." He mumbled, swallowing. "I mean…I really love 'er, but…" He shook his head. "But how am I gonna tell her, about me? I mean…" He ran a hand through his hair as his troubles came to light, finally blurting them out before he could stop himself. "Dingo loves Abby, I know he does…and he wants a family and a kid…but how am I gonna tell my girl about me? She's gonna have to find out eventually…" He groaned. "And I don't wanna lie to her…I don't want my life a secret…"

Jake sighed, looking down at the cold concrete floor. A shy smile lightened his face.

"It's always the case, Dodge. The ones who do know are the ones you don't want, the ones that don't know are the ones you do want."

Dodge groaned, rubbing his temples.

"I wanna tell her, Jake." He mumbled, swallowing the lump already forming in his throat. He could feel tears prick at his eyes. "I don't wanna keep secrets from her, but I don't want her to hate me…I don't want to sabotage something I want so much…"

Jake clapped a hand on his back, something a father would do to his son.

"I dunno what to tell ya, Dodge." He gave him a sly smirk, laughter echoing in his eyes. "Ya way smarter than me."

Dodge scoffed, his own lips tugging into a grin he couldn't hold back.

"Shutup, Jake."

The two chuckled warmly at each other, the night air whistling around them and the busy traffic beneath them buzzing. Jake's phone began to ring, the hearty guitar riff of _Sweet Child 'O Mine _breaking the silence between the two. Jake flipped it open with no hesitation, holding it up to his ear and snarling his familiar _"What you want?"_

Allie bit her lip anxiously, huddled against the archway to the kitchen worriedly, twirling the phone cord in her fingers. She looked around towards the living room, where Derek was challenging Joey on Halo. He still had no idea what was wrong, and at Allie's insistence he'd let it go with the promise that Wallabee would come over later to talk about it.

"Jake…" She whispered fretfully, her green eyes widening. "Something's happened."

* * *

Nigel sat speechless as he rubbed Abby's shoulders kindly, his palms smoothing the soft woolen jacket she was wearing. His heart ached with pity, as well as slight anger, as she sobbed gently into his shoulder, her shoulders shaking and her long chestnut locks spilling over her face, her arms locked around his neck. He knew the story; Abby had blurted it out sadly over a waterfall of tears. She seemed so shaken up and pathetic Nigel found it hard to work up anger towards her. He wanted to ask her, even demand her, why she got herself in such a stupid situation. _Dingo…_ he thought with venom, his brow furrowing dangerously. _Of all the people…Dingo. Wallabee's brother. _

He remembered Dingo, the way he was at the club that night- standing strong and defensive, his emerald eyes dangerously narrowed, a protective vibe about him…he seemed threatening…dangerous. He looked down at Abby sadly. He knew how quickly Wally was to go to Kuki and he knew how Abby must feel…second best. Maybe she was drawn to Dingo in some way, he probably took advantage of her sadness, took advantage of her…empty promises, lost dreams…

_Yeah…_Nigel thought to himself, pushing the hair out of Abby's face. _That must be it._

"Abby…" He murmured to her, pushing his face to hers. "Abby calm down, it's going to be alright…"

"I-It's not!" Abby sniffed, emerging. Her face was puffy, her eyes bloodshot and her face wet with tears. Her lips were trembling as she held in more sobs, her eyes gazing up at her friend with an air of desperation. "What am I s-supposed to d-do? I can't tell Wally! I can't tell anyone! Th-they're gonna think I'm a slut or s-something! The one guy I thought w-would support me…" She broke off, her head lowering. Nigel's eyes automatically went to the cut on her forehead. It had stopped bleeding, but still shone maliciously in the dimmed light. Nigel hugged her, unable to hold in an angry snarl.

"Abby, just let me see him…I won't hurt him too much-"

Abby shook her head, wiping at her face with her shaking hands. She sniffed, her brown eyes downcast.

"He was out of it…" She mumbled. "Drugged up on something…thought I was something else."

"He doesn't deserve you." Nigel growled hardly, his eyes dangerously dark. "Let me take care of him-"

Abby shook her head again. Usually she would be automatically thrilled to fight fire with fire, beat up anyone who stood in her way, but she felt so weak and pathetic, her main concern was her baby, and betrayal overwhelmed her. Even if Nigel did make Dingo 'pay', it wasn't going to make her feel any better.

She sighed to herself sadly. And even that seemed virtually impossible, anyway. After she had witnessed the scarring fight of Dingo and Wallabee outside the club it had been clear to her that Dingo knew how to defend himself, and would virtually do anything to win in a fight.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. And…as much as she hated it, as much as she cursed herself for thinking such a thing, for being so stupid and unreasonable, she knew it existed, still flaming and burning within her, and that was a part of why she was so upset, why she felt so hopeless and horrible.

She winced, sniffing and closing her eyes as she felt Nigel's comforting arm around her shoulders.

She still felt love for Dingo.

"Abby!"

Cree suddenly skipped into the room, her eyes wide. Abby stiffened, sensing something was wrong.

"Wallabee just called me." She said, her teeth lodging onto her lower lip. "He…asked where you were. It sounded urgent."

Abby sniffed again, wiping away the last of her tears. She stiffened at her sister's words.

"Cree…" She choked out. "Y-you didn't tell him I was here, did you?"

Cree twisted her lips guiltily.

"Cree!" Abby groaned, more tears escaping.

"I'm sorry!" Cree muttered darkly, her hands going to her hips. "But he said it was urgent and he sounded upset!"

Nigel turned to Abby, concerned. "What are you going to tell him?"

Abby looked down, completely lost. She had to, of course she had to…but still, willing up the courage to actually open her mouth and blurt out the words still seemed virtually impossible. She looked away, the feeling of shame engulfing her. Nigel embraced her in another supportive hug, an expression of sympathy on his face.

"I better go…" He mumbled to her. "Give you guys some privacy."

Abby didn't answer; she couldn't seem to find the strength. How could she possibly tell Wallabee the truth?

* * *

The elevator doors sprang open and Wally remained motionless, staring down the deserted hallway with immense anxiety. He could barely will one foot in front of the other, he wasn't sure what to do, what was going to happen next. A single thought kept echoing through his mind.

_Abby's pregnant._

He needed to talk to her, needed answers. That promise alone was enough to get him moving, his form moving shakily across the carpet, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his orange hooded jacket. He seemed to quiver with sheer emotion, torn between the complete shock of Abby's secret, the overwhelming anger of the secret and the confusion faced of being a father to someone. He stopped and seemed to wince at that, not yet used to it.

_I'm going to be a Dad…_

He rapped his knuckles against the wood numbly, unsure of what to expect or do. Cree suddenly opened the door, her eyes widening at the sight of him.

"Wallabee-"

"Cree." He sighed, his eyes wide. "Abby's here, isn't she?"

"Wel-" She caught herself. She wanted nothing more than to invite Wallabee in…almost like a Cinderella tale between her sister and the blonde boy in front of her. It seemed as though the problem was solved- her sister's baby had a father… But she knew what Abby would say. "Wallabee…you see-"

"I know." He growled simply, his deep green eyes never leaving hers. Cree stiffened, her eyes widening.

"Wha-"

Wally shook his head darkly. "It's not important. What's important is that I know."

Cree's breath stilled in her chest. His wide green eyes gazed at her, glossy and swimming with deep emotion. She couldn't deny it; she knew that deep down she couldn't stop what was happening. Wally…her little sister's ex-boyfriend, had arrived thinking the baby was his. Cree bit her lip, a raging battle of emotions forming in her mind, decisions pitched and reckoned with…but one won over.

"S…she's in the living room…" Cree murmured, standing aside. She gave him an admiring look, secretly hoping Abby would play along. She tilted her head slightly as she watched him, a small smile playing on her features as tears sparked in her eyes. "She…she really needs you, Wally."

Wallabee winced. That stung. He could scarcely move, let alone walk, forward to look at her. His eyes fell on his friend, one of his dearest mates Abby, still cuddled up on the couch, a blanket covering her still features. Her eyes rose as Wally entered the room, his expression showing the flow of emotions that was running through his mind. He looked upset, hopeful, heartbreaking and angry all in one. Abby froze, rising. Her lip hung agape. His eyes were only on her, they blazed with a seen fury and flurry of feeling. The blanket fell off her shoulders and slipped onto the floor, where her pregnant belly showed, tight and bare against her top. Abby swallowed, her mouth remaining dry.

She had been exposed.

He _knew. _

She couldn't breathe. She just stood there gaping; her innocent brown eyes wide like a lost puppy.

"W-W-Wally…" She choked out, struggling to rise. She could think of no words to say. Wally took a step forward, his figure looming over her. Abby never felt so small.

"Abby." He murmured back softly, as if too struggling back tears. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Abby broke, her heart snapping and her soul disintegrating as she fell into Wally's arms, sobbing her heart out. She embraced him, the only source of security and love she felt she had anymore and holding onto it, gripping his t-shirt and crying into his chest, the tears flooding down her face. She gasped and choked out sobs, holding him tightly. She couldn't help it. She gripped Wally tightly as he fearfully gripped her back, tears trickling down his cheeks too. He had no idea what to say or do, he just held onto her, feeling numb.

Abby slid a hand to her stomach, as if calming her baby too, but kept a firm hand attached to her ex, the only source of refuge she thought she had. She held onto that sanctuary and closed her eyes, not sure if she could ever let him go.

* * *

Mushi awoke early the next morning, the sky still showed the deep darkness of early morning. She blinked dully and looked over her shoulder, where the barely conscious body of her 'guardian' was snoring deeply beside her, his body limp. She guessed it would take a lot to get him up…almost like raising the dead. She rolled her eyes and threw off her sheet, shuddering as she rose. She was growing to hate it here, like she was being used for something, but didn't know what. She threw him a look of disgust before throwing on a jacket and walking out of the room. She didn't care what time it was, she just didn't want to be near him.

She frowned as she closed the bedroom door behind her, seeing a flickering light dance across the early darkness of the apartment. She crept forward as she heard a few familiar voices, but she couldn't remember where. She sneaked to the end of the hall where she stuck her head out, glancing towards the living room. She could see a head resting on the arm of the sofa, gazing intently at the flickering light that was the TV. Mushi perked up as she recognised the silhouette Bandit's messy, untamable locks and what was on the screen. Her favourite movie…

It brought a grin to her face as she watched it from afar; it seemed to sweep her back to her own childhood memories. Two characters arguing over matters that seemed so cute back then...

"_One day you two are going to be married!"_

"_Ew! I can't marry her, she's my friend!"_

"_Yeah, it'll be so weird!"_

Mushi chuckled to herself. The Lion King. She rose her head to look over the couch, trying to watch the familiar scene she knew all too well in her head. Bandit didn't seem to notice, his wide eyes were concentrated on the movie, and the box of dry cereal in his lap.

"_Well sorry to BUST your BUBBLE but you two turtledoves have no choice…It's a tradition going back generations…"_

Mushi smirked. She knew the movie off by heart, almost like she could regurgitate the tiny bird's lines herself. She snuck forward, an idea forming in her mind.

"Well when I'm king…" Bandit muttered, in time with Simba. He crunched on the cereal as Mushi watched him with amusement. "That'll be the first thing to go."

"_Not so long as I'm around." _

Mushi smirked, almost directly behind Bandit, yet he didn't seem to notice. He was too busy saying Simba's lines off by heart, chewing on his Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

"Well in that case you're fired." He said in time cheerfully. Mushi grinned, an idea forming.

"Nice try." She answered, poking him in the back. Bandit yelped, cereal flying everywhere. Mushi held back a chuckle as she finished the line, Bandit's furious glare turning to her. She stuck her tongue out at him. "But only the king can do that."

Bandit blinked in alarm, his cheeks blushing a deep red. _How embarrassing…being caught watching the stupidest movie… _But Mushi grinned at him jokingly. She was playing along.

"_Well he's the future king…" _The movie continued to play.

"Yeah…" Bandit smirked, continuing Simba's lines as he gave Mushi a sheepish smirk. "So you have to do what I tell you."

Mushi perched herself on the edge of the couch, giving him a sly look as she watched him, eager to show much of a fan she was.

"Not yet I don't!" She huffed, an exact impression of Rowan Atkinson's character. She held in a laugh, not believing what she was doing. She leaned forward, growling at him. "And with an attitude like _that _I'm afraid you're shaping up to be a pretty pathetic king indeed!"

"Hm." Bandit grinned eagerly, suddenly jumping up. Mushi frowned at him. He sniggered at her, his dark eyes twinkling mischievously in the dim light. He leered over her sneakily, cocking an eyebrow. "Not the way I see it…"

Mushi squealed suddenly as Bandit hoisted her off the couch and threw her down on the cushions playfully, looming over her with his teeth bared. Mushi laughed with joy as one of her favourite, well known Disney songs played in the background. Bandit began to sing in time with the music, pouncing on top of her like the lion he was pretending to be.

"_I'm gonna be a mighty king…so enemies beware_…" He snickered, twirling on the spot. Mushi composed herself just in time.

"_Well I've never seen a king of beasts with quite so little hair."_ She snickered and sang along, pulling on his raven locks. He growled at her, smirking.

"_I'm gonna be the main event, like no king was before…"_ Bandit jumped on top of her, his feet on either side of her as she spread across the couch. "_I'm brushing up on looking down; I'm workin' on my ROAR!" _

Mushi attempted to roll her eyes dully, mimicking a voice she knew all too well. She sounded like her sister's friend Nigel Uno, who she loved to mimic when she was younger. A pompous, British accent sounded as she sang along with him.

"_Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing."_ She winked at him cheekily as he pulled her off the couch playfully, spinning her.

"_Oh I just can't wait to be kiiiing…"_ He laughed as she joined in, attempting to do her version of 'dancing.' She blushed heartily, pushing him jokingly.

"_You've got a long way to go Master if you think…" _

Bandit skipped off, jumping back onto the couch again, his hyperactivity getting the better of him as he finally found a proper playmate.

"_No one saying do this…"_

Mushi jumped forward promptly. "_Now when I say that-"_

"_No one saying be there…"_

"_What I meant was-"_ Mushi held in a burst of laughter as Bandit pulled a face at her.

"_No one saying stop that!"_ Bandit snickered at her.

"_What you don't realise-"_ Mushi attempted to snarl.

"_No one saying seeeee heeeere…"_ Bandit jumped up, swaying side to side serenely.

"_Now see here!"_ Mushi joined in, jumping back onto the couch and shoving him out of the way. The two broke into laughter, singing a song they knew off by heart, their childhood moments coming back to life. Bandit joined in again, dancing on his side of the couch with the style of a five year old.

"_Free to run around all day…"_ Bandit snickered, pulling her into him in a weird ballroom step.

"_Well that's definitely out!"_ Mushi retorted, her tongue between her teeth.

"_Free to do it all my waaaayyy…"_ Bandit jumped back onto the couch, pulling faces as he did some of the weirdest dance moves ever. Mushi joined in, pursing her lips as she attempted the Swim and the famous twist. Both she and Bandit were reduced to hysterical giggles. Mushi composed herself, jumping up to Bandit's house and growling at him as the song continued.

"_I think it's time that you and I, arranged a heart to heart." _

Bandit pushed her off, smirking.

"_Kings don't need advice from little Hornbills for a start."_

Mushi gaped at him in mock horror. _"If this is where the monarchy is headed count me out!"_ She stuck her nose up cheekily. _"Out of service, out of Africa, I wouldn't hang about!"_ She jumped back onto the sofa, grinning widely. "_This child is getting wildly out of wiiiiing…"_

Bandit jumped on top of her mischievously, grinning as she struggled to stay balanced.

"_Oh I just can't wait to be kiiiing…"_ He snickered into her ear as Mushi continued to dance with him on top of her. "Everybody look left…"

Mushi threw him off, blowing a raspberry. "_Everybody look right!"_

Bandit snickered from his position on the couch, cocking an eyebrow. _"Everywhere you look I'm..."_ He grinned proudly. _"Standing in the spotlight!"_

"_Not yet!"_ Mushi reminded him sternly.

They both suddenly joined in at the chorus, Mushi jumping excitedly on the soft cushions and Bandit watching her, singing through his laughter. The two both couldn't remember a time where they had felt so at ease and free to be themselves…free to be a kid again.

"_Let every creature go for broke and siiiiing…"_ They sang together, Bandit grabbing her and pulling her down to his spot on the couch. _"Let's hear it in the herd and on the wiiiiing!" _Mushi fought back, tickling his hard stomach with her long nails. He jumped back in alarm, laughing. She continued to attack him, singing the words still. _"It's gonna be King Simba's finest fliiiiiing!"_

"_Oh I just can't wait to be kiiiing!" _Bandit jumped back, pushing Mushi and holding her, preventing himself from any more torture.

"_I just can't wait to be kiiiing…"_ She joined in, still fighting in his grip. He grabbed a pillow and struck her roughly. She broke free and grabbed another, belting him in return. The two rose and engaged in a _pillow fight, still managing to sing the final line, their voices choked with laughter._

"_Oh I just can't waaaaaaaaaiiiiiit…"_ The two paused for dramatic effect, before Bandit hit Mushi across the backside with his pillow. She squealed. _"To be kiiiiiiiiiinnnnnggg!"_

"OI!"

The two jumped in alarm and turned to the source of the voice, furious and snarling. Hollie stood in front of the TV, the remote clenched threateningly in her fist. Her eyes were narrowed and her hair ruffled into an almost unrecogniseable tangle. She was clad only in a bra and shorts, and she looked livid, dark shadows visible under her eyes. Mushi hushed immediately but Bandit only laughed louder, stopping only when Hollie pegged the remote at him, aimed directly at his eye. He yelped.

"What the HELL are you guys DOING out here!?" She snarled in a dangerously low whisper. "SOME people are TRYING to SLEEP!"

Mushi gave a weak chuckle before calming herself once more. She sniffed, straightening.

"Sorry Hollie…we'll keep it down."

"You BETTER." Hollie growled, her dark eyes aimed especially at Bandit, who was still snickering from behind his hand. She stomped off in annoyance, her step lightly padded with her pair of bright pink fluffy ugg boots on her feet. Mushi and Bandit held in their laughter as best they could as she disappeared down the hallway, closing the door behind her. They looked at each other, light violet to deep blue, and let loose, cackling until they could feel their ribs breaking.

* * *

_Dingo was a cute kid, nobody could deny that. He looked so sweet and innocent, large emerald green eyes that mirrored his mother's, pale skin with a few scattered freckles, and raven black hair that seemed to shine in the sun. Even though he only lived in his first house until he was 2 years old, he knew it like the lines of his favourite movies, like the pattern on his favourite blanket. He explored it constantly, his curious nature getting the better of him. Especially when his little brother came into the picture, he found he'd do anything for a little recognition. _

_Allie sat at the tiny, rickety kitchen table, her pen tapping on the blank, lined sheet of paper in front of her. She felt so gloomy and exhausted, there were slight shadows under her usually bright eyes and her golden blonde hair hung limp around her shoulders. She suddenly looked up and smiled, hearing her son's familiar tiny hands crawl across the linoleum coated kitchen, attempting to sneak up on her. She remained still and quiet as Dingo approached, his playful eyes narrowed. He stalked his prey, being as quiet as he could as he stalked across the kitchen on his hands and knees, holding in a laugh. He struck, grabbing his mother's ankle mischievously._

"_Boo!" he laughed, growling at her. Allie looked down, her eyes twinkling. Dingo looked up at her happily, his eyes dancing and his grin wide. "Did I scare ya?" He asked hopefully._

"_You almost gave me a heart attack." She assured him, smirking sweetly. She leaned down and ruffled his hair as he crawled away, probably on the search for another target. Allie held in a few tears as she watched him leave, knowing that soon it will be Wallabee's first birthday. She sighed gloomily, her pen going back to the paper._

Dear Jake, _she began to write, _I know it has felt like forever since we spoke, but I have something I need to tell you, and it isn't easy for me-

_She took a deep breath, her eyes once again scanning across the hallway to her two year old sitting on the carpet in front of the TV. He was busily setting up his building blocks to resemble what looked like a city, his cars lined up in little rows surrounded by wooden and plastic skyscrapers. He grabbed his soft teddy eagerly and brought it forward, crashing it into the construction like Godzilla did to the unfortunate city of Japan._

"_Run for your lives!" He commanded in a squeaky voice as his teddy stormed the minute city beneath him. "Rawr!" He charged the toy forward, storming his miniature metropolis with ease. His green eyes seemed to widen happily, his smile radiating his cute baby face. _

_Allie sighed, reading over what she had read once she tore her gaze away from her baby playing in the corner. She tore off the sheet of paper and threw it into the wastepaper bin beside her, burying her face in her hands. After a few minutes she felt a tiny tug on the edge of her pants. She looked down, frowning as she saw Dingo leaning against her leg, his stuffed toy still in his hand and his eyes wide, looking up at his mother with a troubled look on his face._

"_Mama…" He mumbled to her sweetly, his fingers enclosing on the soft fabric of her sweatpants. She had to smile at him sadly. He looked so concerned. "You okay?"_

_Allie gave him a shy smile, scooping him up into her lap. He was pretty small for his age, but she was positive that would change once he got older. She ran a few fingers threw his hair as he buried his face into her neck, closing his eyes. She kissed his forehead, caressed his face, rubbed his back._

"_Course I'm okay, baby." She murmured back softly, cuddling him closer. Dingo hesitated, looking back up at her sadly._

"_Are you mad at me?" He mumbled, his slightly broken voice leading to promising sobs. Allie smiled at his innocence, brushing his long fringe out of his wide, dewy eyes._

"_Of course not." She assured him sweetly. Dingo blinked up at her once again, his bottom lip trembling dangerously._

"_Is Daddy mad at me?"_

_Allie sighed again, her own tears brimming. She cuddled Dingo closer to her in comfort, kissing his temple sweetly before replying._

"_No, baby." She murmured back. "He's angry at me."_

_

* * *

_

Dingo's eyes snapped open, immediately squeezing shut at the searing sunlight that seemed to blind him, seeping into his head and freezing his brain, causing a massive migraine to seize his skull and throb in a fierce pain.

"_Fuck!" _he hissed, his palm slapping to his forehead as he groaned in pain. Even his skin prickled with numbness, barely able to sense the couch he was laying on. He squinted against the harsh rays of light, trying to think through the blinding amount of pains searing through him. His head, his muscles, his hand…

He still shook his head, attempting to rid any former pictures clouding in his mind. Dreaming…again.

He buried his face into a couch pillow, groaning. He could barely remember anything, his mind was buzzing and his throat was sore. He remembered going to Trent and Bandit's place…then everything was a blur. He rose from his position, looking over his shoulder at the pair of jeans he still had on. They lay crumpled and limp on his legs, as if he'd spent the entire night sleeping.

"D…"

He looked up in mind alarm, wincing at the quick movement. Dodge was staring down at him, his expression unreadable as he leaned against the arm of the couch, observing him. Dingo groaned, straightening and sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

"I feel like shit." He snarled, yawning. He felt as though he'd been hit by a bus…then run over by a car. He looked around wearily. "What's the time?"

Dodge shrugged. "Early."

Dingo blinked at him innocently. Dodge wasn't usually like this, he could imagine him scolding and lecturing him, especially if he knew what he'd done…but he was never this short and resigned. He seemed dangerously quiet, like Jake was when he was in deep trouble. Dingo attempted to read his expression, but Dodge's face was blank. He simply stared at him calmly.

"What's up?" He asked, tilting his head to one side. Dodge cleared his throat, his lips twisting as he thought to himself. He wasn't sure how to respond, but it was obvious by Dingo's oblivious and innocent expression that Dingo had absolutely no clue what went down last night…what he'd done.

Dodge shook his head, his wide blue eyes watching him closely. Dingo froze as he recognized the sliver of emotion that he showed…sadness…disappointment.

"Look." Dingo groaned, running a hand through his hair. His head throbbed and he winced. "I'm sorry, okay? I was just so sick of everything and I didn't have anywhere else to go-"

"_Is he awake?"_

Both boys looked over as they heard Jake's voice from the kitchen. Dingo frowned, confused, whereas Dodge sighed loudly.

"Yeah, he is."

"_Oh…"_

There was a pause, where the two boys heard Jake rusting around for something. A drawer snapped shut. Suddenly there was a fierce sound of stomps as Jake thundered over, looking practically murderous. Dingo's eyes widened fearfully and he froze, completely bewildered. Jake clasped a wooden kitchen spoon in his fist, his eyes were narrowed. Before Dingo could even speak Jake had whacked him across the head with it, earning a sickening _crack. _

Dingo yelped with pain, feeling the blunt wooden stick crack over his skull. He clasped his hands to his head, hissing every curse word he could think of. Jake stood over him threateningly, his eyes flaming.

"FUCK!" Dingo hollered, struggling to open his eyes to glare at his father. "DAD! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!"

"SHUTUP DINGO BEATLES!" Jake yelled back, just as fierce. "YOU'RE LUCKY I DIDN'T FIND A GODDAMN MEAT CLEAVER! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING LAST NIGHT?!"

Dingo stared back, his head throbbing with pain. He felt a numb throb of guilt echo through him, overpowering his pain, as he realised how furious his father was. Dingo had only seen him this mad a few times, and it hurt him to see how angry he could make his dad, but still…his head ached.

"Look, Dad-" He began pathetically, wincing. "I wasn't-"

"SHUT IT!" Jake snarled again, his voice rising. He narrowed his eyes fiercely as he held the spoon up again, pointing it at him threateningly. Dingo jumped, wincing and near cowering. "YOU HAD US ALL WORRIED SICK! I THOUGHT YOU SWORE TO ME YOU'D NEVER TRY THAT SHIT AGAIN! YOU'RE A GODDAMN IDIOT, DINGO! I OUGHTA FUCKIN' TAN YOUR HIDE!"

"DAD!" Dingo yelled, his own anger rising. "CALM DOWN!"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Jake growled at him fiercely. He threw down the spoon in frustration. "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SCREW SHIT UP ALL THE TIME, HUH, D?! WHAT?! THERE'S NOT ENOUGH _DRAMA _IN THE WORLD FOR YOU? YOU HAVE TO BE A FUCKING IDIOT ALL THE TIME?! WHAT IS IT IN YOU THAT KEEPS DESIRING TO _FAIL _ALL THE TIME, HUH?!"

Dingo broke, jumping to his feet.

"HEY!" He hollered back, his fury projected in his voice. "Don't fuckin' say that to me, okay?! I got enough shit to deal with without you fucking up all over the place. Don't forget, I'm a projection of _your _goddamn mistake, so that's rich, coming from you, _Dad." _He spat the last word with venom. "What's the big deal, anyway? It's not like you haven't done it before." He narrowed his eyes, hoping to cause as much hurt as possible. "I learned from the best."

Jake's eyes widened at him as he advanced, ready to strike again.

"_Jake." _Dodge snarled in warning. He hadn't moved since the assault, he'd just observed with slight satisfaction. But he knew Dingo had no idea what was going on, and Jake and Dingo screaming at each other wasn't going to solve anything. Jake stopped, only at Dodge's careful glare, but still snarled at Dingo furiously, basically a look that said '_I don't care if you're 21 or not, I will still come over there and smack you one.'_

"D." Dodge muttered, turning to him with an earnest look. "You don't remember anything from last night, do you?"

Dingo frowned in confusion, shaking his head. "Nah…" He mumbled, his hand going to his throbbing head once again. He winced. "I remember…you, I think…but that's it."

Dodge and Jake looked at one another, exchanging glances. Dodge narrowed his eyes at him before rolling them.

"Was the wooden spoon _necessary?" _He muttered to him as an afterthought. Jake shrugged, batting it against his palm threateningly, his eyes still burning.

"You have to use action against him." He muttered back darkly. "He doesn't get words, Dodge. I would know, I raised him."

Dodge rolled his eyes again before turning to Dingo, unable to hide the look of sadness on his face. Dingo frowned, immediately suspicious.

"W…what's going on?" he snarled at them, looking between them angrily. A ripple of fear suddenly took over him. Jake had actually looked away, a thorough look of disappointment had set in his eyes. "What?"

"D…" Dodge sighed sadly, his eyes wide. "Maybe you better sit down…"

* * *

-

Wally blinked his eyes open, his surroundings steadily becoming clearer. He looked down, faintly smelling a familiar scent of coconut and vanilla body wash. Abby's head rested on his arm, her long hair spread across his shoulder and stomach. She was fast asleep. The tears on her cheeks had dried, her puffy eyes were closed and her lips were parted innocently. She looked so peaceful and warm, Cree's fluffy crimson red blanket covering the two of them. Wally sighed, shuffling out from beneath her. He spent ten whole minutes making sure Abby's head peacefully rested back onto the pillow. She stirred, frowning as he shifted, but she didn't waken, her quiet snores persisting. Wally gave her a sheepish look before pulling out his cell phone, dialing Kuki's number.

He still had no idea- where he was heading, about being a dad, what was going to happen next, how he was going to deal with it… But a long sleep seemed to clear his mind. Somehow, even though he had no idea what to do, it seemed clear to him now, he had to accept it.

He moved out into the hall as he heard the dial tone. He could already feel his stomach tighten and his hands shake nervously as he held the phone to his ear. How would he possibly explain this to her? What would she think? Would Kuki leave him?

He shuddered at the last thought, ready to slam the phone closed, run back to his bed and hide under the covers.

"_Hello?"_

He stiffened, his heart racing. Just the sound of her voice caused his heart to swell. He loved her so much, he didn't want to lose her… He squeezed his eyes shut. But he had to do the right thing…

"Kuki." He murmured back, swallowing. "It's me."

Kuki's eyes widened as she sat up in bed. The sadness returned. The memory of last night returned to her- waiting up all night for him, him never coming…

"Oh." She scoffed back, her eyes rolling. She was determined to stay strong, not break down. "You finally decided to actually call?"

Wally winced. "I deserve that…" He mumbled sadly. Kuki slumped, weakening at the sadness in his voice. She wanted to coo to him, tell him it was alright…that she forgave him. _No. _She straightened, determined to keep a cool tone.

"Yeah." She scoffed, biting down on her lip. Wally ran a hand through his hair desperately, sighing.

"Listen, Kooks." He muttered. "Something came up last night, and it was pretty urgent."

"What?" Kuki asked, frowning. "Something with your family?"

Wally cast a backwards glance at Abby, sleeping soundly on the couch. He swallowed, his eyes trailing especially to the bump just visible under the blankets.

"I guess you can say that."

"Is…everyone okay?" She asked worriedly, her eyes wide.

"Yeah." He muttered, sighing. "But I…I need to talk to you…to all of the gang…but you first."

Kuki's body went rigid with fear. This didn't seem like Wally, he seemed so desolate and miserable…almost_ weak. _That wasn't her Wally…

"Wallabee…" She whispered to him, her voice suddenly hoarse. "You're scaring me."

"It's alright, Kooks." He attempted to soothe her, but it was hard with his own nerves tense. "Just…can you meet me soon?"

"Where?" She asked worriedly. "Like…here?"

"No…" Wally muttered, not wanting Abby to come in at the wrong moment. "How about…at the ice cream place?"

"Uh…sure." Kuki whispered in return, swallowing the lump in her throat. "…Wally?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you breaking up with me?" Her voice transformed into a squeak as tears brimmed in her eyes, clouding her wide violet irises.

"No, Kooks." Wallabee replied, his spirit sagging as he realised that that was exactly what Kuki may do upon hearing the news. The thought of losing her was enough to dampen his spirits entirely. "I'm not breaking up with you. Just meet me, okay?"

"Okay…" Kuki mumbled sadly. "I'll be there…an hour?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay…"

"…Hey Kooks?"

"Yeah?"

He smiled, tears scratching at his eyes. "I love you."

Kuki smiled too, her own eyes brimming with nervous tears.

"I love you too."

* * *

Dingo sat, stiff and straight, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted. Jake and Dodge sat before him, watching him close. Jake still clutched his wooden spoon closely, but loosely, in his hand. Dodge swallowed nervously. He hated saying it, but he knew it had to be said. He ran a hand through his hair as Dingo turned to him, a frown darkening his features.

"B...but…" Dingo mumbled weakly, confusion coating his face. "I…I would have…have…remembered that…" His wide eyes looked pathetically up at his father. "Right?"

Jake shook his head darkly, but his gaze softened at Dingo's pathetic look. He had always been a sucker for those puppy dog eyes, and right now he wasn't faking. Dingo looked from his father to his best friend, wanting nothing more than for them to stand up, laugh in his face and say it was all a joke. He shook his head, which was still aching.

"No…" he snarled. "I wouldn't-"

"You did." Jake said bluntly. "And she ran out of here in tears." He paused, wondering if he should say it. "I hope the baby's okay."

Dingo snapped to attention, his eyes wide. "Is it?"

"We don't know." Dodge explained darkly. "We tried calling her but she wouldn't pick up." He hesitated, swallowing. "She looked…she looked really scared, D."

Dingo began to tremble, his worst nightmare seeming to come alive in front of him. He couldn't do it, he couldn't realise that everything was completely crumbling around him. His love for Abby, his secret, his baby…he couldn't accept it…it couldn't be true.

"No, I –"

"Dingo, you were out of it." Dodge said earnestly, his eyes wide. "I know you probably didn't mean to-"

"No!" Dingo snarled at him, suddenly jittery. Jake guessed some of the drug may still be left in his system and he gave Dodge a warning look. "B-but it can't be it, I wouldn't do that! E-even if I was drugged up I would have-"

"When I came in and got you…" Dodge began again. "You were all hyped up and…and I think you mentioned Hollie's name." His sapphire blue eyes gazed into Dingo's emerald ones. "Maybe you thought Abby was her."

"I wouldn't…" Dingo broke off, shuddering. He couldn't help it; suddenly he couldn't help but tremble like a leaf. He felt tears scratch at his eyes as he looked down at his hand, still throbbing with splintering pain. There was still some dried blood on his knuckles, buried deep within his skin.

Jake recognized the signs anywhere, and suddenly even he felt guilty. Dingo truly looked broken and destroyed, his fingers and lip trembling dangerously and his head hung low, trying to remember back to the night before. Jake knew what a horrible mistake his son had made, and he lost all passion in trying to rub it in. He groaned loudly, rolling his eyes and trying to remain composed.

"D…" He mumbled, attempting to be calm. He was never good at any 'motherly' side of parenting. "Listen, there's no use sitting around and doing nothing. You gotta explain it to her, tell her what's wrong and get her back."

Dingo looked up hopefully, his eyes wide.

Dodge even gave his friend a hopeful look.

"Jake's right, D." He muttered. "We love Abby too and we'd hate to see her go-"

"Are you kidding?" Jake snarled, his eyes narrowing. "You better not lose her! She's the only one of your girlfriends I actually like!"

Dingo sniffed weakly, tears sparkling in his eyes.

"You think I have a shot? Is it even worth it?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "Here I was thinking you'd never let her go, D."

* * *

Abby awoke, her eyelids flickering in the warm sunlight as Wally sat in front of her on the floor, his legs spread out in front of him. She rose, the blanket falling off her form as she watched him closely, a small frown on her face. Wally turned, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Hey…" He muttered. "You sleep okay?"

Abby gave a weak sniff, rubbing at the sleep in her eyes. "Yeah…" She mumbled, giving a weak shrug. "You?"

He shrugged too, looking away. He sighed deeply and turned away.

"Listen, Abs…" He muttered. "We gotta tell the gang."

Abby stiffened, a nervous gurgle sounded in her stomach. "Wally-"

"It's only fair." He talked over her. "I mean, they gotta know, but-" He paused, swallowing. "But I gotta tell Kuki first, it's only right."

Abby felt her heart sink. _Tell him. Tell him. Tell him._

_Oh, how? _Another voice snarled. _Hey Wally I appreciate your forwardness but I screwed your brother and it's his! Whoopsie!_

"Abby?"

Abby's eyes widened as she snapped back to attention, her mouth dry.

"You okay?" Wally frowned at her, his eyes troubled. Abby nodded sadly.

"…Y-yeah…" She felt like she was about to vomit. She sat up steadily, a hand going to her swollen stomach. Wally could now clearly see a bump forming. He never noticed it before… "I'm alright."

Wally nodded. "So you're alright in telling the gang? They have to know, after all."

Abby nodded numbly, unsure of what else she could possibly say. She could see Cree peer in on them nosily, the way she had looked at her last night, how desperate she had felt in the first place. Maybe Cree was right…maybe Wally was her only hope.

She winced as she felt the small cut on her forehead, where the force of the blow had been so much it had broken skin. She pushed those images out of her mind, along with any others of Dingo.

"Y-yeah…" She said again, swallowing numbly. "It's fine, really. Sounds…good."

Wally tilted his head. "Are you sure you're alright? You look kinda pale…"

"I'm fine." Abby said stiffly. She straightened. _For my baby… _"I'm fine."

Wally gave her a warm smile as he rose, pulling his friend into a hug. He winced slightly as her baby bump pressed against his stomach. Abby noticed as she planted her chin on his shoulder. She sighed.

"Listen, Wally." She whispered into his ear. "You don't have to do this, I wanted to avoid it because-"

"No" he said firmly, releasing her. He looked at her firmly, his emerald eyes solid. Even Abby was taken aback at how serious he was. She faltered. "I'll take care of it Abby, it's my…it's my fault as much as it is yours." He said gently, his hand going to her arm. Another guilt pain entered her. She sniffed pathetically. "I wanna take responsibility."

Abby couldn't look into his face. It was too much. _Just say it! _

"O-okay…" She whispered, nodding. "Thank you, Wally."

He pulled her into another tight hug goodbye. Abby was speechless…numb and ashamed.

_What am i doing?!_

* * *

Fanny wondered along the quad, looking into the depths of the fountain dully. Bored, bored, bored…the more she thought of it the more it became clear to her…she was bored. She sighed in the early morning cold, wrapping her jacket tighter around her. She had to hold back from clawing into her phone and dialing Dodge's number. She hated annoying him, and she hated the fact she had to call him up to have any fun. She was heavily debating actually visiting her mother when a familiar voice cooed into her ear.

"_Hey Fan."_

She jumped, looking around in alarm and her hand curled into a fist. She relaxed it suddenly, the large dark eyes of Patton staring into her, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Scared you?" He grinned.

"Hardly." She scoffed, folding her arms. "What are you doing out here?"

Patton shrugged. "Got nothin' to do. I'm on break, and here I am hanging around just another school." He chuckled to himself as he adjusted his navy blue beanie. "What are you doing?"

Fanny shrugged. "About the same. Got all my school work done and everyone's busy." She rolled her eyes. "Nothing much else left in my life."

Patton chuckled again, giving her a sly smile. The wind caught her red hair and scattered it across her face. She reached up and tucked it behind her ear. He couldn't volunteer how beautiful she looked, the wind causing her hair to dance like that, even with no makeup he couldn't look away.

Fanny groaned, running a hand through her wild hair. "Did you want to go do something?" She asked casually, shrugging. "I mean, I know it's almost 9, but I'm dying to do something, I'm so bored."

Patton grinned eagerly. "Sure…what is there to do around here?"

Fanny rolled her eyes in thought. She suddenly brightened, smirking. "Ice cream?"

"_Ice cream?" _He repeated, scoffing. "It's 9 in the morning!"

Fanny shrugged, gripping his wrist and leading him off. "Perfect time for mint choc chip!"

* * *

Cree stood in the kitchen, mixing up a pancake mix. She knew it was the secret to cheering her sister up, and from the look Abby had given her as she disappeared to take a shower…Cree judged she'd need extra chocolate chips. She frowned as she gazed into the batter, wishing things could be simpler. And it was only a couple of weeks until her wedding, too! She sighed, rolling her eyes.

_The things I put up with…_

Cree's frown deepened as she looked over at her sister's handbag, which was letting off a high pitched ring for the second time. She looked over cautiously at the closed bathroom door, where she could still hear the shower running. She bit her lip…no…must hold back… She snarled, giving in and stomping over to her sister's back and grabbing the offending phone, glaring at the screen suspiciously.

_Dingo Calling…_

She carefully looked over her shoulder, then with a flick of her fingers flipped open the cell phone, holding it to her ear and biting back all of the automatic insults she wanted to scream at the caller.

Dingo jumped at the sudden answer, his heart freezing in his chest and his throat constricting, as if he felt like vomiting. There was hope…she answered…

He was stumped at what to say…what could he say?

"B-babe?" Dingo mumbled, his voice raspy and croaky. "Baby? Are you there? Abs?"

"No" Cree bit back harshly, gripping the phone tightly in her hands. "She's not Dingo, and if I were you I'd stop calling her. I can't believe you have the nerve to do it after what you did."

A flow of shame and anger suddenly overcame him as he gaped in surprise, his eyes widening fearfully. He swallowed as his bottom lip trembled, his brow furrowing angrily.

"What?" He snarled back shakily. "Where the fuck's Abby?"

"Stay away from my sister." Cree warned, her voice venomous. "Or you will regret it."

"Fuck you" Dingo snarled back, his anger overwhelming his desperation to win her back. All pleading went out the window with Cree's threat, and his fighting instinct kicked in, as well as his over-protectiveness. _Nobody_ takes Abby away from him… "Let me fucking speak to her!"

"Why should I?!" Cree spat back.

"How do you expect me to apologise if I can't fucking speak to her, Cree?!" Dingo yelled in return, his anger reaching boiling point. Cree automatically snarled in reply.

"I don't expect you to apologise because I don't expect this to happen. My sister is PREGNANT, you absolute Jackass, and you-"

She suddenly paused, blinking in slight alarm.

"…And…how do you know my name?"

Dingo snarled in return, his hands becoming dangerous fists.

"I know many things, Cree, and if you don't put Abby on this second I'll come and get her. I need to talk to her. This is my girl and my baby and if you stand in my way of explaining to her what's wrong, I'll come over there and I'll fucki-"

Cree slammed the phone closed, her heart hammering in her chest. Actual fear was pumping through her system. He knew…she didn't know how but he did… Abby never mentioned her to Dingo; she knew that…it was supposed to be a secret…

The phone buzzed in her hand again and she jumped, her eyes widening in fear. She stuffed the phone back into her sister's bag and retreated, rubbing her forearms in comfort.

Dingo listened to the steady dialing, fury and fear pumping harshly through his veins. He froze, listening to the voicemail…once again. His fist tightened angrily, his jaw twitched, his breath quickened, and he threw his phone with such ferocity at the floor that it smashed, sending pieces scattering across the floor. He breathed heavily, panting as tears fell down his cheeks freely. His heart pounded in his chest as fear flowed through his system. He couldn't do it…He could lose his Abby… He snarled to himself. He'd never let that happen…

_Nobody _stops him from seeing his girl.

He turned around and grabbed his keys from the counter, stomping towards the door. Dodge jumped from the chair suddenly, dutifully following and yelling out to him.

"_Dingo wait! You can't expect me to sit back and let you drive off by yourself-"_

Jake barely looked up from his magazine. He blinked dully as he flipped the page. He sighed.

"Must'a come from his mother…"

* * *

Kuki swirled her tiny plastic spoon in the colourful ice cream still left in the small cup. It was her favourite flavour, but still she couldn't be tempted. She dropped her spoon sadly, staring into the depths of the creamy, fruity mix with a feeling of hopelessness.

She didn't know what was so important for Wally to tell her; all she could hope for was that she hadn't done anything wrong. Her worst fears ran through her mind repetitively, and nothing she thought made her feel any better. The images of Wally breaking up with her stuck to her mind like a spider web.

_Maybe he's sick of me… _She thought glumly. _Maybe he's just met someone else…Maybe his Mom finally convinced him that I wasn't good enough for him…_

A small tinkle of a bell sounded as the door opened, Wally stepping through with his hands buried deep in the pockets of his jeans. Kuki bit her lip, her head still lowered. She knew it was him; she just couldn't bring herself to look up.

* * *

Cree sat behind the wheel of Abby's car, Abby sitting beside her, looking defeated and miserable. She stared out of the window, trying to ignore the hard, concerned stare her elder sister continued to give her. The radio was playing gently in the background, breaking the silence between the two sisters with easy ongoing beats of the radio. The song ended with a brief break of chatter from the radio host. Cree sighed as she softly hit the brakes once again, caught in the early morning traffic.

"You'll be okay, Abs."

"I lied to him." Abby muttered back faintly, her eyes still gazing listlessly out of the tinted windows, too tired to even shed her tears. "He doesn't deserve it, Cree. He doesn't deserve being lied to."

"Just like you don't deserve being stuck with that dickhead." Cree snarled back, her fingers tightening on the steering wheel. "Abby, you give him too much credit. He _drove _you into the arms of another man, he's the one who didn't appreciate you-"

"Cree!" Abby snapped, turning to her with her eyes wide and blazing. "Listen to yourself! You're talking about one of my best friends, me lying to him about a baby…it's not about property or money or possession…it's a life! My baby! You can't lie to someone about that!"

"So what?" Cree shot back, her eyes narrowing. "You expect me to sit back and just let you go nowhere? Do you honestly expect anyone else to step up and be a father? Anyone who's not a complete _druggie?" _She sneered as an afterthought. Abby stiffened, stung by the snide remark. "Face it, Abby." Cree muttered darkly. "Wallabee's your only hope."

Abby's head fell to the window, her eyes glued to the scenery outside so her sister couldn't see the tears resurface. Her vision blurred as she silently began to cry. She wished for a normal life, a normal life for her and for her baby. She thought herself stupid for wanting something in the first place, especially with a complete stranger like Dingo…a guy who she was stupid enough to fall in love with.

A new song began on the radio, a new beat compared to the easy rhythm of Urban hits. It was a hard guitar and drum beat, a song Abby could recognise even at low volume. She suddenly frowned as the song played on her memory. She straightened, a familiar feeling overcoming her.

_You can dig me up a grave  
And try and stick me in the ground  
Well you can tie me to the bed  
And try and beat me half to death  
But you can never keep me down…_

Abby frowned at the speakers, mixed emotions surfacing. Instinctively she leaned forward and gazed into the side mirror of her car, watching for any sign of danger behind her. She couldn't help it, it was almost too weird.

_You can stick me in a hole  
And you can pray all day for rain  
You can shoot me in the leg  
Just to try to make me beg  
And you can leave me there for days…_

She shook her head, trying to shoo away any anxious or fearful thoughts that seemed to enter her. Just a coincidence, she thought. She relaxed back in her chair, her head drooping back onto the window. She couldn't help it, this song just reminded her so much of Dingo…She could now recognise it anywhere…

_And I'll stay alive  
Just to follow you home…_

_-_

"_What the Hell do you think you're doing here?" Abby snarled at him, her arms folded firmly over her chest. She stood in her doorway, looking around anxiously to see if anyone seemed to notice the guy in front of her, smirking expectantly. Abby scowled. "I don't remember telling you where I lived…" She paused, eyeing him suspiciously. "Did you follow me?"_

_He gazed back at her innocently, his emerald eyes glistening mischievously from behind his long then blonde fringe. His smirk was so sly and so delicious. He leaned forward, his hands deep within the pockets of his worn jeans. _

"_Maybe…" He cooed back, eyebrows raised. "Or it could be just a freak coincidence?"_

_Abby growled at him, determined to keep up her irritated tone. But she edged forward involuntarily, her hormones getting the better of her._

"_Oh, really?"_

"_Yeah…" He sniggered back, grinning widely. "These things happen all the time, 'ya know."_

_Abby shook her head, trying to hold back her own cocky smirk. It was hard not to smile back, his flirty nature seemed contagious._

"_Go home, Dingo." She attempted to snarl, her hand going to the door. _

"_Only if you come with me." He retorted, grinning widely. Abby rolled her eyes and shut the door; it coming to a halt at Dingo's outstretched hand. Abby growled, stomping her foot in irritation. "Dingo, enough-"_

_Her words were caught in a swift kiss, his lips quickly massaging hers. Her eyes widened, watching his face close in on hers, his eyes closed. She gaped, letting him quickly slip his tongue around hers. Her eyes soon closed as well as she was caught up in it, the heat, the passion, the love the two seemed to share together. His hand gripped the back of her head; his foot kicked the door shut, his other hand wrapped around her waist, drawing her into his hard body…_

"_Dingo…" She muttered, succeeding in ripping her lips from his. Her eyes were still half closed, her lips agape, a hand to his chest. "This isn't right-"_

"_Yeah it is." Dingo talked over her, brushing her objections away. He pulled her close again, both hands gripping her waist tightly. He brushed his lips against her neck, taking in her scent, cherishing her taste. "Don't worry…"_

_Abby winced, thoughts of her boyfriend entering her mind, but quickly being swiped away with every kiss Dingo planted on her bare skin. She knew this was wrong, very wrong. But still…_

_It felt so right._

_She gave in, kissing back passionately, her arms wrapping around his neck. His hands gripped her back, pulling her closer. The back of his legs hit the couch and he toppled backward, bringing Abby with him, still locked in a fervent embrace. Dingo broke away, just long enough to whisper in her ear lustfully, gripping her hips and grinding her into him. She shivered under his heated gaze._

"_Be mine Abby…"_

_-_

_And I will survive  
'Cause you're my Mississippi Princess  
You're my California Queen  
Like the Duchess of Detroit  
And every city in between  
You can slap me in the face  
You can scream profanity  
Leave me here to die alone but  
I'll still follow you home_

She broke away from her sudden memory, shaking her head and staring. She remembered seeing his car everywhere, the way he'd follow her, lust after her, the way they'd lust after each other. The fact it was forbidden just fuelled the fire. She felt tears cloud her eyes.

"Don't worry, Abs…" Cree pleaded again, reaching over and gripping her sister's hand. "It'll be okay."

Abby sniffed, sighing to herself. "I hope so." She looked once again over at the mirror, half expecting Dingo's car behind them. Nothing. She looked back down glumly, unsure of whether to feel relieved or not.

* * *

Dingo screeched around a corner, slamming down the accelerator as he gripped the wheel closely, his eyes aimed at the road ahead, narrowed and focused. Dodge straightened on the passenger seat, his eyes narrowed.

"Dingo!" He barked, snarling. "Would you calm down!?"

Dingo didn't reply, just stared ahead as he drove. His mind was only concentrated on one thing- his girl and his baby. He turned a corner roughly, causing Dodge to slam against the passenger side window. He snarled, pushing himself off and rubbing his nose.

"Dingo I mean it." He growled roughly. "Abby looked really upset, and you would be after-"

"I don't wanna hear it, Dodge!" Dingo snarled at him, braking fiercely as they approached a red light. They screeched to a halt, Dodge's forehead almost meeting the dashboard. He sighed deeply, his shoulders tense. "I wanna think about how I can get her back!"

Dodge looked away, sighing to himself. It was pointless trying to argue with Dingo, he'd learned that from childhood. It even upset him to see Dingo so driven; he wished Abby would forgive him.

"Dingo, Abby' a great girl…" He said gently, nibbling on his bottom lip. "And she's not stupid…you just have to tell her everything and be honest with her. She only wants what's best for the baby."

Dingo didn't answer. He hoped Abby thought 'what's best for the baby' included him in its life.

"And anyway…" Dodge went on, much to Dingo's annoyance. "It'll take a lot, I mean you're basically busted all doped up and stuff, that's going to take a lot of effort, I mean you have to build your trust back up with her-"

"Dodge!" Dingo growled, anxious for anything- _anything- _to get his friend to shut up. He glanced to his left, and along the footpath he saw what he hoped to be a good enough distraction. "Isn't that your girlfriend?"

Dodge scoffed, rolling his ocean blue eyes. "Yeah, sure, D. Like I haven't heard _that _before."

Dingo frowned moodily, eyeing the flash of red hair he'd seen out of the corner of his eye. He shook his head.

"Nah, I'm serious. Isn't it?"

Dodge gave in and turned, growling as he did so. He did see a quick flash of red hair as they waited in traffic, he also saw long legs under a green skirt, a simple black shirt with a smart leather jacket, then he saw what could only be Fanny's long wavy red hair, vibrant and shimmering in the morning sun. She was walking down the footpath peacefully-

"Who's that?" Dingo asked him, holding back a smirk.

Dodge froze, his eyes narrowing protectively. A guy was walking beside her- too close- grinning and laughing at her, every now and then brushing his hand against hers. Dodge snarled, leaning forward to get a better look as they disappeared from view.

"Dodge!" Dingo snarled, pushing him. "Get off me!"

"But let me-"

"Oi!"

"Hey!"

"No!"

"Ow!"

A small scuffle later Dodge was sulking in the passenger seat, massaging his shoulder where Dingo had impatiently punched him. Dingo was wincing slightly, but trying not to let it show, as Dodge had sneakily thrown his elbow into his thigh.

Dodge looked over worriedly, even though he knew Fanny had already disappeared, he still stared at that spot, wondering what the hell his girlfriend was even doing there. Dingo bit his lip guiltily, the look on Dodge's face being enough to shake some sympathy into him.

"It's probably nuthin', Dodgem."

Dodge cracked his knuckles involuntarily, staring back to the dashboard and thinking of the guy- tall, muscular, black hair… He made a mental note.

"Better be." He mumbled, growling dangerously.

Dingo smirked. And Dodge always called _him _overprotective?

* * *

Kuki couldn't stand the awkward silence, it seemed to stick to the air and sit around them heavily, like a fog refusing to lift. Wally sat opposite her, gazing into his melted bowl of ice cream dully, swirling the spoon around the creamy liquid. Kuki numbly ate her own dessert, the tangy taste of berries and the sweet taste of chocolate doing nothing to lift her spirits.

She could stand it no longer. She threw down her spoon with an air of defeat and gazed up at her boyfriend, her violet eyes wide and glassy. Her pale, dainty hand shot out to his, grasping his fingers in hers. Wally winced at her warm touch, unable to resist looking at her any longer.

"Wallabee…" She said softly, her glossy lips slightly agape. Her eyes widened at him. "What's wrong?"

Wally groaned, the knot in his stomach tightening painfully. His wide emerald eyes gazed at her sadly, his face resembling a lost puppy.

"Kuki…" He whispered to her. "I'm so sorry."

Kuki stiffened, feeling tears scratch at her eyes as a million thoughts ran through her head. _Did he cheat on me? Did he fall in love with someone else? Get sick of me? Lead me on? Did he-_

Wally blurted it out, unable to hold it in any longer. He couldn't hide the sadness and shame within him for another second.

"Abby's pregnant with my baby." He choked out, gazing at the sleek, polished table beneath them. He felt tears cloud his vision, his voice becoming raspy. "I…I just found out…" He looked up, his eyes dewy with tears. "Almost five months, Kooks."

Kuki froze, the colour draining from her face. Everything around her seemed to freeze, Wally's apologetic and expectant gaze still locked on her, longing for her to say something, anything. Nothing came. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Her worst nightmare, Abby's face appeared in her mind- innocent, deep brown eyes, her sweet smirk…a baby…she could see it, a baby in her arms, a smug look on her face…_Wally's baby…Wally was never his…he was hers…he always was._

"W…what?" She managed to choke out, a feeling of sickness washing over her. She felt dizzy.

"Kuki." Wally squeezed her hand, realizing she was slipping it away. He called to her desperately. "Listen, Kooks. I had no idea, she kept it a secret, she didn't want it to affect us…"

Kuki looked down at Wally gripping her hand desperately, her wide eyes hopeful and upset. Kuki was overwhelmed, everything was happening way too fast… This wasn't happening…Maybe she'll wake up soon…

"Kuki…" Wally begged her, his eyes wide. "Please say something."

"I'd…I'd…" Her voice cracked under the pressure, her eyes shed a few tears, they ran down her pale cheeks sadly and slowly. Wally could practically feel his heart shatter. "I…Don't know…."

Wallabee looked down in come sadness, the feeling of depression washing over him. This was it; Kuki was going to break up with him.

"Wally…" Kuki breathed, her voice high and squeaky. She sniffed pathetically. "I…I don't know what to say…"

Wally looked up at her anxiously, his eyes brimming with his own tears. "Please just…say if you still want to…be with me." He choked out. He practically wanted to vomit at the thought of asking her, his heart fell to his stomach and he felt numb with anxiety. But he had to know…

Kuki gulped, a lump forming in her throat. She knew the answer, it welled from her heart like a balloon…she knew the answer. She knew it was stupid. Flashes of babies, kids, Abby…everything spun in her mind. She blinked those away, and instead concentrated on Wally. She gripped his hand, knowing the answer, and blurting it out before him bluntly.

"Of course I do…" She said strongly, but still more tears escaped. "Just…a_ baby_-"

"I know." Wally let go, his face burying in his arms. "I don't know what to do…"

Kuki hesitated. Was Wally still hers? Doesn't Abby have…almost an ownership on him now? It felt so wrong…but it still felt so right… She put her hand out onto his arm and gave it a light squeeze.

"I'm here for you, Wally…"

* * *

Abby exited the shower, pulling her towel tighter around her body. She walked shakily over to her bed, her mind still spinning with thoughts. A quick glance at her phone (turned onto silent) told her that she had a total of 46 missed calls, 26 voicemails and her memory was definitely full. With a sad sigh she threw the phone back onto her bedside table, her heart heavy with guilt.

She felt guilty, her own ex boyfriend, who had never done any wrong to her (except perhaps cheating on her slightly) but who had stayed with her since she was 16, was taking the fall for something that was entirely her fault. She felt awful, sick and sad at the lie she had told. It sad within her chest, fat and thick, suffocating her. She looked at herself sadly in the mirror. The lie showed on her face. She put a hand to her stomach. Somehow, the thought of holding her baby in her arms, having somebody there with her, was the only thing keeping her standing.

She felt even guiltier, if possible, for Kuki. She knew she loved Wally, and Wally loved her just as much in return. She felt like a right thief, not only stealing Kuki's boyfriend but his life too…saying a baby, a life…was his. She cringed. It was criminal…why was she so weak that she couldn't open her mouth and tell him the truth?

The real guilt…she knew deep within her heart…belonged to Dingo. She could remember…she could _see _the look on his face whenever she was near, whenever they were having a lovely moment, when they forgot everyone else around them and it was just…them. She knew how protective he was of her; of their baby…she knew he thrived on being a father to her baby. Tears brimmed at her already swollen eyes as she thought of it. She'd let everyone down…she felt weak and sick…a common liar and a right bitch. This wasn't her…

She looked into the mirror, tears falling down her cheeks sadly.

_What happened to me?_

She heard a knock at the door and she rose to answer it. She got to the hallway before she realised she was only clad in a towel. She nervously approached the door, her toes curling on the floorboards.

"Um…" She cleared her throat. "Who is it?"

There was an awkward pause, before a very familiar voice cooed back through the thick wood...

"_You know who it is, Abs."_

Abby jumped back as though struck with a hot poker. Her heart thudded in her chest as she struggled for a reply, but no words came to her. She swallowed, her feet already stumbling to walk away.

"_Abby…" _Dingo's voice softened as he leaned against the door, pleading with her. He wanted her desperately, he wanted to explain everything to her, he wanted her back and wanted her in his life. He was already finding he was a wreck without her. He sniffed glumly, his nails gripping the door desperately. _"Abby baby…please let me in, I have to talk to you."_

Abby couldn't deny the fear that was swelling within her. She was shaking. She finally found her voice. She thought of Wally, and of her baby.

"I don't want to see you Dingo." She growled roughly, hoping she sounded stronger than she felt. A few tears escaped her lids as she sniffed. "Just leave."

"_Abby." _Dingo pleaded with her, his teeth harshly biting down on his lower lip. "Babe…I don't want to fight with you…but…" He looked up the hallway, his eyes wide. "But if I have to, I'll yell…and people will come to investigate…"

He let the threat hang in the air, knowing it hurt her, and it hurt him too…but he was desperate…he _had _to talk to her. He leaned his head against the door pathetically as he heard a pitiful sob. He knew his girl was crying. He'd really hurt her, and that fact hit him like a thousand red hot knives cutting into his chest. He felt tears swell in his eyes.

"_Please, Baby…"_

He heard a defeated click as Abby's shaky fingers unlocked the door. The door opened, slow and steady, as both lovers' hearts pounded within their chests. Dingo's eyes widened hopefully as the door opened completely, revealing the girl he loved, clad in a towel, her hair sopping wet and her face drenched with tears. The sight broke him, but what hurt him the most was the cut on her forehead, just across the side of her face on her eyebrow. It was open and scabbed, it looked harsh and menacing, a jagged, cruel imperfection on her otherwise beautifully, perfectly crafted face. Her wide, bloodshot eyes looked up at him. She looked like a puppy that had been beaten and bashed, still possessing that sweet, innocent beauty. The second he saw her he felt his heart rip. The fact he had broken something so beautiful was enough to send him to tears again. He couldn't stand seeing her like this.

Abby gazed back at him, her fingers clenching at her towel. She felt naked and exposed, especially against those wide deep green eyes that seemed to sparkle like jewels. She felt guilty, she felt scared, she felt naked…She couldn't look at him, she had to look away. Her bottom lip trembled.

"_Abby…" _Dingo said shakily, his voice cracked and hushed. He took a nervous step towards her. He had to touch her, he had to make it okay…make her see… _"Abby baby…" _He reached out a few quivering fingers to her cheek, the smooth skin stroking the tearstained one. She flinched, but found herself tilting her head to his hand, so he could nurse her cheek in his palm. He cupped her cheek in his hand. "Look at me."

"Don't touch me…" She whispered back faintly, yet she kept her cheek against his hand. Dingo didn't move, her gazed at her unblinkingly, tears sparking and trickling down his cheeks.

"I would never hurt you, Abby." He pleaded with her desperately, sniffling to her. His other hand rose to her other cheek, his fingers landing behind her ear and his thumb gently stroking the wound on her skin. The wound he inflicted. She flinched and so did he. "Baby, you have to know that. I'd never hurt you…"

"You did." She mumbled tearfully, her eyes closing at his touch. A sob echoed in her throat as she broke, she knew Dingo was the one man she could never hide from. She sniffed desperately, hoping to calm herself. It didn't work. "You did, you hit me." Her eyes opened as she gazed at him, suddenly wanting answers. "Why?"

"I…" Dingo swallowed. It was much harder to say to her. He couldn't admit it. "I didn't know what I was doing…" He looked down, ashamed. "I was out of it."

Abby took in a shuddering breath, her wide chocolate brown eyes finally turning up to face him, her eyes hard and demanding as he cradled her face in his hands.

"You were _drugged up_." She hissed harshly. Dingo swallowed, looking ashamed.

"I was." He clenched her face softly, but desperately. "B-but Abby, I'll never do it again-"

"Why?!" She snarled. She longed to push him away, yet couldn't find the strength to push his hands from her face. "Because you got caught?"

"No." He sobbed, giving in. His wide eyes gazed at her pathetically, and Abby knew he couldn't lie to her through those eyes; they were too weak and truthful. "B-because I want to be a good Dad, Baby…and I'll do…anything to make sure the baby doesn't end up like me."

The silence in the air was thick. Abby stopped, breathless. Dingo was gazing at her with such honesty and reliability that she couldn't look away, she couldn't deny him. He had laid everything out for her to see…this was really him… Abby felt her heart droop in her chest. She felt awful.

"B-baby…" Dingo pleaded with her, closing the distance between them. Their faces were inches from each other's. His eyes were wide. "I wanna be honest with you… I wanna do anything…." He sniffed. "Anything t-to make you mine, I'll tell you anything you want to know just…just to be a part of your life." His eyes gazed into hers. Abby couldn't look away, even if her life depended on it. "And the baby's."

Abby felt like she was drowning in her own tears. Amongst her mind filled with numbness and guilt, one thought echoed through her mind.

"A boy…" She whispered faintly, looking down in mind shame.

Dingo frowned, looking down at her. "What?"

"A boy." She repeated, sniffing. "You keep saying 'baby'…" She looked up at him, her bottom lip trembling in complete shame, yet she couldn't help but want him…she wanted to keep him. She gripped his wrist weakly as he cupped her chin. "It's a boy…the baby's a boy."

Dingo gazed at her, completely speechless. His lips hung open with awe as more tears ran down his cheeks. Abby gazed at him, numb at what she was feeling. Pure joy seemed to burst in Dingo's eyes, his emerald pupils twinkled and sparked at what he had just heard.

"A boy…" He echoed, amazed at the feeling. A smile tugged at his features, it hurt Abby even more to see him so happy. "I…A son?"

Abby nodded, completely lost at what to say. She was supposed to hate him, a restraining order, an AVO…she was supposed to be kicking him out… Wallabee…Kuki…Nigel…Cree…the baby…everything flashed in her mind, nothing made sense, she didn't know what to do….She had no idea how to get through this…what would happen next. All she knew was when Dingo wrapped his arms around her in an emotional hug; she had no idea what the hell was wrong with her. She just hugged him back, her eyes wide with hurt. Hurt at what she had probably caused to a lot of people she loved.

_How the hell…_ She couldn't help but wonder. _Am I supposed to get out of this one? _

* * *

_Well my secrets out...I am a 90s child... Which means yes... *hangs head in shame* I am a Disney lover...remember all of the Lion King off by heart :)_

_Ooo, also...for Trent lovers, don't worry...his side will come into play..._

_...As well as Patton lovers ;)_


	17. Chapter 17: Yours, Mine and Ours

_A/N: 50...freakin'...pages_

_*Faints*_

_Anyways, I hope you all love and enjoy :) _

_-x-_

_What keeps me writing..._

Laurie43: _Aw (: I'm glad you like it! And I love your rambles of excitement :P Hopefully You enjoy the update :D I love hearing your opinions! Yeeee! :D_

SwAlLoWiNg DaNtE: _Lol, I do love them :P Thanks for reading, I hope you like the update (: _

Joydream: _Hehe, I hope the this is worth the wait :P_

1000GreenSun: _:D Thank you! I hope you like the update :P Let me know what you think (:_

NinjaxTurtles: _(: I'm glad you like Dodge, he's one of my favourites to write about :P I love rambling too! I hope you enjoy the update (:_

Apples Go Boom: _Lol! I'm glad you love Fanny and Dodge (: I thought they wouldn't be popular when I first came up with the idea...oh well how things turn out! :D Enjoy the update and let me know what you think ;)_

Lexi: _Gah! I love Mulan, she is the best! Oh and The Little Mermaid too of course...well I can ramble all day :D Thank you for your lovely review, and in answer to your question...I'm not sure..Depending on it's popularity I guess, but I would loooove to do like a sequel, spin-off or even prequel. Enjoy the update :)_

suave sway: _Lol, better grab some snacks or something, because this is another hu-uge update! :P Enjoy :D_

simi838 : _Wew! Hercules has to be my number one fav, I still watch it all the time :P "What, is my hair out?" ;) Pokemon=always legendary (squirtle! squirtle!) Enjoy ;)_

super ario: _Lol, I'm not quite a genius, but I do try and pretend sometimes :P I love your reviews and I hope you can get through this chapter! Enjoy :D_

Numbuh 321 : _Ah, and yet more drama coming soon :P I hope you enjoy the update! :P Let me know what you think :D_

hellopandaluver: _Hehe, your reviews are always so full of energy, it peps me up :D I hope you like this chapter just as much :P If you can get through it ;)_

* * *

Trent grumbled and moaned as he was pulled out of his slumber, his eyelids pulling apart with difficulty as he rose, rubbing the crusty sleep still clinging to his eyes. His head throbbed and his muscles ached, his body feeling heavy and throbbing with dull pain that ached all over. He groaned louder, his arm stretching out across the crisp white sheets to feel the girl lying beside him. He stiffened and his eyes sprang back open. He snarled, his hand fisting the sheet beneath him.

She wasn't there.

He kicked angrily against the sheets and stumbled out of bed, grinding his teeth angrily. With heavy stomping he ripped open his bedroom door and made his way into the living room, his muscles tensing as he stiffened, eyes narrowing at the sight he dreaded most.

Bandit was spread out along the couch, his legs dangling over the arm and his head in the centre. An empty cereal bowl was balanced on his chest and it rose and fell with his breathing. Mushi was next to him, her slim legs folded into a delicate sitting position. The two barely noticed him approach, they were too busy immersed in what looked like _Aladdin. _Trent gnashed his teeth, squeezing his eyes closed and opening them again. He tried to suppress his anger the best he could, but it was very difficult. He stormed over, his grey eyes staring into Bandit's ocean blue ones with intense coldness.

"What the _fuck…" _Trent hissed to his friend dangerously as Bandit looked up, his eyes widening as Trent leered over him threateningly. "Is this?"

"Aladdin." Bandit explained innocently, his eyes blinking sweetly at his friend. He frowned. "You know that movie with the genie-"

"I_ know_." Trent spat, snarling. "What I don't know is why you're watching it. You're acting like a complete _fag."_

"Hey." Bandit growled defensively. "This is a classic movie!"

"_Whatever." _Trent growled dangerously, biting down fiercely on his tongue and stomping over to the fridge. He pulled the door open with such force that it tottered where it stood. Mushi stiffened, her and Bandit exchanging knowing looks.

"_He's not exactly a morning person…" _Bandit muttered lowly. They both cringed as they heard another one of Trent's threatening snarls.

_"Stupid…fucking…piece of shit…open you goddamn-" _They heard a crash and a crunch and looked over to see that Trent had flung an unfortunate box of cereal onto the floor and was now stomping on it angrily.

"That better not be the Lucky Charms!" Bandit snarled, rising. "So help _you_ if it is…"

"Shutup!" Trent growled furiously, pounding his fist on the counter and snarling. He then began to whine and groan pathetically, cradling his head in his hands. "My head is fucking KILLING ME!"

Bandit rolled his eyes and relaxed back on the couch, turning back to the movie. "You should have thought of that last night, idiot."

Trent groaned in agony, too stubborn to work up a good enough retort. He buried his forehead in his arms, becoming a pathetic, slackened figure slouched against the counter. Mushi swallowed, the room overcome with a thick silence (apart from the movie and Trent's occasional whimpers of pain). She looked over, her lips crinkling guiltily. Even though at times she thought she had grown to despise who she knew as Jack, she felt like she was the only one there for him…In fact, she thought herself as a sort of motherly role in the household. She drummed her fingers against her knee in a preoccupied way, feeling guilty. She hesitated before glancing over her shoulder again, her face laced with sympathy.

She gave in, pushing herself off the couch and tentatively walking over. Bandit frowned as he looked up, his eyes following her path. She approached Trent, her eyes wide and cautious. Bandit watched as one of her dainty hands reached out to stroke Trent's broad shoulders. He stiffened as her voice cooed to him gracefully and sweetly.

_"Are you okay?" _She murmured to him, her palm travelling in circles across his tense back muscles. Trent froze, looking up with suspicion. His muscles immediately relaxed, as did his face. He seemed completely taken aback at Mushi's expression, her eyes widening cutely as she looked so concerned about him. He drank this in, and all of a sudden his expression morphed into one of complete agony.

"Ugh…" He groaned sadly, eyes rolling to the back of his head and his lips protruding into a pathetic pout. He buried his face back into his arms. "No…I'm in so much pain…I feel _so _sore…"

"Aw…" Mushi weakened with sympathy for the boy, maybe it was her empathetic streak that she'd picked up from her sister, because she couldn't help but gently stroke Trent's muscular back. She reached out her other hand to brush his long fringe out of his face. Her fingernails tickled his face and he couldn't help but softly moan at her gentle touches. Egged on, Mushi smiled sweetly as she ran her fingernails across his back, tickling him sweetly. Trent grinned at her caring touches, the innocence she was radiating as she tried, in her own soft-hearted way, to take away his pain. Bandit noticed his grip tightening dangerously on the bowl he was holding, so tight his knuckles had paled to a pure white.

"Does that feel better?" Mushi asked curiously, running her long nails across his shoulders. Trent nodded, his eyes closed and his thoughts lost in his own bliss.

"Much better…" He moaned to her, smiling proudly. "You're really good at that…"

Mushi blushed shyly as her fingernails glided across his tight shirt. "Thanks." She grinned. "My sister used to do this to me…" She drew circular patterns, moving closer to him as she trailed those light tickles down his muscular arms. "It always made me feel better…"

The room fell into a thick silence again, all Bandit could hear was Trent's satisfied little mewls and moans and his own grinding teeth. He didn't know why it was pissing him off so much, but the thought of Mushi's dainty hands all over Trent and Trent milking the attention for all it was worth, made him want to strangle someone. He could practically feel Trent's smugness at Mushi's naivety.

_"Hold on a sec…" _

Bandit's eyes flickered over to see Trent pulling his shirt over his head, tossing it to one side carelessly and resuming his position with what sounded like a pained groan. "Now do it…"

Mushi gave a sweet, tinkling smirk before resuming her position, her fingers dancing across Trent's naked back- his tanned skin, thick muscle and a couple of his tattoos, the few scrawls of song lyrics, a sparrow across his shoulder, a tribal one across his arm, his last name down his side and a colourful shoulder sleeve. Trent gave another grateful moan as his back arched up towards her hands, a few goosebumps adorning his skin. Mushi held in a giggle as she ran her fingers across his shoulder blades.

"Do you want it hard?" She suddenly asked him. Both Bandit and Trent jumped at that.

"Huh?" Trent asked, looking up at her with his eyes wide. Mushi gave a small chuckle, her thumbs running across his tense neck.

"Like a massage…" She explained softly, frowning as she pushed her fingers harder against the knotted parts of his shoulders. "You're really tense; do you want me to get these knots out?"

"Oh…" Trent couldn't help but smirk as he lowered his head again. He sighed, hoping to keep up a pathetic figure. "Yeah…I've been kinda sore and tense for a while…I'd love that…"

Mushi obliged happily, leaning forward to rub his shoulders and rewarded with another moan. Bandit looked down in alarm as he saw the spoon he had been gripping in his hands completely bent at a 90 degree angle. He released it, flexing his tense hands and letting out a deep sigh, folding his arms over his broad chest in an almost childlike way. He focused on the TV, his eyes narrowing.

_I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous._

_"Right there…" _Trent sighed in ecstasy as Mushi reached a particularly sore spot in his shoulder. He moaned, grinning serenely as Mushi's body pressed against his, leaning over to get to both shoulders. "Mmm…_that feels so good…"_

Bandit snarled bitterly, biting down on his tongue fiercely to hold back an outburst.

* * *

Abby snuggled into Dingo's hard chest, the tears drying on her face and her sobs subsiding as Dingo's fingers stroked at her face, his other hand hold her body to his. His eyes were half closed in relaxation as he rested his chin atop of her head, taking in her sweet, familiar scent. He cuddled her close as he brushed his cheek against her silky hair, sighing happily. He was in nirvana, paradise, heaven; he didn't want to be anywhere else.

"You have to go…" She sighed in defeat, pulling her head up. He was ripped from his stupor, left blinking in mild shock as Abby broke away from his loving hold. She looked up at him guiltily, her face full of emotion. Her hair, still damp from her shower, dripped slowly onto her bare shoulders, droplets of water running down her tanned skin. He struggled to stay focused. "I have to go soon…" She muttered faintly, looking down at the floor. She felt confusion and shame overwhelm her as his wide eyed gaze looked at her suspiciously, his head tilting to one side as he watched her.

"I mean it, Abby…" He whispered to her, sniffing. "I really am sorry."

"I know…" She assured him quietly.

"Then why do you look so scared of me?" He asked her, his throat constricting with his own fear. She shook her head, her eyes welling with tears once more.

"I'm not."

"You're scared of something." He retorted strongly, gripping her hand in his. She tugged away weakly, but he merely tightened his grip. His eyes narrowed at the look of complete helplessness and fear on her face- her eyes were wide and dewy, refusing to look at him, her lips trembled and her whole body was shaking. She couldn't lie to him. He pulled her closer and gripped her shoulders protectively, his eyes narrowing. He looked fierce, but his voice was gentle. "What's scaring you?"

"Nothing!" She bit back, pulling away. "I-I just-"

"Don't lie to me, Abby." Dingo snarled gently in return, closing the gap between them. "I can tell when you're lying."

"I'm not lying."

"You are."

"I'm not!" She hissed at him, finally looking into his face. A troubled frown tainted her face and she shook her head, turning away from him and retreating to her room. "Just leave."

She gasped in sudden surprise as Dingo grabbed her hips and pulled her back into him possessively, his lips pressing against her ear.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's up." He growled into her ear.

"Dingo, you attacked me!" She yelled back, fighting his grip. She pulled away from him, but his hand still clung to hers. She glared up at him, unable to stop the tears flowing. "I just found out you have this whole past of drugs and crime that I never knew about! The father of my baby is known as a common criminal! He's not the dream guy I thought he was! So EXCUSE ME-" She panted heavily, her eyes narrowing at him, but her voice dropped to a dull whisper as she saw the look of pain and hurt on his face. "-If I'm not feeling 100%, okay?"

Dingo looked furious with himself. A few minutes ago everything was fine, and now he felt right back where he was when he started. He twisted his lips, ready to give a furious reply, but Abby talked over him.

"Please, for once." Abby sighed, her eyes wide. "Can you just…leave me by myself?"

Dingo's form weakened, he looked ready to give into her demands. Abby turned on her heel and strode over to her bedroom door, but once again she could feel his hard body behind her, his muscular arms wrapping around her stomach. She stiffened as his warm breath left goosebumps over her shoulders, his hands clutched her swelling stomach possessively.

"I'll find out what's up, Abby." Dingo whispered to her softly. "I just hope you know that."

He planted a kiss on her damp shoulder and walked away, angry and hopeful thoughts waning in his mind. Abby froze, unable to move as he left her. His body warmth had gone, and all she was left with was the cold breeze chilling her damp skin and an engulfing feeling of complete guilt.

* * *

Fanny sucked on her spoon happily as she let the cool taste of peppermint and chocolate sweeten her tongue. She gazed at her empty bowl sadly as she retracted her utensil, licking her lips. Her eyes lifted to look at Patton sitting across from her, who was gazing at her with a smug look in his dark, almost black bottomless eyes.

"What?" She asked him, chewing on her plastic spoon. He shook his head at her, his gaze lowering to look at his own almost empty cup of ice cream. Fanny smirked and hesitated, but quickly leaned over and stole a small scoop from his cup, propping the spoon back on her tongue.

"Hey!" Patton snarled at her, but a smile still remained on his lips. Fanny winked back at him mischievously. They had spent the last half an hour catching up, discussing everything from work, school and friendships. It was as if they had never been separated, and both seemed grateful at their renewed connection.

"Too slow." She dismissed, snickering as she continued to chew on her spoon. Patton smirked at her in return, folding his arms across the table and leaning forward. He continued to catch himself staring at her for long periods of time, and was starting to get anxious that she would notice. Fanny didn't seem to; however, she was looking out the window onto the College campus, her eyes half lidded.

"Am I boring you?" He asked her, giving her a sly smirk. Fanny looked over, her lined eyes widening. Patton couldn't help but notice how feminine she seemed, compared to the tomboy she was all through school. Her lashes flared out as if she was wearing mascara, framing her dark irises nicely. Her skin looked smooth and sunkissed, dotted with a few cute freckles she still possessed from childhood. Her long hair waved down elegantly to her arms, covering her slender shoulders and neck.

"No…" She muttered back, shaking her head slightly. "I'm just tired…from working and school all the time…it gets a bit hectic…"

Patton nodded, his crystal white teeth flashing as he smirked at her knowingly. "I know the feeling…"

_Just do it. _He snarled to himself. _Just ask her. _

A nervous chill went through him as he straightened, clearing his throat. Fanny suddenly frowned, a troubled look gracing her face as she reached into her leather jacket pocket, flipping open her cell phone. She swore to herself under her breath.

"What?"

"My phone…" She muttered darkly, rolling her eyes. "It's on silent. I'm so stupid, I must have left it like that when I was studying last night." She tilted her head with confusion. _8 missed calls and 3 voicemails? Who'd want to talk to me this badly?_

She had to let out a small chuckle as she realised it was all Dodge. He'd called her a number of times, all in a space of 10 minutes. She had to admire him for that one.

"Is there a problem?" Patton asked, his brow furrowing as he gazed at her with concern. Fanny looked up at him, her smile still in place.

"No, it's okay…" She muttered, closing it and putting it in her lap. "Just…" She shook her head. "Nothing."

_"Hey Fanny."_

She looked up at the quiet voice, her eyes widening as Wally and Kuki stood next to their table, looking thoroughly upset. Fanny looked down with mild relief to see that their hands were still clutching, indicating they were still a couple. She smiled at them sweetly, her eyes wide.

"Hey Wallabee…hey Kuki."

Kuki gave her a shy wave, her eyes looking bloodshot and still slightly teary. Fanny thought it best not to point it out. Wally gave a curt nod to Patton too, who returned it with an understanding smile.

"I need to talk to you guys tonight…" Wally muttered off-handedly, looking down sheepishly. "Like…all of the gang…tonight."

Fanny frowned, but nevertheless nodded. "Yeah…sure. Where?"

"I dunno…" He muttered, shrugging. "Dorm rooms? Maybe…6?"

"Sure…" Fanny gave him a small smile. "Want me to pass on the message?"

"If you don't mind…" He muttered. Fanny noticed Kuki's hand giving his a small squeeze. He gave her one in return. "I gotta go…"

"Yeah, that's alright." Fanny replied, giving him a sweet smile. "Don't worry, I got it covered."

"I knew you would." He gave her a sheepish smile in return. "I'll see you guys later."

"See ya." Fanny muttered, an awkward blush appearing on her cheeks. The couple walked out, Wally's shaky arm wrapping around Kuki's shoulders. Fanny watched them go with slight suspicion, her eyes narrowing. "They get weirder and weirder…" She whispered back to Patton, rolling her eyes. "…I hope they're okay." She added as an afterthought. Patton nodded, his attention turning back to her.

"Anyway.." He muttered, his throat seeming to restrict again. He coughed awkwardly, his black eyes gazing into her wide brown orbs. "Uh…Fanny…the reason I came back…"

"I was going to ask you about that!" Fanny suddenly sighed, slapping her hand onto the table and rolling her eyes. A goofy smile radiated on her face as she grinned at him. "It completely slipped my mind."

He chuckled at her, his laugh fading nervously as she leaned forward, her eyebrows rising cattily.

"So…what are you doing back?" She asked, her teeth biting down on those luscious lips of hers. Patton stiffened as the urge to kiss her flooded into him. He wanted nothing more than to reach over and grab those smooth shoulders and smash his lips into hers, feel the warmth of her tongue…the taste of her lip balm..._She'd never wear gloss, it was always too girly..._

"Patton?" She waved her hand in front of his face, a playful grin on her face. He shook himself out of his stupor.

"Uh…yeah…" He bit his lip awkwardly, looking around the suddenly crowded shop. He shifted nervously in his chair. "Do you…wanna leave?"

Fanny shrugged her shoulders and rose from her chair. "Yeah…sure." Patton followed her, his muscular legs trembling with sudden nerves and his hands shaking anxiously. He followed her out into the college grounds. Fanny stepped ahead, wrapping her jacket closer around her form. Patton's eyes flickered downward. He couldn't help it, he had to watch her butt as she walked ahead of him cheerfully, her hips flicking from side to side sensually.

"So…" He jumped to attention as Fanny suddenly turned on her heel, walking backwards while talking to him. "Why did you come back?"

Patton smirked at her cheekily, tugging on his beanie. "Why do you want to know?"

Fanny scoffed, blowing her fringe upwards as she playfully punched his arm. "You're such a tease, Pat."

Patton laughed, grabbing her arm softly as she went to shove him again. The two happily shoved each other playfully, wrestling and laughing on the freshly cut grass of her college quad. Patton's dark eyes danced playfully as he watched his former best friend laugh hysterically at their antics, taking him back to their old high school days, playing like foolish teenagers on the football field during gym. He wanted that again, and when Fanny straightened up and gave her last few giggles, he couldn't tear his gaze away from her.

"You…look great, Fan." He flattered her, a wide grin spreading across his face. Fanny giggled at the compliment; Patton had never heard her giggle before. She never seemed so…lighthearted.

"So do you." She replied, smiling sweetly. He looked up at her hopefully, nibbling on his bottom lip. He drew in a breath, his muscles tensing, and-

Fanny yelped as she was grabbed from behind by a pair of muscular arms. She looked around in alarm before gaping, her wide eyed stare narrowing into suspicious slits as a pair of icy blue eyes gazed back at her mischievously, her body held against a hard, muscular toned one. Patton's own eyes widened in shock before he noticed the Irish girl let out a tinkling laugh, much different to any he had heard before. He stiffened as she turned around fully, embracing the stranger behind her in a huge hug.

"Dodge!" She snarled at him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Patton seemed to freeze up as the stranger's deep light blue eyes darkened at him, giving him an icy cold glare. Fanny released him, her arms instead wrapping around his waist. "What are you doing here?"

Dodge shrugged moodily, his own arms wrapping around his girlfriend's waist possessively as he eyed his opponent out of the corner of his eye.

"No reason, Babe." He grinned at her sweetly. "Just wanted to see you."

She couldn't help but grin as he kissed her full on the mouth, his kisses much more passionate and heated than usual. She pushed him away lightly, her eyes rolling upward for a brief second. She gripped his hand and led him to her friend, smirking. Patton stared back in surprise, a deep frown on his face.

"Patton." She scoffed. "Sorry…this is my boyfriend, Dodge."

_Boyfriend? _The words were foreign, and seemed to hit the young man with such force he felt breathless. He stared at the guy beside Fanny, the one with his arms all over her, his chin on her shoulder, his eyes fierce and cold…almost daring him to say something. Patton's own eyes narrowed at Dodge's cold glare, and he could tell Dodge saw him as clear competition. He saw Dodge's arms tighten around Fanny's slim waist.

"Oh…" Patton muttered coolly, his eyebrows rising as he gazed back innocently. "Well…" He hesitated, thinking he'd rather run across the Sahara Desert barefoot than say the next words that were about to come out of his mouth…but Fanny was watching him closely, those twinkling orbs were expectant. "Pleased to meet you." He spat out.

Dodge wrinkled his nose, his own eyes looking away as he held his precious girl close.

"Hm."

He held in a yelp as Fanny gave him a very swift and very inconspicuous nudge with her elbow, her eyes narrowing at him subtly.

"You too." He muttered back darkly, his head resting on her slim shoulder. Patton stared back at him with dislike. He didn't like him; he didn't like anything about Fanny's _boyfriend. _His skin was a light tan, his brown hair was shaggy and hung in his face, morning stubble was visible on his rugged features and those deep icy blue eyes freaked him out slightly. He was wearing a tight grey shirt, visible under a navy zip-up hoodie, and baggy, ripped jeans that clung to his hips. He looked like a regular designer clad delinquent, a slacker- the exact opposite of what Patton was. Patton could almost feel the vomit work its way up his throat. He could tell he and Dodge wouldn't get along one bit.

_What the Hell was going through Fanny's mind when she picked THIS guy?_

Dodge stared back with equal hatred. This guy was clear competition, the worse thing being that Patton wasn't the regular wimpy loser he could deal with. He looked strong and composed, standing straight and tall with maturity- something Dodge still struggled to grasp. He stood with his arms folded across his chest, his anger hidden under the stony expression on his face.

_Where the fuck did THIS guy come from?_

Fanny sighed deeply, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway…" She muttered, running a few fingers down Dodge's arm, which was still wrapped around her possessively. "What are you going to do today, Patton?"

Patton shrugged moodily, his mood completely turned around as he looked away sulkily, attempting to look careless.

"Dunno." He scoffed, raising his eyebrows. A sudden thought entered his mind, and he looked at her expectantly. "Are you doing anything?"

Fanny pursed her lips thoughtfully. She was about to reply when she froze. Dodge had begun to kiss her neck sweetly; trailing delicate butterfly kisses across her skin. Patton stiffened, his hands curling into frustrated fists as Dodge ran intimate affections across her slender neck, his eyes wide and watching him. Patton snarled at him. Patton could tell…Dodge was challenging him...

_Mine._

"Dodge!" Fanny scoffed, half-heartedly wrestling away from her boyfriend's kisses. "S-stop! You're tickling me!"

"I can't help it." He pouted back, those wide eyes gazing at her innocently.

Fanny rolled her eyes, turning back to Patton, who was still glaring at Dodge with a hard look in his black eyes, like burning pits of black coal. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead frowned at the tinkling chime of song all three of them heard. It was a familiar pop beat, mixed with well known lyrics. All three of them stiffened at the music, frowning.

"_Fighting evil by moonlight…  
Winning love by daylight,  
Never running from a real fight  
She is the one named Sailor Moon…"_

Dodge scoffed, his eyebrows rising. "What the fuck is that?"

"Dodge…" Fanny smirked, turning to him. "Is that your phone?"

"Is that the _Sailor Moon_ theme song?" Patton asked, smirking widely.

Dodge froze, his eyes widening. His cheeks burning, he fumbled around for his phone, angry thoughts of what he would do to his friends once he found out who had changed his ringtone…_again. _

_"She will never turn her back on a friiieend,  
She is always there to defend…"_

Dodge angrily shut it off, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Sorry…" He muttered darkly, putting it to his ear and retreating a few steps to answer, but not before sending Patton a fierce glare. He turned around, snarling into the receiver.

_"Bandit!" _Fanny heard him growl. _"Did you change my ringtone AGAIN? I'll goddamn kill you!"_

Fanny grinned to herself. "Sorry about him…" She muttered, chuckling. "He can come off as a little fierce."

"I noticed that…" Patton said delicately, watching her face closely. She didn't seem to flinch, her expression still held that amused grin. "I don't think he likes me very much…"

Fanny shrugged, uncaring. "He's alright …" She smirked back. She glanced at the watch on her wrist and Patton did the same, cursing to himself.

"Crap…" He mumbled, genuinely disgruntled. "I forgot about seeing my parents."

Fanny scoffed, her eyebrows disappearing into her auburn bangs. "You haven't visited your parents yet?"

"Nope." Patton scoffed. "I stayed in Hoagie's dorm room last night."

"Classy." Fanny chuckled, but brought him into a friendly hug. Patton stiffened, he couldn't help but feel himself tense at being pressed against her curvy body, smelling her close up and feeling her soft skin against his…_No wonder Dodge holds her so close…_

"I'll see you later then…" She grinned at his dazed expression as she let go, waving her hand in front of his face. He somehow jerked himself out of his stupor, giving her a lazy grin.

"Yeah…" He muttered, struggling to think clearly. His head was still clouded from her sweet scent and his body still tingled from her closeness. "I guess…I guess I'll see you then huh?"

"Yeah…" Fanny smirked as he stumbled off, walking across the quad with his hands dug deep into his cargo pants.

_"Prick."_

She turned around to see that Dodge had gotten off the phone, and was now standing behind her with an irritated look on his rugged features, his blue eyes stormy and his lips twisted into an irritated scowl.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Who?"

Dodge shot a look at the retreating back of Patton, but resisted uttering his name.

"That was Bandit." He mumbled. "I have to go in for a few quick repair jobs, apparently Mack took on too many and some dickhead's called in sick." He rolled his eyes and pouted moodily. "Meaning I can't hang out with you now…"

"That's okay." Fanny chuckled at his sulky expression, the way his bottom lip protruded into a cute pout made him seem less dark and brooding…the best part being he didn't even know he was doing it. She bit her lip. "I have class soon anyway; I'll be out in a couple of hours…"

Dodge brightened, a sly smirk crossing his features. "I guess you're all mine then, huh?"

"Depending…" Fanny gave him a stern look, suddenly punching him in the arm. He held in a yelp, wincing. That girl can _hit._

_"Ow." _He hissed at her, frowning. "What was _that_ for?"

"You." She growled, still grinning. "And your death glares."

Dodge snarled at her moodily, his arms folding across his chest in defence. "What are you talking about?"

Fanny rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me…" She scoffed. "I could see you, glaring at Patton."

"I wouldn't have to glare if he wasn't watching you in the first place…" Dodge muttered airily, looking around him innocently. "That's all I'm saying…"

Fanny bit her lip, holding in a cocky smirk. "Are you…" She tried to ignore the small excited flutter in her chest . She never thought she'd have to say this to a boy. _"Jealous?"_

Dodge bit his tongue thoughtfully, shuffling on the spot. He hesitated, then possessively wound his arms around her form, pulling her into his chest and giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Yep." He said simply, no beating around the bush. He had no time for pride when it came to people ogling what was his. He smirked. "If he touches you, I'll kill him."

Fanny's own smirk widened, closing her eyes in composure as she leaned against his hard chest. She didn't even bother with the excuses that her and Patton were just friends, because the look Dodge was giving her basically said it all. She knew that look of plain stubbornness and pride.

"Understood."

* * *

Hoagie sat by the fountain moodily, his notes lying forgotten in his lap and his attention instead on his iPod, clamped within his hand as he scanned through his songs moodily, his earphones blasting the familiar beats of his favourite music. He was so immersed within his deep thinking, driven by the easy rhythms now echoing in his ears, that he almost jumped out of his skin when he received a delicate tap on the shoulder. He gasped, his heart thumping and his blue eyes wide as he gazed into the familiar gaze of Rachel, grinning down at him with amusement.

"Sorry…" She muttered, holding back a snigger as Hoagie pulled his earphones out in annoyance. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't." Hoagie muttered quickly, winding his earphones gently around his iPod and stuffing it in his bag. Rachel took this as a gesture of accommodation, taking it that her head wasn't about to be bitten off by her stormy looking friend. He turned back to his notes. "What is it, Rachel?"

Rachel plodded down beside him, settling herself in the cut grass and folding her legs neatly. She observed him through those wide hazel eyes, and Hoagie got the distinct feeling of being x-rayed with those wide eyes.

"I was just wondering how you were…" She mumbled delicately. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages."

"Yeah well…" Hoagie grumbled, turning back to the grass beneath him and pulling out a few blades. "I've been busy."

Rachel watched him silently as he ripped out a couple of blades of grass.

"I have a favour to ask you."

His eyes, shielded by the thick glass of his sunglasses, turned to her, his eyebrows disappearing into his long, shaggy brown bangs. He was listening.

"I want…to get the group back together…" She muttered lamely, the words coming out less-impressive than it sounded in her head. She rolled her eyes. "You know, it feels kinda like we're drifting apart. I want to bring us back to the good ol' times, like childhood memories and stuff from high school."

"So…what do you want me to do?" Hoagie asked, snarling. He hoped Rachel wasn't planning anything lame to bring unity to the group of friends. She was always the one throwing parties and planning outings for the group to go to…kind of like an annoying Aunt. Hoagie wrinkled his nose in distaste as Rachel gave him a quick growl.

"Nothing lame like that!" She muttered, gently punching him as she read his expression. "I mean like a night where we can get together and view some stuff from childhood like…pictures and stuff, or videos…you know, flashing back to old times to…regain some of the stuff we lost…"

She was losing steam, and she knew it. She'd been so enthusiastic about the idea, and knew the one guy who could help her (seeing as she barely knew how to work her DVD player, nevertheless a computer). She had been worried for her friends, who at a young age had stuck together through school and helped each other through thick and thin, but yet they seemed to be crumbling through college, and she didn't want to lose the bond they had strengthened over the years.

She sighed. She was still a leader.

"So will you help me?"

Hoagie rolled his eyes, grateful the blond couldn't see passed his shades. "Sure, Rach." He mumbled back coldly. "What you want is a hunky-dory happy happy slideshow crap of happy times we've had together."

Rachel glared at him, her lids narrowing dangerously. "That would be the point. What's up your butt?"

"Nothing." Hoagie snarled, but his headache pounded with pain. He winced pushing a couple of fingers into his temples.

"You can't lie." Rachel growled. "Ever since that whole club fiasco a couple of weeks ago you've been off in your own world. You seem like a totally different person."

"I'm not." Hoagie growled, but his looks deceived him. His hair was messy, tangled and tough, hanging in his face limply. His eyes had lost their natural cunning brightness and his skin was pale, his form slumped. "Don't worry, Rach-"

"Of course I worry!" Rachel said, her eyes wide. "We all worry about you! You take this stupid job and hang out with these guys we don't even know, hanging out with these dodgy guys, then all of a sudden you're with the very person who broke you and Fanny up in the first place-"

"I get it, Rach." Hoagie groaned. Rachel stopped mid-rant, not because Hoagie sounded so fierce and threatening, but because he sounded so defeated. He sighed, looking down in mild shame. "I know, I…I was just pushed over the edge with Fanny leaving, I know that now…"

"Well-" Rachel was taken aback at Hoagie's reflection, she had been prepared for his usual stubbornness. "Well…" She rolled her eyes in thought. "Y-yeah, I guess I understand that…" She leaned over and gave him a friendly pat on the back. "But we're all here for you Hoagie, you know that right?"

"Yeah…" He muttered, giving her a quick smile. The truth was his head was already swimming with thought. _I'll drop Bonny, she's just annoying. And maybe with the gang coming back together and partying it'll be the perfect time to tell Abby…Wally won't mind will he? I mean he and Kuki are together now…_

_"Hoagie?"_

He sat up, his eyes widening. Rachel snickered.

"So whaddya say? You in on helping me find lost memories?"

Hoagie smirked. "Course, Rach. Sounds like a great idea."

Rachel beamed.

* * *

Abby sat in class, her legs folded and her eyes wide, closely following everything her professor had to say. The more she concentrated…the more she seemed to get her mind off the constant stress she had to face once out of class. She jiggled her feet, gnawed on her lip, twirled her hair, scribbled notes…she was trying to put all her attention on her schoolwork, and so far it was paying off.

It seemed like the end of blissful daydream when her professor finally clapped his dry hands together, ridding of the chalk dust and giving his class a wide smile.

"That's all for today!"

Abby held in a groan as the pupils around her uttered small chattering of excitement and groans of annoyance at their new essay that had to produce as they gathered their supplies together and walked out. Abby gathered her stuff slowly, the ten page essay being the least of her worries. As she filed out, she scooped her phone out of her pocket, to her dismay 13 unread messages blinked back at her expectantly.

_From: Dingo (9:10AM)_

_Babe you know I meant it when I said I was sorry, right? I really did, I mean it! I can't lose you, answer your phone. You're really scaring me. I care about you a lot and I can't stand the thought of losing what we have. Call me when you get this, I don't want to bug you through a text message but I wanna let you know I'll always be here for you and I'll do anything to make it up to you xxx_

_From: Fanny (9:16AM)_

_Hey Gang! Wally wants us to meet up tonight in the dorm common room, about 6. Let me know if you can come, it sounded pretty urgent. _

_From: Dingo (9:34AM)_

_And I love you, I don't know if I said that before… x_

_From: Cree (9:41AM)_

_HEY EVERYONE! DON'T FORGET MY BACHELORETTE PARTY THIS FRIDAY NITE! HOPE 2 SEE YOU THERE XXXX _

_From: Wally (10:03AM)_

_I asked everyone to meet tonight to tell them…_

_From: Nigel (10:17AM)_

_Hey Abby, I didn't get a chance to talk to you last night and I know you're in class…how did it go? Did you tell Wallabee? What's going on? N x_

_From: Mom (10:24AM)_

_Just your mother checking up on you. How are you? Is baby okay? Are you drinking enough fluids? Remember your dairy…I think I'm getting the hang of this texting thing! Love, Mom xoxo_

_From: Cree (10:39AM)_

_Abs are you coming to my party Friday Night or will you be too overworked? It may help you work off some stress…_

_From: Rachel (10:44AM)_

_Hey Abby girl! Didn't see you last night, you okay? x_

_From: Rachel (10:46AM)_

_Oh, and are you going to that thing tonight? What's up with Wal?_

_From: Fanny (10:52AM)_

_U kno whats up with Kuki and Wally? They seemed upset when I just saw them :s_

_From: Maurice (10:58AM)_

_Hey Abs, just wanted to know how you were. Are you okay? Dw about the whole Dingo thing, I'll make sure he stays away from you. Call me when you get a chance xo_

_From: Dingo (11:00AM)_

_Please pick up Babe. This is killing me x_

Abby groaned loudly, collapsing against the brick wall and sighing deeply. Cree's stupid bachelorette party, a couple of days before the wedding…how could she forget? She ran a hand through her hair. A 'meeting' tonight, is that what Wally called it? A little 'discussion' over how she had a bun in the oven? She growled to herself. And Dingo…and Maurice, what was she to do?

_Great. _She grumbled inwardly. _All I have to look forward to the next couple of days… Makeup, assignments, dresses, weddings, weird looks from my friends, this stupid guilt…_

Abby swallowed the lump in her throat as she pushed herself from the wall. She knew it had to be soon…she knew she had to tell them…everyone. Soon everyone will know only half the story. She chewed on her lip, only vaguely aware she was drawing blood.

_Why are you being so stupid about this, Abigail? _She scolded herself. _Why is it suddenly so hard? You never used to be like this…It shouldn't be too hard! You got yourself in a situation… _At this, she suddenly felt like crying again. _The truth has to be told! Wally and everyone must know!_

She sighed again, making her way to her dorm. She held her books close to her chest, her lips encasing around the hard cover in thought. She put a hand to her stomach as she went, and the gentle nudging against her palm seemed to soothe her. She couldn't help it, every time she seemed overworked or overstressed about the entire debacle, the thought of her as a mother seemed to calm her down…the thought of her as a little family, a little bundle of joy to hold and love, cuddle and kiss…it seemed to make everything better.

_Maybe that's how Dingo thinks of it_… She wondered to herself.

She was so busy wondering along lost in her own thoughts that she completely missed her old friend wondering along doing the exact same thing. She glanced up just in time to see Hoagie smack into her, her hands automatically shielding her stomach. Hoagie blinked in alarm, his honey brown eyes glaring in confusion. His gaze softened, however, at meeting her deep dark chocolate irises, gazing up at him apologetically.

"Sorry." Abby sighed, giving him a shy smile. "I'm a walking disaster today."

"Never." Hoagie grinned back, pulling his earphones out and looking away as he realised his cheeks were practically on fire. He cursed himself inwardly. Abby was still the only girl who made him blush like he did, even after all these years he still felt the same as he did in Junior High whenever he'd spot her coming down the hall, her luscious hips swinging and her long braid swinging from side to side…

"Hoagie?" Abby asked, frowning. She felt like she hadn't spoken to Hoagie in so long, having been wrapped up in her own suffocating drama and pregnancy, she felt her friendships had suffered. Fear filled her as she wondered whether Hoagie didn't even want to be seen with her anymore…she couldn't afford to lose friends at a time like this… "You okay?"

"Wh-yeah!" He muttered, shaking his head and focusing back on her, a goofy grin locked in place. Even flustered, she still looked flawless to him. Her eyes, with dark shadows beneath them, still shone with warmth, her skin still radiated with happiness and her plump, chapped lips were curled into a beautiful smile, one that hadn't changed since she was ten. "Ah…what about you? How have you been?"

Abby shrugged, consciously pulling her heavy jacket around her bump. "…Not a real lot, really…"

"Are you going to that stupid 'meeting' thing tonight?" Hoagie joked with her, smirking. "The whole thing with Wally? What do you think that's about?"

"Uh…" Abby froze, her eyes widening. "Un-Well, I don't really-"

"Shouldn't be anything too serious…" Hoagie muttered conversationally, smirking. It had felt like weeks and weeks he hadn't had a proper conversation with his old friends. "Maybe he found another long lost sibling, huh?" He laughed at his own joke. Abby struggled to keep her face straight.

"Uh…" She twirled a strand of brown hair around her finger and hoisted her books up to her chest, hugging them close as she forced a light chuckle. "Yeah…maybe…"

The two fell into a thick silence, unsure of what to say next. Hoagie was virtually speechless, he was so overcome with seeing Abby again and talking to her like old times. He'd forgotten what it was like to be so taken with her, so jealous at Wally having her while he didn't…From Fanny to Bonny, it had been so long since he felt so connected with her, so open to the possibilities of maybe having her as his own. The thought warmed and excited him, it gave him the energy he didn't know he had.

_Abby and him…together…_

"I better go…" Abby sighed in defeat, giving Hoagie a sweet half-smile. "Lots of work to do, after all."

"Oh, yeah!" Hoagie smirked, pulling himself out of his stupor. "So I guess I'll see you tonight, huh?"

"I guess…" Abby shrugged, her stomach squirming nervously and her hands trembling. She tried not to think about it. Instead she gulped, guilt clouding her as she thought about telling Wally the truth….she should before tonight, shouldn't she? Then it would make it so much harder to tell everyone…once they knew then the lie would just spread more… She felt as if she would vomit just thinking about it. She cleared her throat. "I'll…catch you, Hoagie."

The two turned their separate ways, both immersed in their own thoughts.

* * *

Wallabee exited his class with a snarl in place. He was already at breaking point, he had to be pushed a little closer to the edge by being late to class. Now he had a mountain of assignments as well as the emotional stress he'd been forced to go through in the last day. He groaned in annoyance, kicking the ground beneath him in anger.

_What else can go wrong?_

He jumped to attention as he noticed a lone figure walking across the quad, her head bowed against the strong crisp winds whipping around her. Her long brown hair thrashed about around her, her hands gripped at her college books, but the thing that he was drawn to the most was her stomach, her coat blowing in the wind enough to expose the small bump that stood out against her grey shirt. He sighed, watching as Abby walked glumly from class, her eyes downcast and her figure slumped. He hated to think of what she thought of him, he hated to think she'd kept this secret all this time…she was his friend, and he watched her go with a hint of sadness and guilt at what he'd done to her.

But he couldn't shake the feeling of dull anger dwell within, almost annoyed at what she had done. Like she'd purposely ruined his relationship with Kuki. His entire body drooped with defeat. _Kuki… _the girl he'd worked so hard to make his, the girl he'd fought for, longed for…and yet one error, misjudgment… Kuki was right in thinking that Abby wasn't 'just' an ex, and what they had wasn't _just _the past…every action has a reaction… Wally groaned, feeling another headache come on.

A baby.

He gulped, trying to think of what to say that night to the rest of his friends.

* * *

Bandit didn't think he could hold out much longer. Admittedly, he could have left at any minute with any type of excuse, but yet he couldn't seem to move…he didn't want to leave. He kept shooting subtle glares out of the corner of his eye, but he doubted either of them noticed. He couldn't help it…he couldn't stop the growing hatred growing within him… even though he had no logical reason as to why…

Trent flexed his muscles lazily, stretching his arms out and over his head, coming to rest on the couch pillows behind him. He'd moved to the floor in front of the TV, resting in front of the couch. Mushi was behind him, still working away innocently at his back, gradually growing braver as she moved her fingers from his back, to his shoulders, to the neck to his wild hair, running her fingers through it affectionately. It made Bandit want to break something every time Trent gave one of those tiny little moans, his grey eyes drooping closed as she pampered him.

She was sitting behind him, her long glossy legs spread out on either side of him. Her sweatpants were rolled up to reveal her slim calves, and one of her feet was nestled in his lap, where he gently rubbed it with his callused fingers. Bandit tried hard not to notice their closeness or Mushi's innocent little giggles as Trent tickled and rubbed her feet, his head tilting to lean against her knee. Bandit growled to himself, tearing away from the scene and instead trying to immerse himself in cartoons.

He was so busy trying to get into his favourite programs that he almost jumped out of his skin, his heart racing a million miles a minute, as his phone suddenly chimed within his pocket, playing at the loudest volume the Harry Potter theme tune from the movie. Both Trent and Mushi snickered as he answered, scowling.

"What?"

A serious of snarls, curses, grunts and a few coughs came through, which pretty much signaled the fact that Mack was on the other end of the line, growling about how all four of them needed to come in for emergency repairs and a meeting, hinting at perhaps another stash coming in to sell. He hung up abruptly, Bandit only having paid attention to half of what he was saying. He sighed nevertheless, hanging up as he got the gist of what his boss was so pissed about.

"That was Mack." He said, a little louder than usual to get Trent's attention. "He wants us to come in."

_"Whaaaaat?"_ Trent whined, sounding exactly like a little kid. Bandit wrinkled his nose. Trent was playing the innocent card, playing to Mushi's naivety. And Bandit hated him for it.

"We have to go." Bandit grumbled grumpily, getting up and shoving a pillow in his general direction. Trent snarled at him as he caught it, throwing it to one side and stubbornly refusing to follow him. "To work, now!"

Trent pouted innocently, but his eyes were hard and glaring, his softness quickly dropping. He growled as he pushed up from the ground, slightly disappointed that Mushi let him.

"Fine." He snarled, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans and slouching in disappointment. "But you're drivin'."

"Fine, I'll take Dodge's car." Bandit huffed in return, grabbing his jacket. Trent's pouty attitude was actually starting to annoy him…and it took a lot to get on Bandit's nerves. He turned, his eyes narrowed. Trent was dawdling, stomping around in his socks and taking his time grabbing his sneakers, tousling his hair. "Dude! Move your ass!"

"Yeh, Yeh!" Trent snarled in return, slipping on his high tops. He stumbled backward into the couch. "Shit!"

Mushi giggled at him and Bandit fumed. Trent was purposely being cute to grab Mushi's attention. He growled in fury. "Come _on_!"

Trent rolled his eyes as Bandit gave up and opened the door, slamming it behind him. Mushi and Trent were left in a mildly awkward silence, Trent straightening to look at her with those wide, stormy grey eyes. Mushi blushed under that intense gaze, memories of the last time they were face to face coming into mind, the hickey was still visible on her neck.

"I'm sad now…" He said gently, his lip protruding into a pout. "I wanted to spend more time with you…"

Mushi gave a tinkling laugh. "Thanks…"

"You're really fun." Trent grinned. "Sorry if I was so hostile before…" His eyes seemed to sparkle mischievously. Mushi's eyes widened at the look of sweet concern on his face. "I didn't mean to scare you…"

"That's okay…" Mushi brightened, giving off one of her sister's famous sweet smiles. _I guess he isn't so bad…_

Trent gave a sheepish grin and amazingly broke away, a light blush gracing his pale cheeks. He never felt so stupid in front of a girl, usually he'd stray away from anything that made him feel stupid or inadequate, or crush it beneath him so he didn't have to deal with his feelings. Mushi was different, he didn't seem to feel as though he was in control of her, it was like she had her own way of making him feel inadequate. He bit his lip, looking back at her sheepishly. She had a radiance all of her own, he couldn't deny that.

He ran a few rough fingers down her soft cheeks. She blushed, but didn't flinch or look away. She gazed up at him with an innocent awe, her lips parting cutely. He couldn't hold back. He gripped the back of her head tightly and kissed her, straight on the lips and slipping in the tongue.

Mushi's eyes widened as Trent's closed, he loomed over her as he held her head in his hands, pushing her into the kiss. She had been kissed before, but innocent, sweet kisses with the hint of tongue, not what Trent called a 'full on pash'. She blinked, trying to get used to Trent's tongue swimming with hers. The feeling was incredible to her, so fast but yet so enduring, his taste was bitter but yet sweet, like a sour candy. Trent's lips were skilled against her amateur ones, his tongue guided hers as Mushi's own eyes closed, overwhelmed with the tangy taste he seemed to leave on her taste buds. He pulled back, gave her a quick peck on her chin before departing, his own head dazed over her sweet, tangy taste.

Bandit gave him a suspicious look as Trent joined him in the hall, an unnatural goofy grin on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" Bandit snarled at him.

"Nuthin'." Trent grinned widely, unable to stop.

* * *

Kuki sat alone at her desk, tapping her pen mindlessly against her blank piece of paper. She could barely think straight, let alone actually compose an assignment for class. She ran her fingers along the smooth pages of her textbook, nibbling on her lip and glancing over to her phone anxiously. Although it had only been an hour since she'd seen Wally, she was already anxious to see him again.

Both jealous and nervous emotions were dwelling within her, and nothing she could think could make them desist. She groaned, burying her face in her arms. She felt emotionally exhausted, feeling as though she had run a marathon with the amount of feelings she had surpassed in the last couple of hours.

She was shocked to hear Abby was pregnant, and had not yet seen her to talk to her about it. She was anxious, because in some ways she didn't want to face her friend who had been keeping this massive secret from her. She was angered as well, how could Abby do that? She was also afraid, she didn't want to lose Wally, then guilt came, she didn't want to steal Wally away from her… Then the simple disbelief overwhelmed her.

_Abby can't be pregnant…she can't._

But Wallabee's tears were real, and that was the most painful thing. She had hardly ever seen him cry, but this was genuine. Real fear and pain was echoing through him and all she could think of to do was comfort and be there for him. She raised her head, a few tears escaping from her closed lids.

But she couldn't deny the fear inside her…Her suspicions had been confirmed that now…Wally will never be _hers._

_Of course we'll be boyfriend and girlfriend… _She thought sadly. _He said he'll always love me…_

But then a baby came in, a family…Wally, only 19, being a father…his ex girlfriend's baby. She suddenly felt dirty, like she was the other woman.

_"It meant nothing…" _She could remember him saying about Abby and him being together. She sighed sadly, her usually bright eyes downcast. She knew, she knew deep down that Wally and Abby's relationship wasn't just going to go away, not after 3 years… There had to be something…

A baby.

She buried her head in her arms. There was no room for her in that happy little family scenario.

* * *

"Jack!"

Trent stiffened in alarm, swearing with pain as his hand painfully sizzled against the heat of the engine components. He turned to glare fiercely at Bandit, instead of his face he was met with a camera lens. Bandit chuckled, thrusting the camera forward to capture the look of intense fury on Trent's face.

"Say cheese!"

"Get that thing out of my face!" Trent snapped, his grey eyes burning as he pushed the camera away. "You find that thing after a month and automatically you're back to your annoying camera crew ways." He pushed passed him and stomped over to the toolbox, rummaging around for a spare spark plug. Bandit followed him, zooming in specifically on his face. Trent turned, snarling. "I mean it, Bando!"

Bandit had uncovered (after Dodge's constant nagging to clean up the staff room) his video camera, something long forgotten after a month. It had always been a passion of his to film everything he saw, including his friends' drunken adventures and many random occurrences that came to him. Instead of actually doing the work like Dodge and Trent did, he had spent his entire time going through old footage and filming new stuff, his bad mood completely erased at the thought of jumping around with a camera lens practically glued to his eye.

"Fine." Bandit pouted, shutting it with defeat. He looked at the camera in his palm thoughtfully, his eyes glazing over with thought. "I'm sure there's much other stuff to capture, anyway."

Trent suddenly smirked, an evil grin spreading across his lips. "Like we used to, huh?"

Bandit chuckled, his own glare mischievous. The front door opening caused them both to jump, alerted eyes travelling to the door with suspicion. A flurry of red hair relaxed them as they realized it was only Dodge's girlfriend gliding through the door, her radiant, clean looks completely conflicted against the dank and grubby atmosphere of the garage. Simultaneously, both Bandit and Trent gave her a quick once over, because even know they knew she was hands off…They could still look. They glanced back at each other in a split second, exchanging evil glances before turning back to her, innocent looks on their faces.

"Hey…" Fanny greeted, walking over. She walked through with ease, as though mechanics was no new environment for her. Even though she looked clean and tidy, she didn't fear dirt or grime. She gave them a friendly smile.

"Is Dodge here?"

"He'll be back…" Trent said delicately, running his eyes subtly over her slim legs. She had a few freckles on her knees, her skirt raised just enough to capture them perfectly. He bit back a smirk and looked away before he began drooling. Bandit was less subtle, his dark eyes were centered on her cleavage.

Luckily (for him) Fanny didn't seem to notice. She groaned quietly with annoyance and folded her arms across her chest. She had rushed out of class just out of eagerness at meeting her boyfriend, and when she arrived all she's met with was his two friends (and Trent she still wasn't sure about.) She mentally shrugged, assuring herself that there would be no needed awkwardness.

_Just start a conversation…_

"So…where is he?" Was all she could think of to say.

Bandit shrugged, his eyes snapping back to her face. He smirked cheekily. "Well, we had a vote as to who would go down to the shops for smokes and lollies." He shot Trent a mischievous glance. "He lost 2-1."

Fanny smirked, rolling her eyes. "I can imagine."

Trent groaned loudly, slumping over the car he was working on. He planted both hands at the edge, eyeing the engine closely, his eyes narrowed. He tried his best to hide his smirk as Bandit wondered off airily, whistling innocently.

"Fuck."

"What?" Fanny asked politely, hating the idea of an awkward silence. Trent looked casually over his shoulder.

"Can't reach the spark plugs." He muttered shortly. "That's the trouble with Italian makes."

Fanny wondered up with interest, gazing under the hood. Trent shot her a sarcastic smirk.

"Easy, Cherry." He snickered at her, but did his best to hide it. "Don't hurt yourself."

Fanny stiffened as annoyance began to bubble within her stomach. _No. Remain. Calm!_

"It's okay." She shot back stiffly, struggling to maintain her polite smile. "I know what the components of a basic Mazarati engine are."

"Yeah…" Trent rolled his eyes, bored. "Sure, Sweet Pea."

Fanny twisted her lips together, biting back an insult.

"Stand back, hun." Trent grinned proudly. "Leave this to the _men."_

He braced himself and leaned against a particularly hot part of the engine, his already callused fingers brushing against the sizzling section.

"Fuck!" He hissed again, drawing back. Fanny let out a chuckle.

"You alright there?" She sneered cockily. Trent turned to her, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"The plugs are hard to get to, Sweetie." He mumbled. "Even for a man's job, it's tricky."

Fanny scoffed. _Man's job?_

"Let me." She snarled, pushing him out of the way. She shook off her jacket and threw it in a random corner, rolling up her sleeves. "My arms aren't as fat as yours."

Trent returned the scoff, a challenging, scathed look on his face. "Fine." He muttered. He pointed to the direction. "But good luck with that one, they're all the way over _there." _He cocked an eyebrow, sneakily giving her a smirk. "Think you can handle that?"

Fanny held back a scowl, hoisting herself across the engine to reach them. It was true, and in most Italian sports cars the spark plugs _are _hard to reach. But when Fanny was younger all she wanted to do was help out her Dad fix the car, she knew how to change spark plugs even with her eyes closed. She grinned, a determined look on her face. She'd show these _boys _who they're messing with…

Meanwhile Bandit had pulled up a chair and was sitting on it calmly, Trent leaning against the wall beside him, one foot propped up against the brickwork. Both of their heads tilted in observation, they watched as Fanny bent across the car to reach the near unreachable spark plugs. It was hard to see amongst the metal and wires, but the problem was leaning across to reach them. She stood on her tip toes and bent over, her skirt hitching further up her legs as laid at an almost 90 degree angle, her butt in perfect view.

Bandit and Trent exchanged admirable looks, subtly bumping fists as they watched the show. Bandit smirked as he reached down for his camera. Trent nodded vigorously as Bandit held in a chuckle, flipping it open and positioning it on the scene before them.

Meanwhile the redhead was near straining herself to reach them, but finally managed to wind her hand through the maze to reach. She began to unscrew, taking her time as to not screw it up. She stretched her arm, her tongue between her teeth, and unintentionally rose her butt higher. Both observers' eyes widened. Trent licked his lips, smirking.

"I'd give it a 7…" He hissed silently to Bandit, who smirked and zoomed in.

"She's nearing an 8 for me…" He muttered back. Both snickered cockily.

Reaching for the next one, Fanny leaned forward further, her skirt rising even more up her thighs. The boys' heads tilted, their eyes wondering. She was being such a tease, and without even knowing it. The fact that she was so untouchable too, it made it so much more… tantalizing.

"_9."_ They mumbled at the exact same time, nodding in approval.

Fanny, oblivious, leaned further forward over the car and attempted another. A frown suddenly set in her face as she froze, her lips wrinkling and her lips gaping.

A door slammed, and Trent and Bandit could feel their hearts leap into their throats. Bandit, in a split second, had shoved the camera in the quickest place he could think of- in between his jeans. He winced in pain, but both struggled to keep an innocent expression as they looked up at the furious stance of Dodge looming above them, his usually calm blue eyes absolutely livid.

They'd been sprung.

Too-innocent grins spread across their faces as they gazed up at Dodge's livid expression, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the door knob threateningly.

"Hang on!" Fanny's voice echoed around the shop as she sat up suddenly, her glare suspicious. "These spark plugs have already been done!"

"LEG IT!" Bandit yelped, scrambling out of his chair and running far away from his friend's murderous glare. Trent followed, anxious to get ahead so at least Bandit would be devoured first. Dodge sprinted after them, wanting nothing more than to tear them limb from limb for ogling his girl.

Fanny turned around, ready to scold the boys for sending her on a false mission. She frowned, glancing at the empty spots before her. Her frown deepened as she heard another slam echo around the shop, the sound of the backdoor slamming shut, and muffled shouts and laughter from outside and what sounded like screaming.

_"IT'S OFF! IT'S OFF! I SWEAR!"_

_"GIVE ME THAT CAMERA OR I SWEAR TO GOD-"_

_"AHHHHHHH!"_

_"GET BACK HERE SO I CAN KICK YOUR ASSES RIGHT BACK TO SYDNEY!"_

* * *

Dingo sat crumpled on the couch, gently giving a little, pathetic sniff every few seconds. His body ached and his head throbbed, he was so filled with conflicting thoughts he could barely shut his eyes, nevertheless sleep. Everything floated into his mind at a million miles an hour- Abby, his baby, his brother…everything was just getting to be too much. He couldn't take it. He hated Abby being mad at him, and he hated the growing anger he showed towards her, he hated the fact she seemed ready to dump him, he hated the fact he couldn't live without her, and he hated…

Well, it had been so long since he had a drink, or a cigarette, or a little bit of a buzz, he was growing to hate everything.

He groaned, slamming his head to his knee and sighing. Something had to give.

"_Here."_

He looked up, frowning, and jumped in alarm as he noticed 2 pieces of fluffy white bread in front of him, set out perfectly on a small plate. He glared at it suspiciously, looking up the tanned, muscular arm that was holding it. He stiffened.

"Huh?"

Jake rolled his eyes and groaned, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Here. Take it, genius."

Dingo turned back to the creation in front of him, looking at it suspiciously. No…it must be a trick…Jake couldn't be…giving him something?

"What is it?" He asked, blinking.

"A Dinosaur, idiot." Jake snarled back sarcastically. "It's a sandwich. Eat it."

Dingo took it, still unsure. He bit into it and was rewarded with an immediate sweet taste, a mixture of sugar and fat. He chewed eagerly, his eyes widening and his spirit immediately lifting…he felt better.

"Peanut butter and creamed honey." Jake muttered, plonking down next to him and chewing on his own. "Always shut you up when you were younger." He hesitated, frowning. "…Not as good as a smoke, though, but that only seemed to work when you were older."

"I quit." Dingo mumbled, his entire body sagging at the very words. His cracked, choked voice was thick with sadness. Jake looked over in alarm.

"You quit what?"

"Cigs…" Dingo mumbled faintly, twitching at the very words. He nipped at his bottom lip, his fingers twitching as he instead concentrated on the sweetness of the sandwich, not his deep craving for nicotine. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, trying to calm himself. Jake blinked, stunned.

"I'm…sorry…" Jake muttered faintly, his face showing a look of deep confusion. "Those words…I don't believe they have been used in any language I understand-"

"Knock it off!" Dingo snapped harshly, his glare venomous. Jake shook his head, resembling close to how a dog looks when it's trying to rid its ears of water.

"No wonder you're so damn moody!" Jake returned, his eyes widening with visible fear. "Fuck, I don't want to be around you the next couple of days…" He looked down at his sandwich thoughtfully, his eyes widening with, if possible, even more terror. "We're going to need a _lot _more peanut butter…or a hell of a lot of tequila…"

"Abby caught me with drugs." Dingo mumbled shamefully. "And I promised her I'd tell her everything and be there for the baby." He gave his father a pathetic look, his eyes wide and his face pale, Withdrawal symptoms had _already _set in. Jake felt immense dread. "So…So I have to quit…everything."

"Shit." Jake hissed, gritting his teeth. He pouted thoughtfully. "Good luck with that."

"I'll need it…" Dingo whimpered, terrified. Jake subtly hid his hands under his legs, not doubting for one minute if Dingo was desperate, he'd probably tackle him for a hint of tobacco wedged under his fingernails. He clicked his tongue thoughtfully.

"You don't have to give up everything…" Jake started slowly, cautiously. "I mean, start with the hard stuff, that'll be easier…"

"I can't be around the baby if I smoke." Dingo huffed stubbornly. "It's not good for it."

"Aw, please!" Jake snarled. Dingo knew to the outsider Jake would probably seem like a regular deadbeat dad, but he knew Jake's nobility, and he knew Jake was just defending what he'd grown up with his entire life. To him, the drug scene was basically harmless. Dingo thought it that way too…all he knew was that it hurt Abby, and to hurt Abby it was taking away the one thing he really wanted- her, his baby and his own attempt at a family. He gripped his palms, his nails digging into the skin as he held back reaching for a friendly cigarette right then.

"I smoked with you, when you were younger." Jake scoffed. "Did you no harm."

"I was onto it by twelve." Dingo snarled moodily. Jake paused, turning to him.

"I didn't know that…"

His eyes widened.

"Oh yeah." Dingo gave him a sheepish smirk. "…Sorry, I meant to tell you…"

Jake snarled. Too late to punish him now.

"Me, eight." Jake sniggered. "Course we didn't know any better…" He rolled his eyes, giving his son a thoughtful look. "I guess I should be proud…" He mumbled bitterly. "You're stronger than I am."

Dingo brightened, his eyes widening hopefully. "Will you quit with me?"

"Hell no!" Jake scoffed.

Dingo looked down defeated, looking sick. Jake, a sense of foreboding overwhelming him, looked at his son with deep concern.

He had a very bad feeling about this. Subtly, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen thoughtfully.

* * *

Allie paced the room angrily, her shoes tapping smartly against the tiled floor as she tapped away at her phone, holding it up to her ear and hissing angrily as she was met with a familiar dial tone.

"Dammit Jake…" She snarled under her breath. "Pick up…"

Her muscles continued to tense as she stomped across the kitchen, her palm sweating as she clasped the phone tightly in her hand. She had no idea if Jake had told Dingo, if Dingo knew, if Abby had told Wally, if Wally now knew…

She needed answers.

_"Jake." _She finally snarled into the phone. "I need answers! Pick up your phone!"

She slammed it closed, her chest heaving. She frowned as she heard, in the next room, Joey in a light hearted conversation with his father. She froze at Jake's name, and couldn't help but lean against the doorway to listen.

"So you met Uncle Jake…" Derek said smoothly to him, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, he came over…" Joey snickered, leaning over the dining room table. "He was alright…" He added.

Derek grunted in response, unsure of how to reply to that. Joey, however, perked up with interest.

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"I did…well I do." Derek muttered back, rolling his eyes thoughtfully. "He's younger than me."

"Probably why we get along so well." Joey joked, smirking. Derek gave him a grin in return, snorting.

"You're more tolerable than him, Joey." He snickered. "Wally should be thankful he's got a little brother like you…" He snarled under his breath. "Jake was such a brat…"

"Really?" Joey leaned forward with interest, his deep green eyes widening innocently. "How?"

Derek shrugged, smirking. "He was always getting in trouble, blaming me for it…" he bit his lip. "I did the same to him, come to think of it…"

Joey chuckled at his father, his chin cradled in his palms as he gazed at him with interest. Derek sighed, relaxing in his chair.

"So you and Uncle Jake must have had some good times, huh?" Joey asked, grinning eagerly. Derek frowned, giving his youngest son a thoughtful look. A thoughtful grin appeared on his face as he gazed into Joey's wide, excited eyes.

"Yeah…" Derek muttered, shrugging. "We did." He rolled his eyes in thought. "I'd hate for you and Wally to act the same way though…"

"Why?" Joey perked up. "What did you guys do?"

Derek sniggered lightly, running a hand through his hair as memories flowed through his mind…none of them being remotely close to PG-rated.

"Just stuff…" He shrugged, smiling warmly. "We were always fighting…just clashed all the time." He chuckled. "I remember when we fought as teenagers, we had some classic fights there…"

"Like what?" Joey asked, grinning expectantly. Derek hesitated, then faced his son, smirking. He could remember plenty of times…but one in particular…he got Jake _good._

_Derek staggered up to the front door drunkenly, his hair a tangled mess and a lopsided grin still on his face. It was close to midnight and he was sure his parents were fast asleep. He rummaged through his jeans, trying to find his key. He clung to it with his fingers and attempted to slide it into the keyhole, slipping and missing it every time. He swore under his breath, when the door magically opened and his face lit up. His expression didn't change when he saw his younger brother standing opposite him, a furious expression on his face._

_"And where have _you_ been?" Jake asked him, his arms folded across his chest. Derek scoffed, pushing his then 14 year old brother aside. Jake scoffed, slamming the door as his brother, almost 2 years older, made his way to the kitchen, still stumbling occasionally. Jake tagged along, his eyes narrowed with fury._

_"Where the fuck is my car?" He hissed in a low growl. Derek grinned at him innocently from over the fridge._

_"What car?" He mumbled._

_"MY car!" Jake growled at him. "The one I was fixing up. MY paddock basher!" He threw a quick glance down the hallway before grabbing his brother's shirt threateningly. He was only a couple of inches shorter than he was, and his glare was menacing enough to make up for it. He narrowed his eyes as Derek stared back at him, his eyes blank. "I know ya stole it to take out yer stupid little friends, now where is it?"_

_Derek bit his lip awkwardly, unable to hold back a telltale smirk. "Well…ya see…"_

_Jake's dark eyes widened. "Ya didn't…hurt her…did ya?"_

_"Hurt her?" Derek rolled his eyes at his younger brother's obsession with cars. He shook him off roughly, slamming the fridge door closed. He scoffed roughly. "For cryin' out loud Jake, It's parked FINE!"_

_Jake frowned at him suspiciously, making his way over to the front window. He peered out into the night, scanning the front yard for his car. Derek swallowed behind him._

_"Well…the sergeant parked it fine at the police yard."_

_Jake's eyes widened as he turned his murderous glare to his older brother, who shrugged indifferently. _

_"Ya got MY car impounded?" Jake demanded, stamping his foot in a silent tantrum. He snarled, pointing a finger at him. "Ya better get it back!"_

_"Why bother?" Derek snapped back angrily. "I get my own car soon!"_

_"Get it BACK!" Jake demanded, his hands turning into fists. He narrowed his eyes threateningly. "Or you WILL regret it."_

_Derek growled at him, straightening. "Dad'll get you another pile of junk to fix up, what the Hell's ya problem?" His snarl quickly morphed into an amused chuckle as he closed the distance between him and his brother, ruffling his hair. Jake continued his dangerous growl. "Besides…" Derek raised his eyebrows skeptically. "What are ya gonna do about it?"_

_He walked down the hallway to his room, chuckling warmly as he went, the alcohol still rich in his system from that night's party. Jake watched him go, his eyes growing steadily narrower. His face broke into a mischievous grin. Revenge was his. _

_"I take that…" He cackled to himself. "As a challenge."_

_"_You did _what?" _Joey asked, his eyes wide with awe.

"Crashed his car." Derek muttered back, unable to keep the proud grin off his face.

Joey burst into laughter, his eyes wide as he steadied himself. "What happened next?"

Derek shrugged sheepishly, rolling his eyes at the memory. "Well…I have to admit, he got me back pretty good."

Joey tilted his head curiously. "How?"

Derek bit his lip as the memory flashed back. "Uh…well…."

_"Hey Dad."_

_Mick looked up from his football game to stare at his oldest son irritably. His favourite team was on. Derek frowned, a confused expression locked in his eyes. _

_"-You seen Jake?"_

_"Nup." He gruffly replied, turning back to the TV set. "Left with his girl a while ago."_

_Derek frowned. He couldn't help it…something didn't seem to be right. He was now in the possession of a brand new car, a gift for his 17th birthday (a month away) and he had become extremely possessive over it, especially remembering the incident a month ago when Jake had sworn revenge on him for trashing his own car. Derek swallowed nervously and attempted to shake it off. _

_He couldn't help it, though._

_"…You seen my keys?" he asked, frowning. Mack rolled his eyes. _

_"Nuh." He scoffed. "Ya should be keeping tabs on 'em."_

_"I put 'em down here like, 10 minutes ago!" Derek argued back, pointing to the kitchen counter. Mack shrugged, it was clear he was done with the conversation. Derek snarled, throwing his hands up in defeat and walking out the front door, slamming it behind him. He frowned at his immaculate car, sitting perfectly in the driveway. He looked away. His eyes widened and he looked back. _

_Jake was waving to him from inside of it, his fingers sarcastically fluttering in a manipulative way. A completely fake smile was in place. Derek froze._

_Crap._

_Jake's girlfriend at the time, a curvy girl with wavy blonde hair, sat next to him, her face flushed and her hand pressed over her mouth to contain the giggles. With Jake's eyes never leaving his brother's, he leaned over and ran his tongue seductively over her cheek. She giggled, her eyes twinkling._

_"No!" Derek cringed, immediately stomping over and giving his brother a furious glare, his hands in tight fists. "You wouldn't!"_

_Jake jiggled the keys teasingly from inside the car, his arm draping around his girlfriend and his eyebrows rising suggestively. Derek's eyes widened._

_He would._

_"JAKE!" Derek hollered, stamping his foot and pounding his fist against his car window. "GET OUTTA MY CAR RIGHT NOW!"_

_Jake ignored him, instead he set the keys on the dashboard and wrapped his arms around his girlfriends waist, drawing her in for a passionate kiss. Derek grew panicky._

_"Jaaaaake…" He snarled, his deep hazel eyes darkening in warning. He pointed a finger at his brother through the window. "I'm warnin' you…ya even TRY-"_

_Jake opened one deep brown eye, winking at his brother as he pulled the girl onto his lap, his hand travelling up her shirt. She laughed again, fully aware of the plan. Derek was bursting with anger. He wanted nothing more at that moment than the ability to smash the glass of his precious car and strangle his little brother within an inch of his life._

_"JAKE!" He screamed, pounding on the roof of his car. "I MEAN IT!"_

_Jake half heartedly attempted to shoo him away as his kisses grew more passionate. He slipped the girl's skirt off and threw it onto the gearstick-_

_Derek watched his poor car, horrified. Jake and his girlfriend were pretty much there. Derek, now beyond furious, kicked the door angrily, his hands curled into fists._

_"I SWEAR IT, JAKE!" Derek screamed at him. "WHEN YOU GET OUTTA THERE, YOUR ASS IS GRASS!"_

_…_

_About an hour later, Derek watched sneakily from the side of the house as he watched his brother check if the coast was clear, his dark eyes scanning the landscape like a rabbit checking for predators. He had finally gathered enough courage to actually escape his sanctuary, as he was positive his older brother was now out for blood…as he had defiled his car._

_Jake smirked. But…it was so worth it._

_He tugged his pants on hurriedly, stiffening as he heard a noise. Derek jumped out of his hiding spot, his glare homicidal and his knuckles cracking ominously. Jake jumped, his hands still clamped to his undone jeans._

_"And now…" Derek snarled, his voice a dangerous growl. "Prepare to die!"_

_Jake yelped and took off, cutting through their spare paddock. Derek followed, his teeth bared. _

_"C'mon, Derek!" Jake shouted over his shoulder, a sly grin on his face. "I was just christening it for you!"_

Derek shook his head as Joey came back into focus. He was leaning forward eagerly, anxious to hear the rest of the story. Derek smirked knowingly, reaching out and ruffling his hair.

"I don't think I remember…" He lied delicately.

Allie jumped as she felt the phone in her palm vibrate suddenly, her eyes widening as Jake's name came up on the screen. She answered hurriedly, whispering a rushed "_Hello?"_

_"Allie." _Jake muttered back. "I'm out front."

Allie froze as Jake hung up, clearly having said all he needed to say. She cast an anxious look towards her youngest son and husband before sneaking towards the front door, opening it a crack to see that Jake had spoken the truth. Derek's BMW (Jake having previously stolen) was sitting outside, and Jake was behind the steering wheel, drumming on it and swaying side to side with the music he was probably listening to. Allie groaned before running outside, folding her arms before she got to the car.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, her hands on her hips. She opened the car door, snarling. "You have to give this back, you know, before Derek notices it's missing."

Jake rolled his eyes, giving her a knowing glare. "Get in."

"Are you-"

"You wanna talk or not?" He asked her, snarling. "Get in."

Allie hesitated, glancing over her shoulder before complying, scrambling into the car and slamming the door closed before Jake sped off.

* * *

It was nearing 4'o'clock in the afternoon when Abby rose from the couch with a start, having fallen asleep on her now numb hand on the arm of the couch. Her half finished essay toppled off her stomach and floated to the floor, the papers scattering everywhere. She blinked in alarm, her deep brown eyes hazy as she pulled herself out of the calm slumber she missed so much. She yawned, running a hand through her knotted brown locks. A familiar strange sensation went through her stomach as she realised her baby was rolling again, tumbling and kicking in her stomach like it was almost dancing. She put a hand to her shirt, feeling again the weird feeling of having something alive and kicking inside her, prodding against her hand. It still amazed her.

A vibration against her leg knocked her out of her daze as she leaned over and again looked over in disdain at the number of calls she had missed. She groaned in irritation as she saw that most were from her neurotic sister. She hastily dialed her number and rested her head against the arm of the couch again, sighing as she put the phone to her ear.

"_Abigail!" _She heard her sister snarl. _"Where have you been? I've been calling-"_

"I've been sleeping, Cree." Abby moaned in return, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes. "What is it that's so important?"

_"So important?" _Cree huffed in an aggravated tone. "_Abby, I'm trying to help you here, if you don't want it-"_

"Of course I want help, Cree." Abby mumbled shyly, wincing as she worried she was ready to cry all over again. "But…I don't need to be constantly reminded of how utterly screwed I am."

_"Well I hope you're going to tell your friends soon…"_

"Tonight." Abby sighed, rising as she realised she needed to get ready. "Wally's going to tell them all."

"_Good."_

"So…" Abby bit her lip, putting a comforting hand to her stomach as she wondered up the hallway. "So I guess I should tell Wally before that-"

_"No!" _Cree suddenly barked, causing Abby to jump in alarm. "_Are you insane? You can't tell Wally!"_

"Cree!" Abby groaned. "I have to tell him! This is killing me!"

"_You really think…" _Cree snarled bitterly. _"That this guy of yours is honestly the father? He can get no PROOF of that, Abby-"_

"Paternity test, Cree."

_"Let me finish…no proof of that YET. When the baby's born there's no real way to tell when it was conceived. He can just think it's all a massive mistake-"_

"Cree!" Abby hissed, locking herself in the bathroom. "Are….are you honestly saying what I think you're saying? You WANT me to live this lie? To have my own baby not know it's own father?"

"_Not…that per se…" _Cree cooed delicately_. "Just…for now…. You can move away after the baby's born…and Wally could pay some sort of child support…"_

"CREE!" Abby snarled into the phone, gripping it tightly. "I don't need this right now!"

_"I'm trying to HELP!"_

"You're not doing a very good job!" Abby growled back. "This lie is practically destroying me. I can't eat or sleep. The only thing that's getting me through is my baby."

_"Well, just think about this Abby…How is this whole parenting thing going to work if Wally found out who you've been sleeping with? You honestly think he'll be all forgive and forget then just LET you go off with his brother? Who, by the way I should add, is a common druggie?" _

"I gotta go, Cree." Was all Abby could choke out, too overhwhelemd to even come up with an argument anymore.

_"Alright…"_ Cree groaned with annoyance. _"Just think about it, Abby. Your future, you know."_

Abby hung up the phone harshly, throwing it onto the counter for extra emphasis. She grabbed her towel from the rack and held it close in comfort, burying her face in the soft material. Glancing up, she saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror and she stopped, looking

She _had _changed…in a way she hadn't really noticed before. Her deep dark eyes had grown darker, maybe grown more depth. Her hair had lengthened, spilling over her slim shoulders and over her smooth tanned skin to her elbows. Her face kinder, meeker, her form less proud and threatening. She couldn't tell if this new vibe about her came from a new sense or weakness…or a new sense of motherhood.

She removed the towel from her and placed it on the counter, getting a better look at her body. Hastily she removed her jacket and shirt, followed by her pants. She looked at herself, tilting her head in curiosity. She turned to the side, and noticed how much her stomach had grown, the way it bulged out in a casual sort of way. Pushing her hair aside she took a good look at herself, and immediately she noticed the way she held herself, much like her mother did. She smiled at that, somehow brightening at the sight of her own reflection.

She was starting to look and feel like a real mother.

* * *

"It's okay, really."

"No it's not." Dodge snarled back, looking sulky and moody. "I'll kill them."

Fanny gave a tinkling, mocking laugh. Dodge glared at her out of the corner of his eye. The two were sitting together cozily outside the garage, on the steps. Fanny was still laughing at the fact Dodge seemed so murderous at the idea, the funny thing being he was even more pissed than she was.

"I never thought it possible." She grinned, biting her lip. "I would have turned murderous if anyone tried to do that to me in high school."

"They can…do it…" Dodge snarled carefully. "I mean…We used to do it all the time…film each other's dates and stuff…" He rolled his eyes, wrapping his arm casually around his girlfriend. "I mean they're perverts…but my girl is out of the equation…" His eyes narrowed threateningly. Fanny smirked.

"So…" She shuffled her shoes against the cement stairs, planting her chin on her shoulder as she turned to look at him. Dodge's attention was elsewhere; his eyes were glazed over as he probably thought of how many ways he could get back at his mates for eyeing his girl. "Are you going to come with me to meet my friends, or what?"

Dodge looked over in sudden shock, his icy blue eyes wide. "W-what?"

"My friends…" Fanny muttered back, frowning. "You said you'd meet them…"

Dodge gulped, suddenly feeling very self conscious of how dirty he felt and looked from the amount of dirt and grime he'd collected from his days work. He shuffled his immature looking sneakers against the ground sheepishly, nibbling on his bottom lip. Fanny felt a slight annoyance bubbling in her chest.

"You said-"

"I know…" Dodge mumbled back, avoiding her gaze. "I just…" He looked over at her hopefully. "Can I have a shower first?"

Fanny scoffed, her eyeballs rolling upward towards the darkening evening sky, where hazes of purple and red began to darken the golden rays of the sunset above them. She folded her arms, glaring back at him with a suspicious glint in her eyes.

"We'll be late."

Dodge growled, looking back to the road, where streetlights were already beginning to flicker on. He felt a warm, tingling feeling as Fanny rubbed her head against his shoulder, snuggling her skin into the warm cotton of his hooded jacket. He tilted his head to lean against hers, his eyes half lidded in composure.

"I don't want you to feel ashamed of me." He muttered, so quiet she could only barely hear him.

"Are you kidding?" She smiled, putting her hand to his knee and giving it a comforting squeeze. "I know my girls will freak when they see you."

"Yeah." Dodge scoffed, his cheeks warming as he twisted his lips bitterly. "Wondering why in the world of all people you'd choose to be seen with me."

"As if!" Fanny joked in return, frowning as she realised how any mannerisms she'd actually picked up from Dodge. She shook her head faintly, straightening to look him right in his wide, innocent crystal blue eyes. "They'd wonder why in the world of all the girls you'd put up with me."

Dodge looked sulky, folding his arms across his chest and scowling. "Yeah, right."

"I'm being sincere…" Fanny mumbled back shyly, and the sadness in her voice made Dodge freeze in his stiff stance, shifting closer to her as they snuggled in the evening air. She sighed, pushing her head under his neck. "I've never been that close to a boy before, and even if I wanted to get close…no boy would have me."

"Ha ha."

"No, it's true…" Fanny muttered, her grip tightening. She never thought admitting this to him would hurt so much. "Nobody really wanted me…"

"The guys do…" Dodge snarled venomously, his hand rubbing her shoulder. "And that pri-"

"Hey!"

"I mean…your friend…" He cooed delicately, giving her a winning smile. "Seriously Cherry, Babe, you're wanted. You're not aware of your sex appeal…" He rolled his eyes in thought. "I probably shouldn't have told you that…"

"Oh, what?" Fanny teased him. "You're worried I'll find someone better?"

Dodge didn't answer, the flickering florescent light above them illuminated his cautious look as he watched her closely, his eyes wide. She nudged him closely, snickering.

"Not possible."

A pair of headlights fell on the pair as a familiar shiny black 68 Ford Mustang GT drove up to the curve, parking in front of them neatly. Dingo hung out of the window, glaring at them expectantly. Dodge rolled his eyes and rose, pulling Fanny up with him. He pulled open the car door for her and she climbed in, still awed at the sight of Dingo's ride. Dingo snarled at him as Dodge attempted to join his girlfriend.

"What?" Dodge hissed.

"What is this? High school?" Dingo mumbled. "I'm not your damn chauffeur."

Dodge rolled his eyes, thinking back to all the times he'd been forced to listen to Dingo sucking face with his recent conquests while he drove around when they were younger... "If that's not the pot calling the kettle-"

"Just get in!"

Dingo already looked dangerous, so Dodge bit back a retort and climbed in the passenger side, Fanny hiding her amused smirk as she watched them bicker in the front.

"What the Hell's up with you?" Dodge asked skeptically as he watched his best friend beside him. Dingo glared at him. "I mean…" Dodge cocked an eyebrow. "You look so pale and everything…"

"I'm fine." Dingo growled, but even he knew he felt far from fine. It had been only half a day but already he was craving any type of nicotine or alcohol there was to be. Even he was starting to doubt whether it was a good idea giving everything up at once…he felt he could barely function. Dodge rolled his eyes, giving his friend a knowing look. Before they could start yet another argument, Fanny spoke up.

"So how have you been Dingo?" She asked kindly.

"Fine." Dingo snapped again, chewing on his fingernails. "Why do you ask?"

"Don't worry about him…" Dodge muttered to his girl, but watched his friend closely. "He's having issues with his girlfriend."

"Being pregnant is not an issue!" Dingo snapped back. Dodge rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Yeah, you being _scared_ is one."

"Shutup, Dodge." Dingo retorted. "I'm not scared of _anything."_

Fanny's wide dark eyes looked from side to side as if watching a tennis match, her playful smirk still in place at the childish bickering the two friends were undergoing, almost as if they had forgotten she was there.

"Oh, yeah right." Dodge scoffed, snickering. "Remember Shane in year 9? You almost pissed yourself every time he came anywhere near you."

"That doesn't count!" Dingo snarled. "He was out for me ever since he caught me making out with Holl, he's her fucking older brother for cryin' out loud and had the whole gang of assholes behind his back! He pushed me into the river!"

"I remember that…" Dodge cooed fondly, his eyes rolling at the memory. "You were only clad in boxers…"

"Shutup." Dingo snapped again, his eyes narrowing. "So were you."

Fanny decided to stay silent, her teeth chomping down on her bottom lip to prevent any giggles from escaping. Dodge's cheeks flushed, his lips twisting with distaste.

"Besides…" Dingo growled at him, but a mischievous smirk was surfacing. "You pretty much freak out whenever there's a spider around."

Dodge's mouth fell open. "I do not!"

"Yes you do." Dingo retorted, proud at having hit a nerve. He took his hands off the wheel (they had stopped at a set of red traffic lights) and waved them around, mimicking a high pitched girly voice. "_Dingo! Dingo! There's a massive huntsman in the shower that's looking at me! Eeek! It might eat me! Heeeelp! Come kill it!"_

"Those Huntsmen are big!" Dodge defended, looking sulky as Fanny burst out laughing, unable to hide it any longer. "And anyway, spiders can kill back home, I doubt a _leech _killed anyone."

"THAT'S where you're wrong!" Dingo argued back, his eyes wide. "I once heard about this girl, right, and they were like, in the river swamp Amazon somewhere, on a trip…and a leech went into her eye, and the leech drank her blood behind her eye, and her eye fell out, and they had to stuff a Styrofoam cup in her eye socket." Dingo went, if possible, even more pale as he accelerated, his eyes already wide and alight with apparent fear. Dodge smirked. He'd known ever since he was 9 what Dingo's biggest phobia was.

_All of the boys were nine years old, except for Trent, who was only eight. It was a dreary Wednesday afternoon and their class had gathered around their tour guide with deep resentment, their school excursion not being the excited adventure they hoped for. Instead the rainforest environment was anything but exciting, and the day had been miserably cloudy and wet. The tour guide spoke in a dull monotone, probably himself having better things to do than teach to a class of disinterested kids._

_Trent kicked the earth miserably as they walked along the guided walks, spinkles of misty rain wetting their faces as they obediently followed the teacher ahead._

_"Check it out!" Little Bandit whispered excitedly, shoving his finger into Trent's face. Trent flinched away immediately, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at the tiny black blob on the end of Bandit's finger. He startled even more when he realised it was _alive.

_"What is that THING?" Trent snarled at him, scowling. _

_"I dunno…" Bandit grinned, his eyes wide at his new pet. "But it's neat." _

_Trent's eyes widened as he noticed the deep red liquid beginning to drip from Bandit's finger, though Bandit didn't really seem to notice or care. Trent however did, and he was pretty freaked out._

_"Is that…blood?"_

_"My, my Bandit!"_

_The two looked around as they noticed their teacher behind them, her wide blue eyes watching Bandit with fascination. "You've found a leech!"_

_"A leech?"_

_"Yes…" She gently flicked the parasite away, mopping up Bandit's finger with a tissue. Bandit's eyes widened in alarm as he realised his new pet was gone. "Little bugs that suck your blood, you can't feel anything though, of course, they make it painless…" She patted him on the back, giving him a stern look. "But it belongs in the rainforest, Bandit, not at school. Now, back ont eh bus."_

_Trent frowned carefully as she walked away, leaving Bandit to pout in disappointment. Trent brightened, an idea forming in his mind._

_"Hey Bando…" He grinned evilly. "You think we can find another one of those things?"_

_…_

_"I think I'll name him Larry…" Bandit whispered excitingly as they sat on the bus, Bandit once again cupping a writhing leech in his hand, his eyes widening with awe. "Larry the leech, does it suit?"_

_"I dunno…" Trent hissed angrily, his eyes finding his intended target. Dingo was sitting a few chairs behind them next to Dodge, teasingly poking a young Holly in the shoulder. She giggled and warned that she would dob him in, but they both knew she loved how she annoyed him. Trent snickered, turning to Bandit._

_"Gimie."_

_"What?" Bandit clutched his hands to his chest. "Why?"_

_"Just trust me…" Trent snarled, quickly picking the slug up with his fingers. He shuddered at the feeling as the leech latched onto him. He stumbled to his feet and casually walked passed, shaking off the sucking parasite as he went. It landed on the floor at Dingo's feet, shuffled around and quickly slithered off to latch onto Dingo's ankle. He was oblivious. Trent casually made his way back to his seat, snickering as he sat beside Bandit. Ignoring Bandit's demands as to where 'Larry' was, he sat patiently and waited for the fireworks._

_Trent and Dingo had never been friends, ever since Dingo had 'accidently' punched Trent in the face. The two had kept a wide distance from each other and spent most of their early school years shooting each other fierce glares. _

_Trent only had to wait about 10 more minutes before Dingo reached down to scratch his leg with mild fascination, when his eyes widened at the sight of his skin drenched with blood and some freaky bloodsucking parasite latching onto his skin, sucking him dry. Poor Dingo freaked out more than Trent had anticipated, screaming much like any regular girl being hacked to death in a horror movie, kicking and screaming and causing a scene, leading the bus to almost topple over with the amount of shock he gave everyone. Trent tried to hold in his hysterical laughter as Dingo was reduced to mortified sobs, unable to stop his whimpering and crying. His face flushed bright red with embarrassment and he couldn't stop shaking with fear. Even when the bus finally arrived back at school Dingo was still petrified, hysterically crying to Jake about the horror of looking down and finding his leg drenched with blood. _

_"Calm down!" Jake hissed to him after Dingo's straight half hour of hysterical cries. "It's just a leech! It's a freakin' slug!"_

_"B-B-B-But I-I-It w-wa-was-" Dingo's words were lost in his own bawling, gripping his father's shirt tightly and burying his face into it. "IT WAS S-S-SCARY-Y!"_

_Jake sighed with exasperation, rolling his eyes as Dingo sobbed into his shoulder, drenching his shirt with tears and snot, now rambling anything that came into his mind. Trent watched from afar with mild amusement, his equal now reduced before his eyes as Dingo broke down in big, baby sobs. Jake looked down with amazement, still unsure of what to say._

_"It was a-a-a scary lit-little slug th-thing that-that sucked bwood an-an-and it was everywhere, and it-it felt weird and-"_

"I was NINE!" Dingo snarled at him as Fanny continued to giggle, her ribs beginning to ache. "Give me a break!"

"You were such a wuss back then." Dodge chuckled, grinning. "In fact, what am I saying? You're a wuss now!" He choked up with laughter as Dingo snarled at him.

"…Shutup."

Dodge burst into laughter, rocking backward into the passenger side window as he clutched at his sides. He suddenly perked up, grinning widely as he turned up the radio, blasting a familiar beat through the speaker.

"Ooo! D!" He chuckled, swishing his head to the beat and clicking his fingers to the music. "It's our song!"

Dingo rolled his eyes as Dodge began to sing. He gave him an incredulous look as Fanny grinned widely, amazed at her boyfriend's sudden hyperactivity.

_"I got a caarrr…."_ He sang, snickering. "_I got a big black shiny caaarrr….Maybe tonight we can go for a ride…"_ he rocked his head to the beat, his lips pouting cutely as he sang.

"_Out on the road…"_ Dingo joined in, swaying from side to side, his grin growing._ "Out on the wide, wide open road…baby let's see what we can find…"_

_"Alri-ight!" _Dodge snickered, strumming an air guitar.

"_Let's Drive!" _The two sang, almost forgetting Fanny in the backseat, observing the two with interest. They bopped their beads enthusiastically, singing along. _"Anywhere you wanna go I will take you there babe, take you there BABY!"_

Fanny snickered, especially at her boyfriend, drumming on the dashboard as Dingo sped up, smirking and turning corners with a new found enthusiasm.

_"Yeah let's Drive!"_ Dodge continued happily, perfectly in time. _"Anywhere your dreams go I will take you there babe, take you there baby…"_

Dingo finished, drumming on the steering wheel excitedly. "_Yeah let's drive!"_

The two broke for the guitar riff, shaking their heads and earning strange looks from the observers around them as they waited in traffic, head banging to the loud guitar. Fanny raised her eyebrows.

"How come you never sing for me?" She suddenly asked as Dingo continued the next verse. Dodge paused, blushing.

"You never ask." He smirked at her.

* * *

Nigel perked up as he noticed the figure in front of him walking along the darkened hallway. He jogged to catch up with her.

"Abs! Hey Abby!"

Abby jumped at her name, her brown eyes widening then relaxing as she caught eye of one of her best friends running up to her, an empathetic look setting into his usually hard features. He relaxed into her steady walking pace, the two of them walking side by side along the streetlamp lit footpath.

"How are you?" He asked in a low voice, his dark eyes studying her close. "I mean, you know…the baby…"

"We're good…" She sighed, her hand going to her stomach, which was masked by her heavy leather jacket.

"Did you…" Nigel looked around warily before continuing. "Did you tell Wally?"

Abby bit her lip, her eyes widening. "Uh…yes and no."

Nigel narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"I…I couldn't tell him it wasn't his!" Abby squeaked nervously, gulping. "I-I know it was really stupid, but I just couldn't say it to him…I couldn't look him in the eye and say I betrayed him…" She looked down sorrowfully, feeling tears brimming at her eyes once again. "I feel like a complete failure being in the situation I'm in…"

"Abby…" Nigel pondered on what to say. He didn't want to upset her, but it was always his instinct to tell it like it is. "I don't want to stress you out, because it's not good for you or the baby but…you're just burying yourself deeper."

"Well, I think I've hit rock bottom." Abby said scornfully, sniffing as she wrapped her jacket tighter around her. Nigel followed her with a pitying look, his gaze softening. He always had a soft spot for Abby, he always felt she was the one he could count on the most when they were kids.

"Don't say that, Abs." He sighed, putting a hand on her arm. "You'll get through this, if anyone can you will. You're the strongest person I know-"

"I don't feel like it." Abby mumbled glumly. "I feel like a fool right now…"

"You'll be fine." Nigel said strongly, his arm going around her shoulders. "And you'll be a great mother."

Abby smiled, for the first time that day it felt real.

"Thanks, Nigel."

* * *

Jake stopped the car and undid his seatbelt. Allie hesitated, wondering if she should do the same. The two had been driving in complete silence for the last half an hour and Allie was already skeptical at what they had to discuss. She hastily did the same, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning to him, noticing that it was already getting dark outside. Strangely she didn't care, being with Jake brought back old feelings of rebellion.

"So…" Jake said delicately, tapping his fingers on the wheel.

"So?" Allie repeated, her eyes widening. "Is that all you can say?"

"What else is there to say?" Jake groaned, rolling his eyes. Allie noticed how tired he looked, deep black shadows nesting under his eyes. It oddly suited him. "There's nothing much we can do, Allie, we can't stick our noses in-"

"Why?" Allie asked, hissing. "This is our grandchild we're talking about, and Abby's saying to Wally it's his! It's a lie!"

"It's her business…" Jake mumbled darkly, but he looked venomous. "Dingo will be devo when he finds out…he can't find out from someone else, that'll kill him."

"But I don't think Abby will tell him!" Allie groaned. "I mean, I've been in the situation- with a baby, with a fiancé, it's hard! If I didn't feel so guilty-"

"Maybe Abby does." Jake insisted. "I've seen her with him, it ain't just sex like it was with you and me-"

"It was…" Allie paused suddenly, her eyes widening. "It was _just sex_?"

Jake froze, his own eyes widening. He hadn't expected _that. _

"Well…" Jake turned to her carefully. "It was for you."

Allie frowned at him, her green eyes burning a lot like how Dingo looks when he's ready to strange him.

"Who says it was?" She bit back, the conversation taking a complete turn. Jake shook his head.

"I just…thought it was." He muttered hastily. "You left after, you went back to him. I thought I was just to blow off some steam-"

"Well you _weren't." _Allie snapped harshly. Jake groaned, not wanting to get into an argument with her. They were straying further and further away from the situation at hand and Jake began to feel a migraine coming on.

"Can't we discuss this another time?" He brushed her off. "I'm a little concerned over the fact that my son's lover can't decide between which brother will be her baby's daddy." He growled at her. "And frankly, of all the people to judge in this situation…."

"Shutup." Allie quickly snapped, her eyes narrowing. "It's not the same, I was straight with Derek from the beginning."

"Yeah." Jake snarled, his voice dangerously low. "But you weren't with me, were you?"

Allie closed her mouth delicately, swallowing. She turned so she faced the window. Jake had stunned her into silence. He was right.

"Yeah…" Jake whispered harshly. "And that cost me two years of my kid's life, Allie. I won't let that happen to him."

Allie frowned as she gazed out the window. It somehow looked familiar to her.

"Where are we?"

"Don't change the subject, Allie." Jake growled at her. She turned, giving him a furious glare. "Fine, I think it's the Uni, but anyway-"

"Wally goes here…" She muttered thoughtfully, looking up at the well lit university in front of them. "So does Abby! Maybe we should go talk to her!"

"I'm not going to ambush her." Jake snarled. "I just know Dodge is here with his girlfriend or something, I thought it would be a good place to talk to avoid suspicion. Anyway-"

"Jake…" Allie frowned sternly. "Are you actually planning on doing anything about this?"

"I don't know what to do." Jake admitted, sighing. "Look, all I know is that Dingo's not going too well and finding out about this crap is just going to make it worse. He hates his brother."

Allie looked down at that, her now teary gaze turning to the window. She frowned again, her eyes narrowing. There was a silhouette in the distance, but his face was illuminated by the lights he stood under in the parking lot. Deep in discussion with his friend, his black hair hung into his pale face and his deep green eyes looked pathetically at his friend, looking upset. Allie's heart skipped a beat, her breath quickened, her hands clenched together. She knew those eyes…

"Jake…" She muttered, suddenly breathless. "Isn't that Dingo?"

* * *

Dodge opened the car door and quickly flipped the seat forward and took Fanny's hand, leading her out as well. There was still an adorable smile on her face and her long red hair was all windswept from having the windows down, ravaging the streets like a couple of teenagers. Even Dingo had brightened slightly, his face slightly less pale. He still felt slightly weak and sick, twitching slightly and craving any dose of tobacco, but nevertheless he got out too, looking around the college almost hopefully.

"Are you right to get back?" Dodge asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Thanks for driving us, and everything."

"No worries…" Dingo muttered, twirling his keys around his finger. "I had fun."

Fanny tactfully went off to one side, texting Rachel on her phone to find out if anyone else had arrived in the dorms.

"Listen D." Dodge scowled at his friend, his eyes narrowing. "Are you alright? You can't lie to me on this one, I know you."

Dingo rolled his eyes at his best friend's worrying. Sometimes it was like Dodge was his own mother. "Relax." He muttered, scoffing weakly. "I just…it's been a while since I had a cigarette…or a drink, or any buzz."

Dodge's eyes widened. "You're giving up cold turkey?"

"Yeah." Dingo shrugged. "What's the big deal?"

"D!" Dodge growled. "You're under so much stress it'll mess with your system! You've been on the stuff since primary school, you know."

"I know…" Dingo muttered glumly. He batted his eyelashes at his friend hopefully. "You don't think I can do it?"

"No wonder you're so weak." Dodge snarled at him. "I should drive you home."

"I'm fine!" Dingo snapped. "I ain't weak and I'm not a goddamn girl! I can handle myself!"

Dodge rolled his eyes as he prayed his girlfriend didn't hear that. If she did she discreetly chose to ignore it and he was glad. Dingo looked ready to snap at anything. He glared around the darkened grounds with those dark emerald orbs, his eyes narrowed.

"Did you talk to her?" Dodge asked, his eyebrows rising. "You seemed kinda quiet before so I didn't ask…"

"Yeah." Dingo growled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "She was fine, then she freaked out and said she needed some time alone, or something."

"That sucks." Dodge offered, giving his friend a sympathetic look. From behind Dingo, Fanny gave him a knowing nod and entered the dorms, signaling she'd wait for him. Dodge smirked back, turning back to his friend, now the two of them alone in the college parking lot.

"Seriously, D." Dodge said, tilting his head with thought. "You don't have to kill yourself to get Abby's attention. She'll be fine, and so will you."

"That's the whole thing." Dingo growled with annoyance. "She's fine- meaning she's wanted. As soon as someone thinks she's single they'll pounce, I know it."

Dodge scoffed, his eyeballs rolling. "Dingo, I swear, you're the most obsessive, over-protective-"

Now it was Dingo's turn to raise his eyebrows. "Who's the pot and kettle now?"

Dodge opened his mouth to reply, but could think of no return. Instead he accepted one of the rare occasions where Dingo actually talked sense to him, and settled instead on giving him a quick punch on the arm.

"Shutup." he scowled at him. Dingo smirked sheepishly back.

Dodge suddenly felt his insides turn to ice as he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a familiar silhouette coming towards them. The long wavy brown hair, the curvy figure and the tanned skin illuminated by the lighting above. Dodge froze as he realised Abby was approaching, and beside her was a guy clutching to her suspiciously, the two talking in a low voice. He winced. He didn't want any drama, which he knew Dingo would cause, especially in front of his own girlfriend and her friends. He was desperate to make a good impression for his girl.

Caught in a split second decision he debated whether or not to even warn him, but before he could Dingo's own form stiffened, Abby's distinct laughter faintly reaching his ears. He turned to her, his eyes suddenly darkening. Dodge jumped in.

"Dingo!" He snapped harshly. "She wants-"

Dingo stomped off before Dodge could even take a breath.

_"Space…" _The rest of Dodge's sentence was realised pathetically into the empty night air. He groaned in defeat and quickly followed him, praying he didn't do anything rash.

Abby was actually laughing, she couldn't believe it but she was. Even after she'd blurted out everything to him, Nigel still looked at her the same way; still saw her as the same person. She felt the weight being lifted from her shoulders, finally feeling like her old free self again, free of stress and worry. Nigel pulled her into a half hug as they made their way to the meeting, well aware of what had to be said. He could feel Abby relax in his arms, her smile growing wider and more genuine. It was a relief to see her so free of worry and distress, her usually concerned face slacking into her brilliant smile and wide, brown eyes twinkling in the limited light. It felt great for him to have Abby back after everything…

Abby stopped, her eyes widening then narrowing as she froze, Nigel taking a couple of steps before he realised she was stuck behind him, her eyes focused straight ahead, her face still. Nigel followed her gaze, his own stance stiffening as he saw a pair of deep green eyes glare back at him, a pair too fierce to belong to his friend's…

"Dingo…" She muttered meekly, her eyes burning defiantly. It took Nigel all of his energy to focus on not hitting the guy in front of him, looming over the pair and looking livid, his pale eyes now burning fiercely.

All compassion and patience was easy lost with Dingo, and upon seeing Abby with someone other than him…that was enough for all previous feelings flying out of the window. He stomped over heatedly, his muscles tense and his eyes blazing.

_"What the FUCK?" _He hissed at Abby venomously upon getting close to her, his eyes narrowed. Dodge trotted behind obediently, his eyes wide with the spectacle already appearing. Dingo continued, oblivious to the furious glare Nigel was shooting him. He glared at Abby darkly, his teeth clenched. "What the _fuck _is this, Abby?"

Abby gaped at him, her eyes wide. "What are you doing?" She hissed back viciously, glaring. "What the Hell's your problem!"

"You brush me off to hang out with this fucking jerk!" Dingo shot back, pointing an accusing finger at a now fuming Nigel. But his eyes were on Abby. "Alone time my ass, Abby!"

Abby frowned, her lips agape in shock. Before she could retort, Nigel stepped forward, his gaze stormy. Abby's eyes widened, the only thing rushing through his mind being what Dingo was capable of. She threw out her hand. "Nigel-"

Nigel ignored her, stepping between her and Dingo with a definite air of authority- something Dingo hated more than anything. They stood face to face, squaring off in the same anger, the same stance, the same dangerous stiffness and the mirrored dangerous glares.

"You think its okay to hit a girl?" Nigel asked him, his voice surprisingly low and quiet. His deep dark eyes were watching him closely, confronting and questioning. Even Dingo faltered under that dark glare. "Why don't you hit me instead?"

Dingo twitched, snarling as if he would love to do just that. But he turned to Abby, his glare faded to resemble a hurt expression.

"You _told?" _He muttered darkly. Abby winced at that, Dingo's glare hardening as he turned back. "You don't know the full story!" He snarled at him, folding his arms. "I would never fuckin' hurt Abby if I knew what I was doing."

Nigel scoffed, giving Dingo a demeaning, intimidating glare. Even Dingo felt slightly smaller. "I doubt that."

"Who asked YOU!" Dingo suddenly snapped, stepping forward and looming over him, fists clenched. Nigel matched his stance.

"I'm her friend!" He snarled back. "And if you want to bash her up like a common punching bag, you have to get through me!"

Dingo looked ready to take him up on the offer, but Dodge, as always, stepped in with his icy blue eyes narrowed in warning. He pulled Dingo back and gave Nigel a quick once over, his eyes careful and cautious.

"There's no need for _violence." _He aimed the last at Dingo, his glare stern. He turned back to Nigel and Abby. "I'm sure we can just discuss this like calm, sensible human beings-"

"I'll goddamn kill you!" Dingo hissed back. Nigel stepped forward eagerly, the only thing holding him back from ripping Dingo limb from limb was that Abby clung to him desperately, holding him back.

"Don't, Nigel." She sounded close to tears. "Please…Don't-"

"It's none of your fuckin' business!" Dingo ranted, fighting to get passed Dodge's barrier. "Stay the fuck out of it!"

"Dingo!" Dodge gave him a rough push, shoving his elbow into Dingo's ribcage.

"I'll get involved if I feel any of my friends are in danger!" Nigel shot back viciously, glowering. "If you think you can hurt her-"

"She's _mine!" _Dingo growled. Nigel, nearly dragging Abby with him, stomped forward, ready to kill him.

"Stay the hell away from her!" He raised his voice in warning, his fists clenched. "I mean it!"

"I'm _so _scared." Dingo sneered back jokingly, his glare murderous. "Come and hit me, dickhead, I'll fuckin' destroy you!"

That was the last straw, Nigel was ready to charge forward and smash his closed fists into any part of Dingo's body, and Dingo was equally eager to cause some damage. Dodge did his best to hold him back and Abby pulled Nigel back fretfully, but one voice was all it took for the boys to stop in their tracks.

_"What the Hell's going on?"_

The four of them looked over in alarm to see Wallabee Beatles staring back at them, his emerald green eyes sizzling with pure emotion and his bag hanging limply by his side. Nigel and Abby always knew he was hot-headed, but he was passed that by now…Wally looked virtually murderous. His eyes were narrowed dangerously in Dingo's direction and he seemed to swell with visible anger, already stomping over, his fists clenched and his jaw set.

"I thought I told you to stay away from her!" He hollered at his brother, shoving his face into his and issuing him a fierce snarl. "I thought I told you to back off! Is that so hard to fucking REMEMBER!"

Dodge, Nigel and Abby all looked stunned at Wally's sudden explosion. Dingo however matched it, shaking with anger.

"What the Hell makes you think I'll listen to YOU?" He spat in return, looking sour. "I'll go near her if I fucking want, she's not your fucking PROPERTY!"

"Dingo-" Dodge snarled in warning, trying to drag him back. "_I swear to God_-"

"She's my FRIEND!" Wally hollered back harshly. "I don't trust you at all! Why the hell are you so eager to go after her you fucking psycho!"

Dingo's eyes widened at the insult, his fingernails digging into his palms. The anger boiled in his chest, he felt his heart thud dully in his chest. _Psycho? _

"I'll show you fucking PSYCHO!" He yelled, pushing forward. Dodge held him back and Nigel was quick to grab Wally, who looked ready to attack. The two brothers struggled, desperate to rip each other to pieces. Abby stood in the middle, frozen to the spot with her eyes widened in complete horror.

"Wallabee don't!" She couldn't hold back, she ran forward and grabbed him too. "Don't get involved it's alright-"

"He should stay the fuck away from you!" Wally hissed at her. "Especially in your condition!"

Abby shook her head fretfully, her eyes wide in fear. Her heart was hammering as she struggled to maintain herself. "N-no- Don't- Please, Wally-" tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "Please-"

"CONDITION?" Dingo yelled at him, struggling in Dodge's hard grip. "What the fuck do you know about how she is? Why do you suddenly care about her so much? You were so keen to fucking IGNORE her a couple 'a months ago!"

"What the hell do YOU know about her?" Wally shot back challengingly, his voice equally harsh. "You don't know anything about her! Stay the fuck away from my friend or I swear to God you will regret it-!"

"OH!" Dingo bit back, still itching to attack. "I'll regret it, Huh? You can't tell me what to do little brother! I'll do what I fucking feel like!" He panted angrily as he snarled viciously, looking virtually murderous. He pointed at Abby, ready to really rub it in his face, not caring who he upset. "If I want to talk to her I'll talk to her! If I want to flirt with her I'll fucking flirt with her and if I feel like fucking her, I'LL FUCKING FUCK HER THEN, WON'T I?"

Abby's eyes widened fearfully as Wally broke, completely shaking himself from Nigel's grip. That was it, Dingo had stepped on his last nerve. As far as Wally was concerned, Dingo was provoking him, saying anything that was ready to get Wally fired up…and it had, and now Dingo was in for it. Abby watched with horror as Wallabee completely threw himself on top of him, smashing his closed fist into any part of his body. Dingo fiercely pushed back, gaining the advantage and punching him back, both screaming at each other. The three observers watched in horror as they realised they were powerless, Dingo hacking into him so much blood began to show. Abby began to scream at them, trying to break them up. Dodge jumped at her, holding her back.

"GET OFF HIM! STOP!"

"Abby don't YOU get involved! You're freakin' preggers!"

Wally finally succeeded in pushing Dingo off him, his hands gripping Dingo's collar hard and throwing him into the grass, belting his fist into every bit of skin he could reach. Dingo fiercely fought back, but even he could feel himself slipping at how weak and fuzzy he felt from the lack of regular substances in his bloodstream. He could feel himself fading as he furiously tried to fight back, grabbing a fistful of blonde hair and shoving it into the concrete beneath him. Nigel tried to break the two of them up but to no avail, the two were thrashing around like a pair of rabid dogs, thirsty for blood.

Wally threw a well aimed punch at Dingo's lip, Dingo choking and blood trickling down his chin. He aimed a kick at his brother's chest, Wally coughing and spluttering at the sudden blow. Dingo slumped in the earth at the pause of attack, panting and groaning in pain. He could feel his vision fading, his mind slipping in and out of consciousness. At the flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye he scrambled to his feet but Wallabee was already looming above him, reading to launch another reign of furious hits. Almost mockingly he grabbed Dingo's shoulder and straightened him up, just to line up another punch. Nigel pulled him back furiously as Dingo stumbled from the blow, squeezing his eyes open and closed. He could feel everything slipping.

"Let me go!" Wallabee snarled furiously in Nigel's arms as he held him back. The feisty blonde was panting, he had a deep cut above his eye, his lip was bleeding and he looked pretty sore and winded already, but he was still anxious to keep fighting. "Let me go, I swear I'll kill him-"

Dingo swallowed, a mouthful of blood and bile slithering down his throat as his entire body was wracked with pain. He could feel his consciousness slipping as he straightened, his feet planting shakily on the college turf. Even dazed he still looked menacing, half his face drenched with blood and his knuckles raw. He charged at him, slamming his body into the blonde's and shoving a well aimed knee into his ribs. Nigel managed to hold him straight, shielding from further harm, but Wally coughed and bit through the pain as he released himself from Nigel's grip.

Both weren't willing to give in.

Dingo was weakening, the lack of oxygen to his brain was clouding his thoughts, his body already trembling from the pain of the blows and the lack of sustenance in his veins. He coughed violently, groaning and stumbling as he struggled to keep himself guarded. Wally himself was feeling dull and weak, but still managed to focus his gaze on his target. He took a quick shak breath and charged into Dingo, knocking him to the ground. Dingo winced as his body met with soft grass, but Wally's blows came harder as he straddled him, anxious to land as many punches as he could. Dingo could feel his consciousness definitely slipping, his mind numbing, Abby, Dodge and Nigel shouting-

The sudden weight was lifted and everything seemed to silence. The blows stopped, but all he could feel was pain, his mind barely registering with the ground beneath him. A voice reached his ears, and he thought for sure he was dreaming.

_"Dingo…" _A light, feminine voice, shaky but strong, seemed to coo at him. It wasn't Abby, it was older and more mature. A pair of deep emerald green eyes came into view as Dingo attempted to open his eyes. A delicate, soft, cold hand cupped his face and a few fingers ran through his hair. They seemed familiar. Dingo struggled to keep his eyes open, even though his consciousness was slipping away.

_"Dingo…" _His mother said to him, her voice as gentle as silk. She hung above him, her eyes wide with worry as she cradled his broken face in her hands. "_Dingo it's me…speak to me…"_

He let out the smallest of groans as the pain overtook him and he blacked out.

_The last part right there was for Australian Mother's Day, last Sunday :P _


	18. Chapter 18: Burn

_Hey, I know. More than a month :( I'm ashamed *sigh* but in excuse, june is a massive month for me. You know it was my birthday just the other week? Yeah...drama :P! Anyways...blahdyblahdyblah I'm sorry, I failed...wah.. but I hope this chapter makes up for it! :P I had some writer's block and as you can see, it makes up for in length...I apologise in advance if some parts are lacking :( I did try, and I LOVE the feedback :)_

_A quick word to my sponsors, before I must go off and study for a test tomorro :( Cheer me up with your lurrrrvely reviews! ;)_

_stoplight-melody__ : Ah yes, I have a lot of fun with my Bandit/Mushi-ness :P But a whole lotta something's going to be headed that way in a short time ;) heehee, I'm glad you liked the chapter :D and my characters! Though it is tempting, in my own writing, for someone to just be like "WALLY- NOT YOUR BABY- THAT IS ALL- BYE" *sigh* but alas, that would seriously sadden my record winning word limits :| Love your feedback! :) meants alot :P_

_Laurie43:__ kehee, there are clear sides developing between Fanny/Dodge and Fanny/Patton...even I'm not sure who will win! :P Sadly Patton's not in this chapter much :( don't know how that worked out with almost 30,000 words! (!) gah! And oh yes, the fear exists...it's my fear too...called bledelophobia or something like that...I'm hoping to incorporate it later on :P shh... :D I hope you like the chapter, love your reviews :) _

_1000GreenSun__: hehe, i love to think Bandit is my comic relief :) but he's sadly emofied in this chappie, so I like to think Jake took over instead :P Who knows what the future is with Patton/Fanny now...but now that I know everyone's not 'pro-Dodge' I sense some conflict and competition arising here and I like! :D Thank you! That's what I was aiming for with Abby..someone who definately did something wrong but still everyone empathises with her :P she's kinda pushing it now tho :P Hope you enjoy! :)_

_n__umbuh310allthewa__y: Aw thank you :) That means alot! I hope you can get through this chapter and let me know what you think! :DD x_

_Lexi: __(: thank you! Ooo lucky! Unforunately I haven't been to Perth, I only know you definately need air-con in the summer :P Expect a lot of friendly people, who will definately love to hear your accent, a lot of nice attractions like Opera House, Harbour Bridge...but more importantly the beaches! wooooo! :D Depends what weather as well...we can have FREEZING winters but Boiling hot summers...basically a whole lot everything :) I hope you love it here, I certainly do :P Keep in mind not all aussies are like my OC's...but some are ;) for Christmas everyone heads to the beach, as it's boiling hot :P Anyway I'm rambling, I hope you love my chapter as much as the others :D_

_NinjaxTurtles : yee! :D as you can see I am also a major fan of love triangles :P gosh, how many has there been so far? too many to count :P i love the jealousy too...never gets old :) Love the flong reviews, and love your feedback :) Lemme know what you think :P_

_Apples Go Boom__: Distracting from homework is what I especially do best :P Glad you love my scenes, I do try my best :P Let me know what you think, I love to hear from you :D BOOM! hehe. x_

_Numbuh 321__: YAY! I'm so mean aren't I? :P Yes...poor Hoagie Xp don't really know what to do with poor Hoags... *sigh* he deserves his own spin off :P Lol, thank you for your reivew! :) I love to hear from you, lemme know what you think :D _

_simi838__ : keehee XD YAY! Love your new pic too, by the way :) Pokemon owns all...after Dodge, of course ;) I'm not very good at writing fluff, unforunately :( but I'm hoping to improve :) Love your feedback, let me know what you think xx_

_super ario: Hehe that's okay, I love to hear from you! :) Naw shucks! *blushes* you're too much really, stop!...Okay go on ;) Let me know what you think, :P_

_laughyytaffy: YAY! I hope you continue to love it! Let me knwo what you think :P x_

_Justwriting7: YAY! Thank you for the review :) I'm glad you love my OC's :D I hope you can get through this chapter! Enjoy the update, let me know what you think :)! x_

_hellopandaluver: WoWza! Yay! I love your long, randomish reviews, they make me smile :) I'm sorry I don't have much words of feedback, I'm so exhausted :( But anyways, I hope you love my update, I love hearing from you ;P let me know what you think! xx!_

_Heather: Yay! I'm glad you like :D Let me know what you think of the update ;) x_

_fredman: Yeah, I know :( Forgive me? :P x_

_ENJOY MY LOVELIES! :)_

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Fanny tapped her sneaker impatiently against the worn rug, her arms folded and her dark eyes constantly flicking downwards to check her watch. Her lips crinkled into an annoyed growl, her teeth nicking at her bottom lip occasionally to stop her annoyances becoming vocal. Rachel watched her with slight amusement, her hazel eyes scanning her friend's movements closely.

"Calm down." She said airily, crossing her legs as she propped herself on the faded leather couch, making herself comfortable among the mismatched pillows. "He'll be here soon; you said he was just outside, right?"

"Yeah…" Fanny growled, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed. "But that was half an hour ago!"

Rachel rolled her eyes casually to the ceiling. Hoagie was behind Fanny, draped over an armchair with his legs over the arm. His hat was pulled down over his eyes as he feigned sleep. He hadn't spoken to Fanny in so long; he'd rather skip the awkwardness of the first meeting. Instead he pretended to be so tired he could barely find the strength to look at her…but at this point he couldn't hold it in.

"…Run out on you, maybe?" he murmured casually, causing Fanny to freeze. Her body tensed as she rounded on him, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Excuse me?"

"Guys!" Rachel snapped, glaring at them both. She nodded curtly to the hallway, where they could hear footsteps approaching the dorm. Kuki entered, running a hand through her hair. Her eyes looked bloodshot, but all three of them had the courtesy not to mention it to her.

"Hey Kuki." Rachel greeted with an extra wide smile. "Did you get your essay done?"

"Hmm?" Kuki's bloodshot eyes widened as she looked up, her violet irises bright. "Oh…yeah." She sunk next to Rachel, her hands clasped tightly together. "Yeah, I've done it…it didn't take too long…"

"That's good." Rachel gave her a friendly one-armed hug as she turned back to Fanny, giving her a warning glare. Fanny retracted her closed in fist that was readily aimed at Hoagie's covered face. She took a deep breath, restraining herself. The four friends sat in an awkward silence for a few seconds before, in time, trill ringing of cell phones brought them all back to reality with a thud. Simultaneously, Fanny and Kuki both reached for their ringing cell phones.

* * *

The silence was deafening in the hallway of the hospital. There was a clear division of both sides; the silent figures slumped in their plastic chairs on either end of the ER waiting room. Allie shuffled her shoes against the tiles, completely lost at what to say. Jake sat in his usual position, his legs crossed and feet folded beneath him. His facial expression was unreadable, steady and cool. Allie couldn't resist temptation to look over every few minutes, just to see if he'd show any emotion towards her. He never seemed to.

Across from them was Abby and Nigel. Nigel looked virtually emotionless like Jake, only he had no idea what was going on. He simply did all he could to console Abby, whose form was slumped onto his, her face buried into his shoulder. Her shoulders were shaking and every now and then she sniffed, but other than that nothing appeared wrong. Her long hair spilled over her back and shoulders, covering her face as she sobbed into Nigel's shirt. She looked completely broken and defeated, so weak and pathetic Nigel was virtually her only support.

Allie was speechless. Her hands shook as she tried to hold them steady in her lap, her fingernails digging into her palms. Her eyes were lowered, shameful and still, as she tried not to think about her two oldest sons, the fact whenever they met they simply wanted to tear each other apart, the fact both of them had successfully tried on more than one occasion, and now the fact that they had, they had landed themselves both in the emergency room. She blinked back her tears, struggling to remain calm. But, the worst thing she found, was that when she finally did see her eldest boy again it was to drag him off to the ER for something that was long her fault, a conflict she started way back when. She never thought it would come to this.

Dodge sat beside Jake, comfortable in his position as he'd done it many times before in the past. His head still slumped, his eyes still steady and focused on the floor beneath him; he looked glum and anxious himself. He'd only seen Dingo in that bad a way on only a few occasions, but he'd never seen him look so weak and pathetic. Dodge bit his lip and shot a quick glance at Allie. And he couldn't imagine what Dingo would do when he woke up to his own mother sitting beside him.

"He'll kill you, you know." Dodge hissed at Jake darkly, his eyebrows raised. He shot a warning look at Allie as he spoke. "You know he hates hospitals."

Jake shot him a fierce look, his dark brown eyes looking black. "I know." He snarled, but looked pouty at the same time. "But what else could I do? He looked pretty bad-"

"I know." Dodge muttered back. "But just so you know, I ain't volunteering to be around when he wakes up." A smirk played on his rugged features, and Jake nudged him with his shoulder, snickering.

"Thanks a lot, Dodge."

"Anytime…" He mused, scratching at his head. He was getting restless; he hated the thought of his best friend locked up in an emergency room. He pouted, nestling his chin in his hands. He wanted his girl…his cherry pie. He suddenly looked up hopefully as the door opened, but looked down again in disappointment as he turned out to be a nurse. He looked over glumly at Abby, sitting across from him blubbering into Nigel's shoulder. He felt an overwhelming want to go over and comfort her himself, but he knew he would just make matters worse.

Abby just kept crying, her sniffles and sobs echoing through the silent hallway. She didn't know what to think or what to feel, all she felt was overwhelming pain and guilt. She sobbed and cried, unable to stop. She couldn't even face the people around her, she felt so ashamed and confused. She squeaked in sudden discomfort, clenching her stomach and jumping.

"Abs!" Nigel snapped, looking over in alarm. "What's up?"

"Nothing." She mumbled, shaking her head. Her eyes were wide and puffy, bloodshot and pale. She sniffed miserably, her face wet with tears. Nigel hastily gave her some tissues, rubbing her back and giving her a worried look. "It…I feel fine now."

The baby was kicking restlessly in her stomach, pushing hard against her insides and wriggling in discomfort. Abby took a few deep breaths, gripping Nigel's arm to steady herself. She closed her eyes, opening them again when her balance leveled. "I swear, I'm good."

Nigel gave her a suspicious glare, untrusting. Just then the doors to the ward opened and all of them jumped out of their seats expectantly, earning a surprised glance from the doctor who had just arrived.

"They're both fine." He muttered irritably, his bushy eyebrows rising upward to gaze at them all. "Mr. W Beatles will be fine to leave tonight, more or less some bumps and bruises that should heal nicely in a few days, but most healing would be done with a good night's sleep." His gaze turned sour, however, and his lips crinkled as he sighed. "Dingo, however, will need a few more nights here. He's very weak and needed a few stitches as well as some revival…" He glared especially at the side Dodge, Jake and Allie were sitting, where all three of them winced. He stiffened, swallowing deeply. "His body seemed to be weakened due to his…withdrawal symptoms."

Dodge bit his lip guiltily as Jake stiffened, giving the doctor a fierce, defensive glare with those bottomless dark eyes. Allie however blinked rapidly, trying to steady herself.

"I-Is he going to be okay?" She asked, her deep green eyes wide.

"Yes, with some rest and rehydration…as well as some medication." The doctor muttered gravely, checking his clipboard. He sighed again, rubbing at his temples. "He's sedated for now."

Abby gave a light sniff, her brown eyes wide as she gazed up at the three of them pathetically, too overwhelmed to speak. Nigel kept a firm arm around her shoulders, trying to steady her. He kept shooting her quick, careful glances as to be sure she was alright, he didn't want her or her baby in danger for all the drama, and she hadn't stopped shaking since the trip to the hospital where she'd sobbed over and over again about how it was her fault.

"Sedated." Dodge scoffed lightly to Jake as the doctor walked away, muttering about non-family members in the waiting room. Dodge raised his eyebrows as Jake looked over, his glance matching Dodge's. "Like that'll keep Dingo from strangling you for bringing him here."

"Let 'im." Jake scoffed in return, blowing his long black fringe out of his face casually. "I'll fuckin' kill him for getting' into this stupid fight in the first place."

Allie gave a trembling sigh, sinking back into her chair and burying her face in her hands. Jake dropped down weakly beside her; awkwardly patting her in the back in what he hoped was a comforting way. Dodge shot him a glare. He was never any good at it. Abby simply tangled her fingers as she gripped her hands together, her form trembling as she felt the awkward silence engulf her once more.

"I-I-I…" She swallowed, unable to stop herself from shedding a few more tears. "I…I just w-wanted to s-say how…how sorry I am…" A few more tears trickled down her cheeks. "F-for all this… I-I'm so sorry…" She broke down again, burying her face in her own hands and sobbing, her shoulders shaking. Nigel once again murmured assurances in her ear, rubbing her back and hugging her tightly like any good friend would. Jake and Dodge watched her with pity, neither of them feeling any hate for the girl that seemed so broken. Jake was in fact swelling with some sort of pride that this girl wasn't just a regular trashy girl that his son usually seemed to pick up.

Allie's face rose from her hands, her eyes wet and wide as she stared at the girl…the girl that was once her son's girlfriend, now the mother of her other son's baby. She knew she should be furious, she should be snarling and growling at her with no hesitation, but she wasn't… Instead she was reminded of herself, a lonely girl sitting in the hallway of a hospital sobbing about past regrets she couldn't take back. She rose from her chair and made no hesitation in sitting beside Abby, wrapping her own comforting arm around the girl's shoulders. Abby looked up, her bloodshot eyes hopeful.

"I know, Abby…" She murmured to her, carrying that same reassurance all mothers possessed. She hugged her close, sniffing. "I know more than anyone else could…"

Abby hugged her back, crying into her shoulder. Allie let her, her own tears falling as she thought back to her own seventeen year old self, knowing the reason why both Dingo and her hated hospitals so much.

* * *

"_Noooo!" Dingo whimpered, kicking and squirming fiercely. His eyes were wide with fear and hysteria, his face was pale and he couldn't stop shaking. His tiny body didn't give in to stillness; he was forever moving and shaking to fend off anyone coming near him. Allie watched with slight horror, her body heavy with shame and complete shock. She held him close as Dingo sobbed, trying to cuddle to her, but she shakily kept his body turned away from her. _

_Everything scared him, the doctor called it trauma, and everything was just fuelling the fire. He hated it, he hated the scary looking, injured people in the ER waiting room, the pale, sickly white walls, the hard tiled floor, ghostly curtains, the scary guy in the white coat hovering above him with eerie instruments…Dingo's heart was hammering as he cried, wanting nothing more than to go home and snuggle up to his familiar toys. _

"_NO!" He screamed, kicking out. "NO! LEMME GO! I WANNA GO HOME!" He cried louder, gripping his young mother's shirt. He hated it here, he hated the hospital. "Pwease!" He screamed at his mother, his wide, frantic eyes turning to her pleadingly. "Pwease Mommy! I wanna go hooooome! NO!" He screamed at the doctor again, wrestling in his mother's grip. _

"_Baby…" Allie sniffed shakily, trying to hold back the tears. She hated it here too, but nothing to her was more important. Dingo had blood running down his face and she could tell he was in pain. She hated the accusing glares of the nurses, knowing somehow her baby's hysteria and shock was her fault. She held in a sob, pushing Dingo's black fringe from his forehead. The deep cut shone fiercely in the bright fluorescent lighting, blood still trickling down the two year old's face. Her heart felt heavy in her chest as a million emotions went through her. Pain, anger, fear…everything the young girl felt seemed to weigh her down. She held Dingo close to her, trying to block out his fearful sobs. "Dingo…" She cooed to him shakily. "Be still for the doctor, he's helping you-"_

"_NO!" Dingo hollered, his eyes widening as the cold hands neared him again, wiping a stinging liquid across his forehead. "NO! NOOOOOO!"_

"_Ms. Wade." The doctor finally sighed in defeat, speaking over Dingo's loud wailing. "Your son's in a lot of shock, perhaps it's best if we use a general anesthetic…"_

_Allie nodded, tears running down her face. Dingo seemed to relax in her arms as the doctor retreated. She could feel Dingo's tiny heart throb rapidly in his chest as he watched the room suspiciously, his eyes wide. He struggled in her grip and she gave in to turn him around so he could snuggle into her chest, his forehead still bloody. She grabbed a towel to push against the wound as Dingo watched her, his eyes pleading._

"_I wanna go h-h-home."_

"_I know Baby…" She sighed. "We'll go home soon, I promise."_

_That was a lie, and she knew it. Dingo trembled in her arms, and she could tell he was still shaking from the sudden blow. It took a lot but Derek finally snapped at him, and she guessed Dingo was still too shocked to even mention it. Allie felt wracked with guilt, she could barely look into his eyes. She pressed the warm cloth to his forehead and Dingo relaxed in his mother's arms, sniffling._

"_It hurts."_

"_I know…" Allie mumbled tearfully. She sniffed ungracefully, knowing her mother was on her way to the hospital to pick them up. "I'm so sorry baby…"_

_Dingo hugged her, even though she knew he probably had no idea what she was talking about. The door opened and the doctor returned, needle in hand. Dingo straightened, his eyes wide, but Allie held him to her, not wanting him to see. Dingo's heart raced again as he heard the stranger's voice._

"_You should hold him Ms. Wade…" The doctor advised her, prepping the instrument. "He may struggle…"_

_She nodded, pressing the two year old to her as Dingo's eyes widened fearfully, the doctor's cold hands held his body in place. He screamed in protest, his screams desisting to sobs that gradually grew quieter and quieter as his eyelids drooped, his head following as he fell into a deep slumber. _

* * *

Fanny, with Kuki quick on her heels behind her, ran into the hospital waiting room on the third floor, where they were directed to go. Scrambling out of the elevator, she quickly found who she was looking for, a laid back figure calmly sitting on one of the lounges by the desk, pretending to flick through a magazine. She let out a quick sigh of relief, stomping over to him. As soon as she laid eyes on his own brilliant icy blue irises, however, her anger and panic quickly subsided.

"You!" She snarled at him. Dodge looked back up at her innocently, somehow loving the look of anger on her face. Her deep brown eyes were narrowed, her lips scrunched cutely and her dainty hands were curled into fists. He couldn't resist snickering up at her. "You…you made me worry!" She growled at him, hating the look of pride and enjoyment on his face. "You call me half an hour later when you're supposed to be here and-and instead you say you're at the hospital! You complete ASSHOLE! And- AND STOP GIVING ME THAT LOOK!"

Dodge rolled his eyes as she took a deep breath, probably prepping for another rant. Before she could he grabbed her hand and pulled her on top of him, wrapping his arms around her form and holding her close. His cold nose pressed against her warm neck and Fanny shuddered, completely silenced. His hand slithered up her back and came to rest at the back of her head, his forehead pressing to hers. He snickered as she heaved a sigh of defeat, a smile gracing her features.

"And-"

"And you love me." Dodge finished for her, his eyebrows rising sweetly. "Right?"

"And how about you shutup." Fanny grumbled at him, turning away as a warm blush filled her cheeks. She looked over to see the rest of the gang gazing at her. Rachel was snickering, Hoagie simply glared, and Kuki was off to the side, her face paler than usual and her innocent violet eyes wide with worry. Fanny blinked, shaken out of her trance as she turned to Dodge.

"How's-"

"Recovery." Dodge muttered, his blue eyes rolling towards the ceiling. "They wouldn't let me stay in emergency 'cause I'm not family." He turned to Kuki, his eyes especially gazing at her. "They put him in Room 287, if you were won-"

Kuki quickly ran off, her pale, chapped lips gasping as only one thought filled her mind. Hoagie quickly followed, unable to look at the pair anymore. Rachel sighed, her shoulders drooping in defeat. She didn't want to overcrowd him. Instead she turned to Fanny, hands on hips. She knew Nigel was still away comforting Abby, which left her to-

"So." She gave a weak smirk. "Are you going to introduce me, Fannypants, or am I going to have to introduce myself?"

* * *

Mushi eventually relaxed in Trent's arms as he held her against him, her head resting on his chest and his head resting atop of her head. His grip was slightly more forceful than she was used to when hugging someone, but after a while she realised it was just his way in actually being tender with another person. He held her in his arms on his lap, spread out along the couch watching TV. Her body compared to his was very dainty and petite, snuggling up against his muscle very elegantly, a complete paradox to Trent's usual roughness.

The fact they were taking up the entire couch bothered Bandit the most, as he was forced to be shoved completely out of the picture and reduced to being curled up in the armchair to the side, his legs pulled up to his chest and an irritated pout on his face. Trent noticed, with a quick glance out of the corner of his eye, that his skin looked slightly paler than usual.

"What did Dodge say?" Trent muttered, bravely stabbing at the awkward silence. Bandit blinked slowly, rising as he remembered the phone conversation between him and Dodge that occurred just twenty minutes ago.

"Um…" Bandit bit his lip. "That…Dingo was okay, just sedated and having withdrawal symptoms and…a bit bashed up I guess…"

Trent rolled his eyes and placed his head back on Mushi's again, enjoying the sweet scent of flowers that seemed to radiate off her. Bandit twisted his lips in visible annoyance, but attempted to push it away. He couldn't let Trent know that it bothered him so much.

Mushi suddenly stirred, her fingers retracting over Trent's hard chest as she looked up at him, her nose grazing his chin. "What's the time?" She cooed to him groggily. The words seemed to scrap like nails on a chalkboard to Bandit, who clenched a fist angrily. She sounded so innocent, so untouchable and precious, yet she was in _Trent's _arms, of all people. Trent- rough, callous, psycho Trent…

He would destroy her…he knew it.

"About eight thirty…" Trent mumbled back softly, his hand running down her exposed arm. "Why? You a little tired, Baby?"

Bandit stiffened, his jaw set. The couple didn't appear to notice.

"A little…" Mushi blinked sweetly, rising from her position and getting to her feet. "I think I'm going to go lie down…" She flipped her hair over her shoulder, giving Bandit a cheerful smile. "Night, Bandit."

Bandit didn't reply, he simply raised his eyebrows at her and nodded. Mushi, sensing that he wasn't in the mood for conversation, swallowed sadly and shuffled off down the hall, slightly hurt at what she saw as rejection. Trent listened and waited for her footsteps to fade and the bedroom door to close before he suddenly turned to his friend, his grey eyes narrowed and stormy.

"Don't think…" He snarled silently, his voice a fierce hiss. "That I can't see past that innocent little face of yours. Don't think I don't know your little _game." _

"What game?" Bandit bit back irritably, folding his arms. "I don't know what you're talking-"

"_Bullshit." _Trent snarled, his teeth gritted as he stared at his friend. Bandit stared back with those innocent blue eyes, but he'd seen beneath those irises- he knew Bandit's mean streak, his secret dark side that only seemed to show towards him. "You're pissed that Mushi actually likes me, don't you?" He snickered darkly, his eyebrows rising. "Your little plan failed in stealing her away from me."

Bandit growled. "I never-"

"Don't give me that!" Trent growled quietly, so Mushi couldn't hear. "You always stole my girlfriends- every single one!"

Bandit shook his head rapidly, his eyes wide. "T-Trent, I'm not sixteen any-"

"Oh, it wasn't about fucking age!" Trent snarled, his grey eyes narrowing darkly. "I know what you want."

Bandit grew weakened under Trent's forceful glare, but he'd seen it all before. "Oh really?" He snarled, challenging. "And what is that?"

Trent blinked, his lips curling into a fierce snarl. "You want Mushi for yourself…to teach me a lesson, to get revenge-"

"Ha!" Bandit snarled back quickly, but he couldn't restrain the nervous tremble that was going through his system. He did his best to scoff. "I-If you think I'm still cut about that, you're dead wrong, it doesn't…I never cared-"

"C'mon Bando." Trent snarled venomously, his eyes narrowing as a playful, twisted played on his features. "Tell the truth."

Bandit turned to him, and for the slightest second Trent seemed to jump and wince at the immense fury that Bandit held in that one, fierce glare. Those wide blue eyes were bottomless with emotion and heat, they seemed to darken immensely for the amount of anger that was coursing through his veins. Trent couldn't look away, he was automatically locked into that rare, powerful and almost hateful look Bandit possessed, but underlying pain laced that glare.

"I'll tell you the fucking truth…" Bandit whispered to him harshly. "When you tell _Mushi_ the fucking truth."

He rose to leave, his fingernails biting into his palms to stop himself from smashing his fist into the bridge of Trent's nose. Trent watched him leave, seething

* * *

Kuki stood at the doorway, her hand shakily placed on the door handle that leaded to her boyfriend's room. She took a few shaky breaths, but nothing seemed to calm her, nothing softened what she was about to do. A few stray tears clung to her long eyelashes and she swallowed deeply, trying to sort out her raging thoughts. She took one, final deep breath and pushed her entire weight against the door, throwing it open to reveal a small recovery room, framed with off white walls, a lonely window opposite her and an occupied bed in the centre, her boyfriend resting beneath the thin white covers. She took a few shaky, stumbling steps across the linoleum floor before breaking into a small jog, reaching his bed with her eyes wide and her breath caught in her throat.

He was still recogniseable, and that was the main thing. When Kuki received the call she didn't know what to think. Of course he was still bruised and beaten, Dingo had given him a couple of harsh hits that had left him a deep, dark bruise under his right eye, a swollen, bloodied lip and a deep cut over his left eyebrow. His knuckles and wrist were heavily bandaged, but the important thing was that he was breathing, deep, silent snores as he slept flat on his back.

Kuki let out the breath she had been holding and collapsed in the chair by his bed, all tears escaping. She buried her face in her hands as she felt everything- all the pressures, all the stress, all the guilt, pain and emotions she had felt over the past few days…weeks even. She didn't know what was going to happen next, all she could do was wait.

Hoagie appeared at the door and looked in awkwardly, his eyes wide.

"How…how is he?" He asked her gently, appearing at her side. Kuki sniffed glumly, raising her head from her hands and instead clutching them together, her eyes falling instead on her boyfriend.

"He's alive." She choked out, sighing. "And that's the main thing…I-I didn't know what to think at first-"

Hoagie nodded gravely, giving her a sheepish, weak smile. "He'd given me a few scares over the years…" He muttered, sitting down on the chair next to her.

"Like you have."

Both of them jumped, shocked to look over to see Wally sitting up, his eyes wide and flashing playfully. Kuki gave him a quick punch in the arm, her eyes narrowed.

"You're awake!" She snarled at him, her eyes welling with tears. "You scared me!"

"Yeah well…you guys were taking forever, so I fell asleep." Wally shrugged, rubbing his arm sheepishly. "They said I was alright, just needed rest…I can even go home."

Hoagie's eyebrows rose as Kuki let out a pathetic sniff, her arms wrapping around her boyfriend tightly, relieved to feel his arms holding her tightly too.

"I bet Dingo's looking a bit worse for wear, huh?"

Wally hesitated, biting down on his lip as he looked over. "Dunno…didn't see how he was." At Hoagie's knowing glare, he faltered. "I..I mean I know I was bashing him up, but I didn't know how bad he was…" He looked down, groaning and folding his arms like a pouting child. He snarled to himself. "I can't believe I feel guilty, now."

"You should!" Kuki sniffled, her violet eyes fierce. "You could have really hurt yourself! What are you thinking, getting into fights like that?"

Wally gripped her hand, hating the rare anger in her voice. His eyes were wide and earnest, those deep green eyes twinkling earnestly at her.

"He provoked me." He grumbled at her, his eyes wide. "I couldn't let him talk to me like that, Kooks. He was putting down Abby and saying all this stuff…he just…got to me."

A flash of sadness and worry crossed Kuki's graceful face, and Wally felt the pang of guilt grow stronger as he thought back to Abby, who would snarl and growl and probably hit harder if he was in the same situation with her. But not Kuki…he noticed when he hurt Kuki it hurt him twice as much, whenever he did something rash or stupid it cut into her twice as much as it would any other girl…she was delicate and soft, reliant and hopeful…an innocent angel with those big violet eyes that could do no wrong…he could never hurt her.

"I'm sorry, Kooks…" He mumbled to her, pulling her into a hug and kissing her temple. "I really am."

She hugged him back, a few tears escaping her eyes, but a small smile forming on her lips just the same.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the floor above in a slightly more somber atmosphere, only family was allowed to visit Dingo, and thanks to Jake's quick, snarling lie that she was his _fiancé, _Abby found herself waiting outside the door with heavy feelings of anxiety weighing her down to her chair, Nigel had been forced to leave her side and join Dodge and the others on the floor below, it was just her, Jake and Allie sitting in the plain plastic chairs, Abby in the centre, shaking like a leaf. Allie gripped her clammy hand in hers as they stared at the opposite wall, each lost in their own thoughts. Jake was slightly calmer, he was shuffling his feet against the floor and tapping his fingers on the chair, nibbling at his lip and growling to himself. He just kept fidgeting.

"Would you _stop?"_ Allie hissed at him eventually, giving him a motherly, disapproving look. "What is wrong with you?"

"I can't help it!" Jake whined, snarling to himself. He twisted his lips with impatience, glancing up and down the hallways sneakily. "I could kill for a cigarette."

Allie's eyes widened. "You're in a hospital!"

"So?" Jake scoffed, licking his lips. He glanced up in thought. "I wonder if they have a smoke detector in the bathroom…"

"Jake!" Allie scolded darkly. "Your son's recovering in ER and you're worried about smoking?"

"He's _fine." _Jake assured her, smirking. "Besides, he'd do the same for me…"

Allie gave him a repulsive look, as if torn between smacking him over the head and laughing. Abby however, smiled to herself, her warm brown eyes looking up towards Jake almost admirably.

"Now I know where Dingo gets it from…" She smirked at him and he smirked back, suddenly lightened.

"I like you." He said simply, grinning. "You'll be in my will for sure."

Allie snarled at him, her eyes narrowing. _"Jake-"_

A nurse appeared before them, a clipboard in hand. All three looked up expectantly.

"He's doing fine." She assured them, her kind smile calming the trio. "You can go in to see him, but he's in a deep sleep and he does need his rest…" With that she made her way up the hallway, leaving them to ponder on this new thought. Allie's stomach tightened uncomfortably, her heart tensing and her breath quickening. _See her oldest son? After all these years? Talk to him? Be with him?_

"Well." Jake said simply, his mood suddenly brightening. He turned to Abby expectantly. "You gonna come in with us?"

Allie stiffened. With _us? _

"Uhn…" Abby herself stiffened, her heart almost feeling as though it had jumped into her throat. "Uh…n-no…not right away…" She had been blindly worried about Dingo, of course, but she wasn't ready…she couldn't see him now… "Y-you guys go…I'll…um-"

Jake shrugged casually, but made no move to rise from his chair. "You should go in first, he'll be way happier waking up to you."

Abby's deep brown eyes widened fearfully, her wet eyes looking petrified. "Oh… n-no, I could never-"

Jake scoffed loudly, rising from his feet and shooing her in carelessly. "Aw, hell Abs! You're havin' his freakin' kid, you've seen more of him than I have!"

"_Jake!" _Allie hissed reproachfully, narrowing her eyes in complete horror as Abby blushed a deep crimson.

"Nah, Nah…" Jake grinned airily as he guided Abby into the room. "Anyone who can look 'im in that way deserves a prize to me, especially one who can actually put up with him for such a long period of time- even I have trouble there!"

"B-but I- Really-" Abby squeaked as Jake shoved her forward through the doors, smirking cheekily. Abby looked around in complete shock at the situation she was in, shoved into an emergency recovery room. She felt the tears well in her eyes as her heart thumped within her chest, her stomach rumbling nervously as her tiny baby kicked within her. Her vision blurred with unshed tears as she saw the crumpled, weak figure in the bed before her, the tiny, steady beeps freaking her out and the tubes and needles stuck within the back of his hand enough to shock her into stillness, unable to move. He was paler than usual, his face bashed and bruised. Purple and red decorated his complexion and a few bandages littered his form. Dingo was fast asleep, probably knocked out cold, and was motionless, a stage she had never seen him in before. Even when sleeping he showed _some _kind of energy.

She finally found her feet, shakily making her way over to the bed and simply gazing down at his pathetic form, too overwhelmed and shocked to speak. A lump formed in her throat as the tears ran down her cheeks, a hand resting on her swollen stomach as she gazed at her baby's father, trying to work out how the Hell did she get herself into this mess.

A sudden twitch of Dingo's finger caused her to stiffen, her eyelashes flickering as she reached out a finger to stroke his cold, dry skin. His eyebrows twitched again upon contact and contracted, a frown tainting his peaceful expression. His eyes crinkled with pain, his body weakly shuffled and Abby clasped at his hand, wrapping both hands around his and holding it, her brown eyes gazing into his face.

She squeezed his hand gently as he stilled, his face still troubled. She sniffed, unsure of whether or not he was even conscious, but even seeing him like this- weakened and defeated, it brought her own fear to light…she did love him, the worry she felt for him was overwhelming…not anxiety for her secret to be let out, but worry if he was going to be okay…

A tear fell on his hand as she held it within hers. She felt completely stupid. Dingo and her shouldn't even be together in the first place, the whole relationship was wrong from the start…why she even bothered…why she even did it…

"_Abby…" _Dingo groaned faintly, his dry lips parting as he twitched once more, fighting whatever was keeping him knocked out. He frowned again, fighting the weight of the sedative. Abby's eyes widened as she gripped his hand tightly, her other hand gently stroking his cheek, her finger caressing his bottom lip delicately.

"_Shh." _She begged him in her song-like voice, her eyes wide with concern as more tears formed. _"Don't talk, go back to sleep…"_

Immediately he refused, taking in a sharp breath and fighting to open his heavy eyelids. He finally succeeded, his dulled green eyes gazing up at her with the same intensity they always had, immediately they flashed brightly upon seeing her, widening as he watched her form above him.

_"Abby…" _He mumbled to her faintly, his brow furrowed with confusion. "W-"

"Shutup…" She mumbled back, sniffing. She shook her head sadly, her own frown deepening. "Just shut up. You had me worried sick…" She gave him a fierce look, but still kept his hand locked in hers, her fingers trembling. Dingo stared back weakly, his eyes wide as he watched her cry in front of him. He barely had the strength to talk, let alone reach out and reassure her that everything was going to be okay. He blinked lazily, the drugs within his system still fighting for sleep. But his emotions kept him awake.

"_I'm sorry, Babe…"_ He murmured to her softly

Abby felt herself choking up at the sight of him fighting to keep his eyes open, his eyes gazing at her, looking glassy and weak. A few tears surfaced as she let out a pathetic sob, giving in and sitting down in the visiting chair, leaning over to his bed and putting her face near his, her lips brushing against his bruised cheek. She brushed at his hair with her long nails, her other hand still on his own.

"Me too…" She mumbled, now bawling.

* * *

Fanny and Dodge sat alone in the hallway of the hospital, silent except for the occasional visitor or late night nurse bustling about their way, holding clipboards, flowers, boxes of tissues…sitting side by side under the gentle humming of the fluorescent lighting alone made Fanny feel confined and miserable, the light pattering of the gentle rain on the windows leading to the night scene outside didn't help matters at all. She glared at the window opposite them almost scornfully, her arms folded and her jaw stiff as she eyed the raindrops that ran down the thick glass.

"I hate the rain." She grumbled, her arms folding tightly across her chest and sighing to herself. Dodge smirked slyly, looking over at the pattering raindrops as well.

"I love the rain…" Dodge murmured.

"It makes my hair go frizzy." Fanny complained, growling.

Dodge scoffed at her, his brown fringe that fell into his eyes blowing upwards with his playful smirk. Fanny glared at him in warning.

"You can be a real sourpuss." Dodge teased, poking her in the arm childishly. He snickered at her, his icy blue eyes flashing jokingly. "You know that?"

Fanny's bottom lip drooped as Dodge teased her, poking and snickering at her as if he was about ten, not twenty. She playfully smacked him back, her eyes narrowing, but her own lips twitching into smirk.

"Shutup." She snarled back. "You should have met me when I was a kid. I was _always _a sourpuss."

"Really?" Dodge cocked an eyebrow with interest. "A real bitch, you were?"

Fanny elbowed him, her head landing on his shoulder as she felt the late night get to her. She sighed. "Yeah…" She mumbled. "I didn't have many friends back then."

"Don't worry." Dodge smiled back at her, an arm going around her shoulders as he hugged her close. "I was never that liked, either."

Fanny rolled her eyes towards the cream white ceiling above them. "Yeah right."

"I wasn't…" Dodge muttered, subconsciously beginning to play with her hair, running his fingers along it and tickling her scalp. He was amazed at how easily he could tell her things, usually he shivered at the thought of mentioning his childhood to anybody. "People were afraid of me, mostly."

Fanny smirked. "You don't seem that scary."

"I wasn't…" Dodge assured her, his smirk fading slightly. "Because I hung out with Dingo people were afraid to tease me, I never did anything. But it was mostly my family they were afraid of…" He twisted his lips with slight irritation, a flash of anger crossing his usually calm eyes. "We didn't have the best reputation…"

Fanny raised her head, knocking his hand gently out of the way. With her wide dark eyes on him and her arms wrapping around him, she silently egged him on to continue. Dodge snarled slightly, feeling stupid, but Fanny blinked those big, dark eyes at him, her thick lashes fluttering cutely. He hugged her back, airily continuing the story he seemed to want to tell.

"My brother was a real psycho." He snarled darkly as he planted his chin on her head, frowning in memory. "I say was…but he probably still is. I hated him so much…"

"You have a brother?" Fanny perked up with interest. "Older or younger? How many siblings do you actually have?"

Dodge's eyebrows rose again at the interest she seemed to have in him…he wasn't used to it. He was used to people simply _knowing _things about him.

"Just the one." He muttered, his eyes flashing angrily. "Older brother…about…three years older than me… yeah, he's like 23 or something now…" He twisted his lips angrily and seemed to snarl to himself. "Dread."

Fanny blinked in alarm, a steady frown working into her features. "What?"

"His name…" Dodge explained, with a hint of a smirk. "It's Dread. It suits him."

"Dread?" Fanny muttered, wrinkling her nose. "What a name…"

"I told you my parents were absolute weirdos." Dodge snickered, raising his eyebrows. "Be thankful you won't ever meet him. My Mum was way too drugged up on painkillers when the nurse asked for the name, and my Dad was half drunk anyway, apparently, and he hated kids, so he thought he'd be original." Dodge rolled his eyes, sighing. "Didn't really matter with a name like that, nobody really teased him."

Fanny studied him closely, noting all the signs. "…you guys never got on, huh?"

Dodge smirked, his eyebrows rising. "Nup." He rolled his eyes, debating whether to go on. "He followed Dad's footsteps mostly…in and out of juvie since he was ten…then had a major drug business thing going on when he was in school with me…hired me as a mule sort of…just carrying it…he dropped out and…well…he was always drugged up on something, causing trouble…after school he kinda…" His icy blue irises flickered to Fanny's deep brown ones. "Well he kinda moved on to bigger and better things after that."

"So…he got his act together?" Fanny muttered, blushing as she realised she was speaking in a hushed croak. Dodge bit his lip.

"No…more on the lines of… within the first degree." He mumbled, his eyes darkening dangerously as they narrowed. "He's locked up in some prison somewhere, where he belongs." He added with a quick growl, and left it at that. A chill went through her as they fell into a silence, more aspects of Dodge's past leaving her with a cold, anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach. Dodge suddenly smirked, his expression brightening as he turned to his girlfriend again

"Oi, Fanny." Dodge snickered, poking his girlfriend hardly in the arm. She growled at him, facing straight ahead, her arms folded. Dodge continued, cooing her name annoyingly with a proud smirk on his face. "Fanny…."

"I told you." Fanny snarled through gritted teeth. "I'm not answering to that name."

Dodge pouted, his icy blue eyes wide and innocent as he snickered at his girlfriend, nudging her with his forehead. "C'monnnn…."

"No."

"I just wanted to ask you somethin'!" Dodge pouted at her, his lips pressing to her shoulder. His eyes flicked up to her face, those light blue orbs sparkling at her. "Please?"

"Fine." Fanny muttered, rolling her eyes. "What is it?"

Dodge shifted towards her, a bright smile on his face. Before he had looked saddened and depressed, the thought of being in a hospital once again bringing back harsh memories, but having his vibrant girlfriend there beside him brightened him, giving him a fresh outlook. He wound an arm around her.

"What is your _real_ name?"

She sighed again, rolling her eyes. "On _my_ birth certificate?" She wrinkled her nose, cringing. "Frances."

Dodge smirked, immediately earning him a fierce glare. "Frances? What's wrong with that?"

"Ugh, Shutup!" Fanny whined at him, snarling. "It's a boy's name, isn't it? My Dad wanted a boy, so they gave me the stupid name anyway. In school they called me Francine, but I hated that name too! Then my stupid nickname that my mother gave me spread, and from then on I was known as Fanny." She growled again, shaking her head. "It's hard to decide which is worse- Fanny or Frances."

"I like Frances." Dodge brightened again. "No joke, I do."

"Bull." Fanny growled, shocking even herself at (almost) swearing so quickly. Maybe she had hung around Dodge too much. She shook her head again. "How is it possibly even close to good?"

"It's better than a feeling of terror, or a brand of a car." Dodge snickered to her, biting his lip. He tilted his head, smirking. "It reminds me of that movie…um…That Baby chick, in…" he rolled his eyes. "In _Dirty Dancing_! That's it!"

Fanny scoffed, her eyebrows rising. "You've watched that?"

Dodge frowned, pouting. "Hey, it was my Mum's favourite movie! She made me!"

Fanny smirked, pushing her own forehead against his, a cute smirk flashing across her face and her eyes twinkling mischievously. "_Suuuuuure_ she did."

_

* * *

_

Mushi sighed serenely, a smile growing on her face as she basked in one of the very, _very _rare moments of complete silence that encased the small apartment complex. It was getting late, but she didn't care. She swung her legs sweetly in the air as she made herself comfortable on her bed, a book spread out before her, one of her favourites. Beside her, never leaving her side, was Trent, laying the opposite way with his shoes up against the wall, his head cushioned by his arms and his iPod in place. Mushi could hear the volume from where she was- the slightly muffled sounds of Eminem reaching her ears.

She glanced over casually, unable to help her growing curiosity of gazing over at Trent's body spread out before her. He was fit, of course, and built…nobody could deny that. She also had to admire his natural tan, an even coat of light bronze thanks to his shirtless episodes back home in the Australian sun. She also eyed his tattoos- the many markings that adorned his upper body, shirtless for all to see. Some were quite random- a few stars and song lyrics scrawled across his shoulders and arms, the elegant looking sparrow on his shoulder and a few different colours and shapes...

His deep grey half lidded eyes found her blue ones and she automatically jumped and looked away, blushing. He smirked lazily and laid his head back down, his eyes still on her. Mushi felt his gaze, strong and intense, on her face. She looked over, their gazes staying on one another. Too many things were going through Mushi's mind- Hollie calling her his new 'pet', watching movies with Bandit, Trent's passionate kiss…

"I have to ask you something…" She finally murmured softly, looking down at the plain bedspread as she said it. Trent shifted over to her slightly, a few fingers gently playing with some stray bits of her hair.

"Okay."

Her eyes flickered upward. Trent just noticed that there was a speckle of purple in those wide, innocent irises. Her young face looked up at him sweetly, still with a slight tinge of pink in each of her pale cheeks.

"Jack isn't your real name, is it?"

Trent rolled his eyes carefully as Mushi watched him, expectant. He bit down on his bottom lip, the corners of his mouth twitching into a guilty grin. Even Mushi had to admit he looked sweet.

"Nah… it's just the name everyone calls me."

Mushi felt a twinge of annoyance and even fear enter her as she realised she barely knew any of the people she was staying with…nevertheless their real names. Trent had gotten close to her, his nose almost touching hers as he watched her guiltily.

"My real name's Trent." He snickered to her, his eyebrows rising. Mushi faintly noticed his eyebrow piercing, which was usually hidden amongst stray strands of auburn hair. He stretched out lazily, his tanned arms stretching out as he rolled over onto his back, staring up at her lazily. A cocky smirk was still in on his face. Mushi couldn't help but quickly glance down at his stomach, all the way to his hips, where his jeans sat low. She blinked as she tilted her head with interest. His entire torso was nothing but muscle and clear skin…except for his hip.

"Who's Bambi?"

Trent flinched. His cocky, lazy expression flashed into one of horror and mild shock. "Wha?"

Mushi pointed to Trent's left hip, where, in slender, curvy writing with a flourish, were the tattooed, permanent words of _Bambi. _Mushi almost felt slight jealousy, knowing it must be a past girlfriend…someone important enough to get permanently inked on his hip. Trent looked down in alarm, but upon seeing it Mushi noticed the look of anger that was quick to appear on his face. He pulled his jeans up irritably, morphing his face into one of plain innocence.

"Nobody." He muttered to her. "It was a dare."

"Looks like a name to me…" She cooed sweetly, her eyebrows rising. "Past girlfriend?"

"I guess you could say that…" He snarled under his breath, his eyes flashing. "It's nothing."

Mushi blinked. That was twice he said that. Trent had no other names on him, all other tattoos could be considered tough, a statement of ferocity, almost…but this one was cute, almost bubbly, in its curvy, flick of writing across the top of his jeans in those bold letter that's stood out against his tanned complexion. Mushi couldn't help but smirk.

"I can't believe you have 'Bambi' on you…" She snickered. She remembered the cute, innocent little deer in a Disney movie she'd seen long ago…but somehow it was overtaken by an image of a 'Trent' Bambi…maybe like a Hooters girl with fake blonde extensions and pouty lips, drunk and somewhat skanky…someone who would be somewhere on Trent's body. She shook this image out of her mind, somehow feeling sick. It was hard to believe there was a whole life behind Trent she could never imagine…

Trent growled to himself, now feeling heated that the subject was even brought up. _That_ was a whole other life…a whole other side that he never wanted to show Mushi. He fingered his hip angrily, his fingers tapping on his jeans. He regretted it…the whole thing. Memories were flashing in his mind, some he never wanted to resurface. He growled again, rolling over at getting to his feet.

"I'm getting a drink…" He grumbled at her before filing out, folding his arms in a sulky, miserable sort of way.

* * *

"Are you _sure _you don't need me there?" Derek asked anxiously in the phone as he paced the living room, his eyes wide. "I mean, is he alright? Is he okay? Are you positive the doctor's didn't say anything-"

"He's fine, Derek." Allie assured him, sighing. "He's in recovery now and the doctor said he could probably even come home tonight. Kuki's in with him now, he's awake and everything."

"Good." Derek sighed in relief, a calm grin lightening his features. "What happened to him anyway?"

"Well…" Allie bit her lip. "He…got into a fight. The hospital uh…called me first, but it sounded like a brawl…"

Derek groaned, rolling his eyes. "Typical Wally."

"Yeah…" A warm smile grew on her face, diminishing slightly as she looked over nervously at Jake, who was humming to himself as he checked out the posters that adorned the walls, flicking his lighter casually as he went. She snarled at him disapprovingly. Near the burn unit too…that was Jake.

"I'll see you at home…" She muttered quickly, sighing. "I better go in and check on him, see what the doctor says."

"Okay…" Derek sighed, frowning as he heard a busy signal. "I got another call coming through anyway. I'll see you at home?"

"Sure." Allie smiled, suddenly feeling sheepish in front of Jake as she muttered. "I love you…"

"I love you too." Derek assured her, grinning. "Bye…"

"Bye…"

He hung up, immediately answering the phone as it rang again.

"Hello?"

"_Hello, would a Miss Allison Wade be available?"_

Derek automatically stiffened at the crisp, official and authoritive voice on the other end of the line. A immediate frown showed on his face at the mention of Allison's maiden name, something she hadn't used in the eighteen years they had been married.

"Uh…no…" He muttered suspiciously, his eyes narrowed. "She's not here at the moment…could I ask whose calling?"

The crisp voice hesitated before answering. "_This is Snr. Detective Constable Wilkins from NSW Police Department-"_

Derek almost dropped the phone, his hazel eyes wide. "W-"

"_No matter she is involved in, I assure you."_ The Constable growled gruffly, drumming his calloused fingers against the hardwood coating of his desk. _"We were inquiring as to the whereabouts of her son and ex-partner-"_

"Ex-partner?" Derek snarled, his voice a low, dark rumble. He was now gripping the phone in his hand with such force his knuckles had whitened.

"_Jake Beatles." _

"He isn't-" Derek automatically felt the need to correct him, but held himself back, mentally reminding himself he wasn't a teenager anymore. "They…they haven't spoken in years…"

"_Of course…"_ The Constable sighed, he sounded as though he'd had a rough day. _"It's just of the immediate importance that we find them, they have important evidence to a trial that could be at breaking point. Assure them that they're no longer suspected in the case, but we need the evidence of him and three other witnesses we suspect of travelling with him. Assure him that it's of the utmost importance."_

"Ah…" Derek stood stumped, his bottom lip drooping slightly. What was there he could say? "Of course…yeah…sure."

There was a final click as the other line was cut off abruptly, and Derek was left simply gripping a silent phone. He clenched his fingers again, his eyes narrowing. A familiar urge seemed to creep back into him, the urge to grab his younger brother by his shirt and smack him over the head, the same thing he did whenever he found that Jake had done something completely stupid and embarrassing.

_What the Hell was going on with his little brother?_

_

* * *

_

Abby's eyes fluttered open, her eyelids heavy. She was immediately met with the warm smell of Dingo, her head tucked under his, leaning against his shoulder. She had fallen sleep… groggily she rose, glancing at the clock…asleep for an hour. Biting her lip quickly glanced over to find Jake and Allie sitting calmly by the door in a chair, Jake deep in concentration of the game of Sudoku in his lap, and Allie looking sweetly at Abby with her wide green eyes.

"You guys looked so sweet…" She mumbled sheepishly, knowing it was wrong and stupid, but still she couldn't get over how cutely they seemed to fit together, both of them so calm and peaceful together. Dingo twitched in annoyance as Abby's warmth left him, flexing his fingers and crinkling his nose irritably, but otherwise remaining asleep. She looked down as Abby looked away, embarrassed. She put her hands to her stomach, which showed through her tight shirt and jacket. Abby looked over to her, the woman she'd always seen as a mother figure, and gave her an apologetic look.

"Listen, Allie…" She murmured, sighing. "I'm so sorry about all this…"

"Abby, don't be silly…" Allie told her, but her voice quivered with oncoming tears. She couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, alone with her son she hadn't even hugged since he was a toddler, now she was locked in the same room of his in a hospital, the Emergency Room thanks to injuries he had sustained through her other son. She held a shaky hand to her cheek, her eyes wide as they flicked back to Abby, her face sad and glum.

And now Abby was pregnant with Dingo's baby. It was almost too much for Allie to take…her heart hammered everytime she thought about it, she felt sick and hot with emotion and fear. But she was a mother, she had to withstand everything the world threw at her. She had learned long ago to stand strong and look problems in the face, not break down whenever she came close. Her deep green eyes were centred on Abby's face, which was quivering with signs that she was about to cry. She stood up on her shaky feet and grabbed Abby into a hug once more. Her future grandchild pressed against her stomach as Abby hugged her back, her chest shaking as she let out a sigh of relief.

"It's not your fault, Abby. Don't ever think that…if anyone could know I do…" At this, tears gripped her eyes and they threatened to escape. She sniffed them away as she let her go, instead gripping her shoulders and staring straight into her face, her lips curling into a smile. If she could choose anyone, she was glad it was the strong, determined girl in front of her. "You need rest Abby…go home and relax as much as you can."

Abby hesitated, casually she looked over her shoulder back to Dingo's sleeping form. He was twitching and groaning in his sleep, curling and flexing his hand into a fist, as if feeling for her warm body beside him. She bit her lip. She hated leaving him, even though she knew she shouldn't be here…

"I…I can handle him." Allie mumbled to her, her own eyes on her sleeping son. She blinked, her teeth digging into her lower lip. From behind them, Jake did his best to pretend he couldn't notice the emotional scene playing in front of him and instead pretended to concentrate on the 'Einstein' level puzzle in front of him, but really he was drawing little doodles and scribbles on the side of the book. Allie gave Abby a warm smile. "At least, I used to be able to…I don't know what he'll think of me now…" Her eyes looked down at the floor. Abby gave her a smile in return.

"You're his mother…" She said, cradling her stomach as she said so. Allie gave her a sheepish smile, real tears trailing down her cheeks. That's all she needed to hear.

* * *

"Alright, Wally." Hoagie sighed as he entered the room, twirling his keys on his finger. "Your mom's already signed you out and the doc says you're free to go." He cocked his eyebrow at the pair, Wally sitting up sulking in bed and Kuki by his side, fussing over his bandages and wounds. "You wanna go home or what?"

"Is the Pope a _Catholic?" _Wally scoffed, throwing off the airtight hospital bed covers and standing up. Kuki frowned at him, her light purple eyes darkening as they narrowed threateningly.

"Wally!" She tutted, growling at him as Wally quickly grabbed his jacket and threw it on. "Be more _careful. _I don't want you back here again, you know."

"Don't worry…" Wally cooed to her, wrapping his muscular arms around her slim waist and giving her a kiss on her warm, soft cheek. He flashed a sweet look with those wide emerald eyes, smirking lazily. "I don't want to be back. Besides, you can make me breakfast tomorrow!"

Kuki gave one of her sweet, tinkling laughs as she hugged him back, just happy to see him at his regular cocky self again. She hated seeing him encased by those off white walls…he seemed so weakened, not her true hero Wally…

"I guess I should go home for tonight…" Wally sighed, his lips twitching into a half smile. "My mum and dad would freak out and ring every minute or so if they couldn't check on me…" he turned to his girl, blinking innocently. "Sleepover?"

Kuki scoffed, her cheeks blushing a light pink. "B-but I didn't bring any clothes…"

"You can borrow mine…" Wally brushed off her complaints, holding her hand in his and marching out of the ward. He flashed her a cocky grin. "You wouldn't want to deny me when I'm…" he gave her an innocent pout. "_Injured?"_

Kuki gave him a light push as she followed him, giggling and planting her tired head on his shoulder. There, for just that moment, she was blessed with the forgotten worry of all the drama that surrounded her, and all that seemed to matter was her and Wally, walking hand in hand together, and maybe Hoagie complaining loudly in the background that he wasn't their damn chauffeur. For what felt like the first time in a long time, they simply stared at each other, their matching smiles radiating off one another's.

* * *

Allie played with the soft cotton of the sheets on her son's hospital bed, her fingers shaking and lips trembling as she thought of the moment when he'd open those beautiful deep green eyes she loved so much, the way he would glare at her and probably scream at her to leave. She hung her head, all of the tears wrung out of her. He'd have a right to…but she just wanted to be there, to let him know she was there for him…

_For once…_

She let out a shuddering sigh, tangling her fingers together and nibbling on her nails. Jake gave her a sly look from the other side of the bed, where he was lounging against the wall, looking sleepy.

"You should really stop doing that." He snickered at her, shaking his fingers in a teasing way. Allie hastily stopped nibbling on her cuticles and tucked her hands between her legs, looking at Dingo's pale face instead. He twitched and fidgeted a lot when he slept, flexing his fingers and generally mumbling, a lot like Wallabee did…both were restless sleepers.

"I'm scared…" Allie eventually mumbled, wincing as she realised she sounded like a small child. Her eyes flickered to Jake, wide and fearful. "I'm worried about what he'll do when he wakes up and sees me here."

Jake shrugged, unhelpful. "Yeah…" He said airily, staring up at the ceiling. "I dunno what he'll do."

Allie's eyes widened even more. "That doesn't help me!" She groaned to him. Jake bit his lip.

"Well…he never _hated _you…" He said offhandedly, searching lazily for the right words. "He may _say _he does and he may _act _like he does but I can tell he never _did… _he may be _angry _at you, well…furious-"

"Thanks, Jake." Allie snarled at him, folding her arms and slumping in her chair. "Thanks a lot."

"Well, better you're doing it now." Jake muttered to her, his eyebrows rising. "Other than later, right? I mean at least you tried…you forget he came to you, not the other way around. If he really hated you he'd stay away, or go to your house and give you a piece of his mind…nah…" Jake gave her a light smirk, his deep brown eyes twinkling knowledgeably. "I think deep down he's scared of you, maybe worried you're disappointed in him."

Allie's eyes flickered back to her son's sleeping face. He looked like he'd barely changed since he was two years old- he still even slept with those pudgy lips agape and hugging at his blankets the way he used to. A familiar, warm sensation swept through her.

"You'll always be his Mum, Allie." Jake muttered to her, his voice going soft. "He knows that…"

"I just hate…" Allie sniffed, more tears surfacing. "I just hate how he thinks I've abandoned him…I know I did but…but if I could take it back…"

"Well…" Jake looked down sheepishly before turning back to her. "You haven't left him now, right?"

They were simple words, and Allie knew Jake was never any good at offering any comfort to anyone. He still had yet to pick up that skill, but still it worked with her. A smile grew on her face as she gave him a thankful look, warming at the simple comfort he offered her. He smirked back, leaning back up against the wall in his lazy, tired state. They spent the rest of the few minutes together in silence, watching and waiting.

* * *

"Fan!"

Fanny winced as she pulled her heavy head from Dodge's warm, comfortable shoulder, blinking in the bright lights that seemed to blind her. Dodge's jacket underneath her felt so warm and cozy, she felt like she was melting into it…her eyelids closing and sleep gently encasing her as she lay in her boyfriend's arms…

Until she was rudely awaken by her friend's cheerful shout.

"What?" She snarled, jumping up in alarm and rubbing at her eyes, now blinking fiercely in the light. Dodge smirked at her lazily as his own tired eyes blinked, he too awaken by Rachel skipping down the hallway to the couple, her hazel eyes wide despite it feeling so late into the night.

"Me and Nigel are going to head back…" She told her, grinning. "I didn't wake you did I?"

"No." Fanny quipped, sitting up straight and immediately engulfed in a cool breeze. She wiped at her eyes, partially dazed. "I'm…I'm good…I was just resting."

Rachel smirked at her knowingly, rolling her eyes. "Anyways…" She pulled her smart looking turquoise backpack from her shoulder, unzipping it and pulling out a loaded brown paper bag and handing it to her. "Can you give these to Hoagie for me?"

Fanny wrinkled her nose with distaste, the thought of meeting up with her ex boyfriend not one being a very appealing one. "Why me?"

"Because." Rachel scolded. "Nigel and I have an exam tomorrow and I know you'll see him, he's in some of your classes. I was supposed to give it to him today but he already skipped out." She gave her the package, grinning. "And don't destroy it, it's not his, it's all of us."

"Fine." Fanny grumbled, putting it by her bag. She noticed it was full of tapes and photo albums. She didn't ask. Instead she raised her eyebrows at her friend. "Happy?"

"Very." Rachel smirked, her eyes quickly flashing over to Dodge, who smiled back politely. "Can I…" She rolled her eyes innocently, but Fanny noticed the mischevious glint in her hazel eyes. "Can I expect you home tonight?"

"Don't get your hopes up." Fanny scoffed, her eyebrows rising. "After all, you'll be in bed pretty early for your exam, right?"

"Yeah…" Rachel scoffed, smirking at her friend and giving her a cheeky slap as she made for the exit, to where Nigel was waiting outside for her. "Sure, Fan. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Fanny gave her a quick wave before sighing, making sure her friend was out of sight before speaking quietly to her boyfriend. "Sorry about her…"

"It's cool." Dodge grinned cheerfully, smirking. "She's nice, nicer than my mates."

Fanny rolled her eyes, unable to hold in her cold shiver. Dodge quickly took notice and whipped off his hooded jacket, throwing it around her shoulders. Fanny blushed slightly. She still wasn't used to the simple displays of affection that couples do together. _Okay… _Fanny admitted to herself. _Maybe couples don't usually hang out in a hospital together, but still. _

She cuddled up to Dodge, her spirits warming as he encased her arms around her once again, pulling her into his muscular chest. She snuggled into his neck, warmed by his cologne. She closed her eyes and simply sighed, overcome with the feeling of comfort around her boyfriend. She couldn't believe after such a short period of time she had become so head over heels over Dodge, and she knew the reglular lesson that the first few months was usually blinded by love, but she could find nothing truly wrong with Dodge, everything he did warmed her heart and made her feel special…she had no doubts for her feelings for him. They had started out on the wrong foot but ended so _right…_

"Is your friend going to be okay?" She asked him, and he ran a few fingers over her face, pushing her hair behind her ear so he could look into those lazy half lidded eyes.

"Yeah, he'll be okay." Dodge mumbled quickly. "He'll probably chuck a psyche once he realises he is here…probably not going home tonight either…still asleep." He kissed her temple lightly. "Wanna head off?"

Fanny smirked into the soft cotton of his shirt. "Back to your place?"

Dodge grinned back. "Only if you want to…"

Fanny's eyes flashed mischievously, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt like she could easily forget herself around him- drop the defensive, independent nature she had possessed since childhood and instead relax and just…live.

"Only if you carry me…"

Dodge groaned loudly, pouting at her, but Fanny pouted even bigger in return. His arms tightened around her and a cute, girlish giggle escaped Fanny's lips as she snuggled into Dodge's neck again, unable to contain her excitement at being carried bridal style by her boyfriend, Dodge even smirking proudly as he held his number one girl in his arms back to his house.

* * *

Dingo growled in his sleep, his face nuzzling against the scratchy hospital sheets as if attempting to gather any possible warmth from them. His closed lids began to flicker, hinting to Jake that he was trying as hard as he could to pull out of his deep induced slumber. He had been hit pretty hard and was already suffering from lack of sustenance, hinted at all of the tubes now attached to him, so it was no surprise that he looked very concussed. Jake smirked knowingly. And he knew Dingo, he could recognise Dingo fighting every fiber in his being to wake up and gain back control of his system. His eyes soon peeled open lazily, those deep emerald orbs looking across at his father as Jake sat by his side, Dingo looking right at him. Allie lay opposite him, looking down into her lap and not saying anything. She hadn't noticed.

"_Fuuuuck." _Dingo mumbled hoarsely, shuffling as he attempted to sit up, looking up at his father with a scathing look locked in those powerful green eyes. Allie sat up as Dingo spoke for the first time, her matching green eyes widening as her face suddenly paled. Jake quickly looked back, his face feigning calm.

"Settle, kiddo." Jake snarled at him as Dingo frowned, moving around with annoyance. He looked over at the hand in front of his face, his eyes widening as she saw all of the needles and tubes stuck into his numb skin. He jumped, attempting to sit up.

"What the fuck-" He began, his voice growing high as he realised where he was. His fierce eyes were wide and he looked suddenly afraid, fighting against his bonds and immediately going to tear them out. Jake shot out, just as harshly, and pushed him back down. Dingo groaned and fought against him, snarling.

"Dingo calm the fuck down!" Jake growled, using that sharp, parenting tone he rarely ever used. His eyes narrowed as he kept his hands on his shoulders. Dingo struggled against the restraint, his chest heaving with labored breaths, but resentfully gave in, still weakened by his ordeal. His eyes were still on him, narrowed.

"I hate it here!" He whined at him, recoiling at the very sight as he fought to keep his voice harsh and fierce. "Get the fuck off me, I can't believe you put me here, lemme go, get me-" His eyes suddenly darted the other way, falling on Allie's risen form. She gaped as her breath caught sharply in her throat, her heart hammering as her son finally laid eyes on her. She watched as he watched her, his face frozen in a stone cold glare, his eyes still and showing no emotion. He simple watched her, expressionless. But his chest rose and fell with sudden panic, held down by Jake in a light grip. Jake looked away sheepishly, feeling Dingo's heart rate rise with sudden panic. Dingo's dark eyes went back to him, widening with horror. His throat had constricted so much he fought hard to get the words out.

"_Not her." _He choked out silently, those eyes wide and pleading. Those words cut into Jake like a sharpened blade. Dingo had only ever used that voice when he was really desperate, only back when he was a little kid, only when he was afraid… Dingo's eyes began to glisten, but his face struggled to remain fierce. _"Anybody but her."_

Allie took a shaky step forward, that familiar squeak of a voice seeming to alert something within her. It was just like when he was tiny…like when he was a toddler… "Dingo…" She choked out as well, swallowing bravely. "I…I insisted on coming, I didn't force your Dad to bring me here-"

"Just…not you!" Dingo eventually choked out, squeezing his eyes closed. He couldn't help it, never before had he felt so suffocated under the pressure. His face was on fire with complete embarrassment, his heart ached with sudden strain, his veins were pumping such heated anger he felt he was about to explode on impact. He fought again against his father's grip, wanting nothing more than to escape this dreadful place and never have to look into those familiar eyes of his mother ever, ever again. He could even smell her- that sweet scent he thought he'd long forgotten. He'd almost imagined what it would be like if he ever saw his mother again- usually something along the lines of telling her to fuck off and making a stand for himself…but as soon as he laid eyes on her, while he was being forced into a hospital bed and she was giving him such a loving, motherly look- there was no way he could fight this growing emotion inside of him…the complete emotional overhaul of being near his _mother. _His own Mum- something he thought he never wanted, but yet the one thing he really needed- He kept his eyes closed, like a little kid when they wanted something to go away. He could feel himself choke up at the very thought of his mother's eyes on him. "Just…just anybody but you-"

He wanted to tell her to go away, he really did. Jake loosened his grip on him and Dingo actually moved towards him, not wanting him to leave. "Lemme go…" he mumbled to him, unsure of what he was even saying. He snarled to himself as he felt tears escape his closed lids, opening them to look up at Jake pathetically, moving to fight to get off the bed and out the door. "I want to get out of here, I wanna go, let me out-"

"No, D." Jake growled at him gently, pushing him back as he moved away. Dingo blinked back pathetically, his eyes widening as his father seemed to utter the harshest words he'd ever given him. Jake gave him an apologetic look, but his gaze was still stern as Dingo's lip trembled and his pulse raced with the ultimatum he was about to face. "You have to stay."

Dingo's bottom lip drooped in mild shock, his mind numb as he wracked his brani for something, _anything _to say. He could think of nothing. He simply gaped, his eyes wide and tears trailing down his cheeks. Allie's own tears had returned now, and she felt terribly awkward just standing there gawking at the son she felt she barely knew, but yet it felt as though it was only yesterday she had left him in the first place. All those past phone calls, messages…they didn't seem to matter.

_Only here and now…_

She cleared her throat stupidly, trembling. "Dingo…"

"I don't wanna talk to you." Dingo mumbled shyly, inwardly fighting for his tough, regular growl but instead it came out like a childish squeak. He inwardly cringed for talking to her in that way, here he was hoping for a brash reunion. His past teenage self came back to him-

"_If I ever do see that bitch of a Mum again I'm gonna be like, you're nothing to me bitch! You left me so now I'm gonna leave you!"_

Dodge's voice of reasoning came back.

"_You really gonna say that?"_

"_Fuck yeah!"_

At the back of his mind, even Bandit's little 6 year old voice reached him.

"_Then what are you gonna give your Mum? For Mother's Day?"_

Trent's tiny snarl…

"_You don't even HAVE a Mum."_

"Dingo…" Allie mumbled to him, her gentle, song like voice cutting into his mind as easily as Jake's usual yelling did. Dingo actually looked up to her face; her voice was so natural to him. His usually fierce eyes were wide and vulnerable, giving her the exact same look he did when he was 20 years younger when she'd left him at an airport. She felt her own emotions give way, her hands shaking and her voice failing. "Y-you don't have to talk to me…"

Her voice was melodic, as Dingo always remembered, reassuring and sweet, always calming him when he was upset, always letting him know everything was going to be okay…soothing his troubles in one easy sentence. Dingo was dumbstruck, trembling from head to foot and words simply failing him. Never before had he felt so vulnerable and passive. He simply watched her, mesmerized by her words and overcome with countless emotions. She locked eyes with him, so full of depth and emotion he couldn't look away.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you." She blurted out, unable to stop herself. The tears kept falling, but she did nothing to stem the flow. "I-I regretted it ever since I walked out that door- everyone kept telling me it was the right thing to do, that you'd grow up hating me and I didn't want that, I wanted the best life for you and Jake- but-but I shouldn't make excuses-" She said this in one breath, and she didn't pause to take another as she pleaded with him, her emotions flowing freely as Dingo continued to cry, hardly noticing how stupid he looked anymore. -"But…but what I did was wrong…It was nothing you did." She sniffed pathetically, breathing a shaky sigh. "I just wanted you to know that, because I would…I don't know what I'd do if I knew you were suffering for such a stupid thing I did, such a stupid thing I know I shouldn't have done…I only wanted you to know the truth, and I knew Jake would do a better job than I could-" At this, she looked over at Jake, who was almost pulling off looking careless, but even Allie could notice he was quickly tearing up as well. "And…And even now when I look at you…" She looked back at him, giving him a very shaky, watery smile. "I...I know I made the best decision, because I feel…even though, you…have a past and…are now in hospital for fighting with Wally…" She looked down, losing steam. "And…you slept with his girlfriend…and Abby's now pregnant and…she's having your baby and…" She bit her lip. "Well you've gotten yourself into some heavy stuff, really-"

She couldn't help it, she smiled at him, she actually came close to laughing as she felt at how deep the water seemed to be around him, how much crap he had actually caused within her life. But yet…

"Yet…I'm still…so proud of you." She scoffed, looking up at him with gleaming eyes and an honest face. "An…And I still love you, the exact same way I did when I first…h-held you in hospital." A few tears fell to the floor as she stood there looking at him, waiting for his retort.

Dingo almost jumped at that bombshell, looking down in alarm with his bottom lip trembling. He felt thick with shame, having hated her…having done all he did and announcing it as pride…but it all came crashing down then, his own mother knowing everything about him in such a little speech…yet she still could look at him with love in her eyes. He felt it, and now he couldn't hold back his bawling.

"I know I can't ever make it up to you…" She told him strongly, swallowing hard. "B-but I can try, I'll stand by you no matter what…" She looked away, her voice thick with tears as she gazed at him. "I know you probably hate me…" At this, Dingo gave a loud, guilty sniff. "But I'll still love you…I can't stop loving you…as a mother I'll always love you…" she gave him another smile, her confidence rising as he wasn't yelling or throwing anything at her, but her heart ached with the amount of emotion she was forcing of him. "But…to me you'll always be my…my baby…and, I'll never leave you again…" She blinked as he looked back up at her, his face now a complete mess. "That's a promise."

Dingo burst into tears, his shame completely forgotten. He felt naked in front of her, like he couldn't hide anything from those matching powerful green eyes she possessed. He felt like a little kid again, and as much as he hated it- as much as he felt he was betraying himself and his dad and everything he worked for and believed in for all of his childhood and adolescence, he found himself wanting nothing more than her love and support, wanting the solidarity and forgiveness just as he saw in Jake. He wanted that back and he never again wanted to let it go. Allie watched him anxiously, worried her speech had upset him somehow. She saw him as an adult, but Jake knew to see him as a child. He gave her an encouraging nod, shuffling off in another direction and staring aimlessly at the walls around him.

Allie hesitated, shifting on the spot, before sitting down gingerly on her son's bed, beside him, and reaching out her hand to him, rubbing his arm. Dingo winced, squeezing his eyes closed. So many emotions ran through him, she made him feel so vulnerable and pathetic, he wanted to scream and yell…but inside him all his emotions were a mess. He looked up at her tearfully, his lips trembling.

"I want to hate you…" He said thickly, sniffling and choking with sobs. She nodded, her own delicate tears running down her blotched cheeks.

"You can…" She assured him quietly, her voice soft.

She seemed so delicate- so petite and motherly, her touch soft and precise…not rough and crude, mismatched and haphazard, every movement of her hand on his skin brought him comfort. He looked down at her hand, and back up at her, his hands still clasped together. He bit down on his lip, more tears escaping as his emotions poured out. He shuffled closer to her sheepishly, feeling guilty and stopping. Allie finished the movement, pulling her 'baby' into a hug, her heart soaring at the final feeling of warmth as his head fell into her shoulder in defeat, his body shaking as he sobbed some more.

"You don't have to hug back…" She mumbled into his ear, gracious for the contact. More tears scratched at her eyes, but she didn't care. She felt whole, a part of her complete. She wanted him and nothing else seemed to matter. She could almost read him, his hair felt so soft and familiar under her fingertips as she held him in an assuring hug, holding him tight.

"I hate you so much…" Dingo sobbed to her; already entrusting she wouldn't let him go. He closed his eyes, and everything seemed to flow naturally as he felt light, more coming out as he knew he was safe, his mother wouldn't let me go again. He sniffed, his stiffened stance relaxing as he poured his heart and soul out to her. "I hate you so fucking much, why the fuck did you leave me, I didn't know why you left and I hated you for it…I thought I'd done something wrong…" He demanded of her, sniffling and crying as he cuddled up to her warmth. Allie merely listened, rubbing his back.

"I thought about you all the time an-and I never forgot you…" He babbled hatefully, his eyes remaining closed. "I thought I'd be able to go on without you but you never left my mind, I always wanted you just like everyone else wanted their Mums I just…I just fucking h-hated you…you…" He sniffed again, breaking out into another wave of sobs. "You left me for him- you chose him ov-over me after he gave me hell and I never thought you even cared-"

"It's alright…" Allie assured him, her head on his. She gave him an extra squeeze in her hug. "I'm still here, it's okay…"

From behind him, they both heard a tiny sniff and broke away, looking over in alarm. Jake was in the corner, looking casually at the opposing wall but wiping away at his cheeks in a telltale way. A twitch in the corner of Dingo's lips hinted at a smirk as Allie's eyebrows rose, still rubbing Dingo's arm in a motherly, comforting way.

"Jake?" She called out to him, sniffing and smiling. "You okay?"

"I'm good." Jake mumbled thickly, shuffling around and giving a casual sniff, folding his arms and clearing his throat. "I'm fine…just fine."

* * *

Hollie shuffled down the hall, grateful for the pair of comfy ugg boots on her feet, protecting her from the cool wooden floors that hinted at a cold night ahead. She licked at her spoon lovingly, after a night of hard work it was good to come back to a freezer stocked with good ice cream. She licked the chocolate sauce off her finger, suddenly frowning and stopping in thought.

She could recognise that sound anywhere…

She turned towards the door beside her, where she was positive she could hear faint sounds of sniffles and sobs echo from behind the closed door. She sighed, the spoon hanging limply from her mouth as she felt her heart wilt at that sound she knew well.

"Aw, Bando…" She groaned, tapping on the door. The sniffling suddenly stopped, she could imagine Bandit perk up like a dog lifting his head to check for danger. She opened the door, her eyes softening at the wilted, saddened figure in front of her. Regular hyperactive, perky Bandit had been reduced to a saddened, shrunken figure in his bed, wrapped in blankets. His eyes were bloodshot and he was wearing his familiar black hoodie, the only one he used to own. Hollie could remember a time long ago when seeing Bandit like this was a regular occurrence…but not since-

"Bandit…" She groaned, closing the door and shuffling over to sit next to her friend, wrapping her arms around him. "What the Hell? Don't cry…"

Bandit blushed a deep red, hating the fact someone had actually caught him in one of these rare moments… sniveling and crying like some child. Here he thought it was all behind him. He felt himself choking up further as Hollie crawled further towards his protective barrier of warm blankets, wrapping her arms around him. Her signature smell of perfume and makeup wafted over him and he could think of nothing else but falling into her warm hug, feeling thoroughly depressed.

"It's okay…" She patted his shoulder, licking the remainder of ice cream from her lips before she continued. "Don't cry, Bando. It'll work out."

"How can you possibly know what I'm upset about?" Bandit mumbled to her thickly, sniffing and wiping at his stained face. Hollie gave him a wide, knowing grin, her eyes sad as she withdrew from her hug and simply looked at him sweetly, gazing into those bloodshot ocean blue eyes. Bandit looked a total mess, completely transfigured from his usually happy, cheery self into a blubbering mess, his tears and sobs having no visible end as he gazed back at her.

"You still don't think I know you?" Hollie gave him a knowing look, cocking her eyebrow. "I've known you for so long Bandit; I know more than you think."

Bandit sniffed, his bottom lip trembling as he thought about how pathetic he looked. He wrinkled his nose pitifully. Hollie gave him a smirk.

"Mushi?"

Bandit looked over, slightly alarmed. He frowned at her in annoyance.

"Yeah…" He growled at her, but sniffed stupidly. "I don't know why I'm getting so fucking upset about it, I shouldn't be-"

"You have reason to." Hollie pointed out, making herself comfortable.

"I don't." Bandit snarled to himself, sighing. "But I can't help it that I am…"

"Believe me, Bando." Hollie gave him a winning smile. "You're not being stupid about this. You have a reason to be upset. If I had gone through what you have-"

"That doesn't matter." Bandit mumbled quickly, hating the thought of bringing up what was now buried in the past. He shuddered at the thought. "I just…she doesn't know what she's getting into, you know?" He looked up at her, hopeful for support. "I just don't know what she sees in him…"

"Me neither." Hollie nodded, putting an arm around his shoulders. "She'll see him for who he is soon enough…"

Bandit sighed, torn between what he really wanted. Part of him really wanted Trent exposed for what he was, so Mushi would no longer be blind to the truth, but another wanted that hidden, he never wanted to deal with it ever again…

"C'mon…" Hollie grinned at him, reaching over and taking the video camera, which was still on, from his bedside table. "Don't immerse yourself in past memories if you don't want to deal with them, Bando." She held up the camera, giving him a lecturing look. "This doesn't help."

"Sorry." Bandit mumbled guiltily, wiping away the last of his tears. "I just found it…all my old tapes and stuff…there was some of you and D in there and Bon and Dodge and everything…stuff we took at school and our old pranks and that…" He sniffed sadly, flipping open the camera and inserting the one last tiny cassette into the holder. "This one's the last one I took, probably just stuff from here."

"Probably a lot happier then." Hollie reminded him, nudging him. "What kind of stuff did you guys get?"

Bandit frowned, pressing the play button in the playback mode. He was automatically met with the image of Dodge's girlfriend leaning over a car to check the imaginary spark plugs, the camera shaking slightly with Bandit's laughter. Hollie leaned over, scoffing as she saw it on the screen.

"You freakin' perve." She snarled at him, her eyes narrowing but a smirk growing on her face. "Who the Hell is that?"

"Dodge's girlfriend." Bandit snickered at the memory, rewinding further. "it was just the other day, was so funny."

"Ha ha." Hollie mumbled sarcastically, but she grinned all the same. It was so high school, she had seen all of their tricks before. She put her head on Bandit's shoulder, watching him rewind even further. She was curious to see what they had gotten up to since arriving in the States. Bandit twisted his lips in confusion, frowning.

"I don't remember this stuff." He smirked, turning to her. "Probably something done on a bender."

"Probably." She scoffed knowingly, snatching it from him and glancing. "Let's see."

She pressed play, and the camera image was suddenly still. From the side the image of Dodge came into view, his icy blue eyes blinking rapidly at the camera lens. From the other side half of Bandit's face appeared, the two mumbling incoherently. They could automatically tell it was Bandit, as he had his snakebites in.

"_I-Is it onnnn?" Dodge mumbled, looking like he was sitting on the floor with the camera pointed at his face. He held a half full bottle of clear liquid in a suspicious looking glass bottle as he gazed lopsidedly into the camera lens, his icy blue eyes twinkling mischievously as he snickered to himself, his eyes drooping lazily. Bandit appeared in the corner of the picture, looking giddy with excitement._

"_Yaaaah." Bandit drawled, nibbling on his lip as he took his place beside Dodge, another drink in his hand. "I 'fink so."_

_Dodge giggled sweetly. "This is so like, fucked up!'_

"_I-I know…" Bandit mumbled back faintly as they snickered at each other, laughing and clutching each other. They both seemed to be laughing at nothing. Bandit suddenly shushed him, putting a finger to his lips. They turned to the camera, smirking. "For all the peeps back at home who are…like…suddenly wake up and are…like…" he rolled his eyes, looking faintly confused. "an' are like… where the fuck did they, like…GO?"_

"_We're in US of Aaaaa…." Bandit drawled lightly in a sweet voice, grinning and swaying as he blinked those innocent eyes up at the camera. He waved his hand, wriggling his fingers and making faces, resembling close to a rambunctious five year old…but really a severely inebriated Dodge. "HIIIII EVERYONE!"_

"_We-We've been h-here for a while though…" Bandit jumped in as both of their expressions morphed into serious expressions, Dodge nodding gravely while pursing his lips. Bandit snickered excitedly. "Dingo's even gotta girlfriend!"_

"_Sh-She's not a girlfriend." Dodge cut in drunkenly, hiccupping. "S-she's a friend."_

"_Riiiiight." Bandit giggled. "A friend."_

"_He's wif' her noooow." Dodge snickered, nodding and winking at the camera. "Hey! HEY JAKE! You-You'd like her."_

"_He's gonna be so pissed if we send this back home." Bandit said tipsily, giggling to himself. _

"_Les' go see!" Dodge suddenly jumped up and his hand filled the camera screen, the show became very shaky. _

"_Dodge!" They heard Bandit whine and moan in the background. "Don't carry it like that! Dingo will kiiiiillll youuuuu…."_

"_We have to get sumfin' for Jake!" They heard Dodge giggle, the sound of running footsteps. Dodge's hand eventually uncovered the lens and they were silent except for a few incoherent whispers and giggling, silently making their way down a random hallway. They reached a door and automatically burst open, Dodge obviously holding the camera drunkenly, but it centering in on a couple on a bed together…a couple that looked very familiar._

"_SURPRISE!"_

_Dingo and Abby jumped and squeaked in surprise as Dingo's two very drunk friends tumbled into the room, shouting and whooping. Abby fell to the floor, clutching a blanket around her and Dingo sat up in bed, a sheet bunched around him and a very, very angry expression on his face. _

"_GET THE FUCK OUT!"_

"_OOOOO-"_

Dingo threw a pillow at them, hitting it square in the lens and Dodge and Bandit' laughter cut off with Dodge shutting off the camera. The playback automatically went to the next footage, but Bandit shut the camera suddenly, he and Hollie too overcome with laughter.

"I can't believe you did that!" Hollie snarled at him, pushing him as she clutched her sides with laughter, wiping away at her tears. She could remember back to when the rest of the guys would do that to her and Dingo, trying to catch them on tape or in public. That was when they were 15, they were 21, and the fact that they still did that brought tears to her eyes with laughter. "You guys are such PERVERTS!"

"I don't remember it!" Bandit laughed in defense, snickering as he rewound the tape further. "Freakin' hell, we always did that to D, though…punishment for always getting the girls." He gave her a wink, smirking. "Abby was always pissed though, but we promised we'd never show anyway…think we told Dingo we destroyed the tape." Bandit shrugged airily. "Oh well…"

"Yeah, yeah." Hollie snorted, sniffing and heaving a great sigh. "So, you feel better now?"

"Yeah…" Bandit mumbled sheepishly, but giving her an honest grin. "Thanks for making me feel better."

"Anytime…" Hollie smirked, putting her head on his shoulder. "Never hesitate to search for comfort, Bando."

"I know…" Bandit pouted, giving his friend a tight hug.

"Don't upset yourself too much over the past, Bandit." Hollie said quietly into his ear, and Bandit nodded into her shoulder. "Just remember that."

_Easier said than done. _Bandit thought to himself bitterly.

* * *

The morning sun broke through the thick blinds much easier the next morning, and Mushi actually found herself warmed and welcomed by the early morning rays breaking through. She smiled serenely as she felt Trent's arms around her, much more comfortable than his grasp had been for previous nights. She actually felt good being in this position- possessed and protected, him holding her close as if afraid to let go. His tiny snores warmed the back of her neck as his face buried into her hair, his hand gripping hers and holding it against her chest. She groaned softly and stretched, gently pushing Trent away from her and sliding out of bed. She didn't get too far, as Trent's arm shot out again and wrapped it around her small waist, yanking her back in for a hug. She had to admit, he had pretty quick reflexes when he wasn't drunk, hung-over or stoned out of his mind. She'd already learned that.

"_And where do you think you're going?" _He snickered at her, rubbing his face into her back again. Mushi giggled at the interaction, kicking and attempting to nudge him off her.

"S-stop!" She giggled, covering her mouth as to not wake anyone. "I have to get up! I can't sleep in like you!"

"Why do you have to be such an early riser?" Trent groaned at her, his grip still tight around her stomach as he closed his tired eyes. "Go back to sleep."

"Nope." Mushi challenged back, in that stubborn way all teenagers do. Trent cracked open an eye, giving her a look that hinted he knew he wasn't going to win this battle. Mushi grinned at him. "And if you get up with me…I'll make you a hot cocoa."

Trent hesitated, his eyes rolling as he processed this. "…Okay."

He eventually let Mushi go and the two got out of bed- well, Mushi jumped out excitedly, already energized and happy for a new day, and Trent stumbled, still half blind with tiredness and groaning in protest. He shivered in the cold, rubbing his strong forearms and whining.

"It's so fuckin' freezing!" He whined, searching the floor for his hoodie. Mushi stared back, in her short pajama shorts and her simple purple tee.

"No it's not." She snickered at him. Trent paid no attention as he felt goosebumps appear on his arms, pulling a hoodie over his muscular chest and folding his arms, hunching his shoulders. Mush giggled at him. "It's not cold at all!"

"It is for me." Trent snarled back, pouting slightly in embarrassment. Mushi tilted her head. He must have been used to hot weather wherever he came from. He looked kind of cute at that point, huddled and shivering against the semi-coldness of the room. He pouted at her, his eyes narrowing. "Now where the fuck is my hot chocolate?"

Mushi rolled her eyes, smirking. She knew it wouldn't last. "I can make you one…" She cooed to him, cocking an eyebrow. "…Unless _Bambi_ can make you one that's better."

Trent's eyes widened as his brow furrowed in both anger and shock. "Huh?"

"You know…" Mushi snickered cockily. "Your tattoo?"

Trent scoffed loudly, his expression morphing into one of disgust. "Bullshit, Moosh. You don't have to fuckin' worry about _that _ancient history."

Mushi smirked, walking out of the door feeling somewhat lightened. It's something every girl was guilty of, bringing up past girlfriends just to hear how much they don't matter anymore.

* * *

Abby groaned as she looked through narrowed eyes the time blinking at her from her clock radio.7:08AM. Groaning again, she pulled her thick, warm covers over her head and buried her face in her pillow on last time. She better get up.

She didn't move.

Tonight was her dearest sister Cree's bachelorette party, and Abby was seriously considering the fact that pulling off her fingernails would be more appealing thought than to actually attend her sister's big bash. She felt sick, she felt tired after a restless night's sleep, and her head was full and aching of all the thoughts consistently running through it at top speeds. She was beginning to think the whole 'pregnancy' time period wasn't what it was cracked up to be.

As if indignantly, her baby kicked its tiny feet against her stomach impatiently. It was almost about six months of age, but already her baby was as active as it should be at 8 months. She sighed to herself, her hands going to her stomach. It was still hard to believe…six months of a lie growing inside her. She found it hard to enjoy the thought of her baby finally here when she recognised all the drama that would follow it. She knew she had to tell Wally soon…that the baby he was so quick to claim and care for wasn't his at all.

She groaned again. And Dingo! Bashed up and broken in the hospital, meeting his mother for the first time in almost twenty years, will the whole family be torn apart from her actions?

_Allie understands._

And that was the only thought that gave her enough strength to drag herself out of bed and into the shower.

* * *

Hating the thought of waking up to the sight of lovey-dovey Mushi and Trent, Bandit had snuck out of the house early that morning to creep down the hall into Dodge and Dingo's apartment, making himself at home in front of the TV, curled up in a blanket with his camera, still playing and replaying memories the gang had filmed before moving to the US. It was almost addictive, and he couldn't help but wish back to those times.

Bandit rose after a restless night of sleep, even more tired than he was when he first went to bed. His eyes were puffy from his tears and lack of sleep, his face pale and he looked flatter and weaker than usual. He looked as though he had lost his usual boundless energy and instead looked like the rising dead. He shivered in the cold, bringing his familiar black hoodie up from the floor and wrapping it around his form, pulling up the hood so it sat on his thick black hair. Gathering his camera and putting it in his bag, he slipped on a pair of shoes and glumly made his way to the kitchen, folding his arms across his chest, sulking.

He stared at the couch and TV, where just the other day he and Kuki were enjoying some of their favourite Disney films together. He scoffed at that as he bitterly made his way to the door, thinking it better to spend the morning at Dodge and Dingo's apartment rather than wake up to the 'Lovey Dovey' nature of Mushi and Trent's morning.

Bandit reached the door and shuffled his feet with some sheepish hesitation, remembering the fact that Dodge probably wouldn't want to be disturbed just for cheering Bandit up…his thoughts immediately went to Dingo. He knew Dingo would probably be snarling and growling at anyone within reach, bitching and moaning about anything he could. He was just like that…such a drama queen (but would never admit it) but that didn't annoy him so much…it was more the fact Dingo possessed the same curse Jake had, that he was never good at comforting people, never the person to go to when you're upset…But still, Bandit felt like he needed a part of his crew. He held out his hand and knocked on the door, shuffling his weight from one foot to the other.

Dingo emerged from his room, grateful to be back in a familiar bed but his head still swimming from the night before's events. He kept wondering if it had all been a dream- a figment of imagination that had been a trip of dreams and fantasies…his mother…had he really hugged his mother? Was her smell that still lingered real? What he'd hoped for? It seemed natural, but still so bizarre. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, growling as he yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He knew it had to be someone pretty desperate to knock on his door this early…someone who thought they could get away with it…

His suspicions confirmed, Dingo shuffled his way to the door and opened it, rubbing at his eyes and squinting at the shape in the door, half hoping it would be somebody he could get away with punching for dragging him out of bed so early. Bandit came into view, but he was possessing that _look _he had- the same look a four year old boy has when someone tells them they can't have an ice cream. Bandit had the ability to possess that 'lost little puppy' look, his deep blue eyes wide and his bottom lip protruding into a pathetic pout. Everyone was a sucker for that look, and even in Dingo's foulest mood he couldn't ignore the _look _of Bandit's.

"What is it, Bando?" He groaned at him, leaning against the door for support. Bandit noted all the cuts and bruises that seemed to be healing on his face, no stitches visible, probably just a minor concussion that night. His guilt quickly ebbed away, as well as his worry. He'd seen worse on Dingo.

"I was just wondering…" Bandit began, pouting as he held up his bag. "Would you watch Disney movies wif' me?" He pushed out his lip into a bigger pout, those eyes widening. Dingo grumbled, folding his arms across his muscular chest with visible annoyance.

"Are you joking?" Dingo whined, closing his eyes in both pain and exhaustion. He ran a hand through his hair, biting back the series of insults he longed to throw at him. He eventually sighed, his form weakening as he stood to one side and held out his arm tiredly as a sign of welcome. "A'right…come in…"

Bandit bounded in with sudden energy, grinning in excitement. Dingo closed the door, yawning as he made his way into the lounge room, dragging a blanket with him as he went. Even he was feeling the cold.

"Don't you have Hollie or some other chick that's staying with you to watch them?" He moaned, dragging his padded feet along the carpet into the living room. He collapsed onto the couch, his head falling onto the arm as Bandit excitedly laid out his choices on the floor.

"Nope." He said simply, pursing his lips as he glanced at the choices. "What are you in the mood for? I'm in an _Oliver and Company _kind of mood…"

"One that has no dorky love scenes in it." Dingo grumbled in annoyance, closing his eyes.

"I like the way you think." Bandit suddenly snarled dangerously under his breath. Dingo opened his eyes, giving his friend a suspicious look as he shoved a few back into his bag. It wasn't like Bandit to get aggressive, he was usually the most passive out of the group…something must have happened…

Dingo knew he was never good at cheering Dingo up, and now that Bandit had dropped his puppy dog look he could see that Bandit wasn't his usual cheery self…it was more a façade, a mask that shielded people from the actual truth of what he was feeling. It was what Bandit did best…and now Dingo could clearly see the look of loss and sadness in Bandit's face…he looked so much weaker, much more pale…he looked a lot like he did before he and Dingo became best friends…a totally different person…nearing his old self…

Dingo forced himself to perk up, knowing the only way to cheer Bandit up is to fuel some of his own enthusiasm.

"Do you have _Homeward Bound?" _He grumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around him. Bandit looked up, his own eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh yeah!" Bandit grinned suddenly, shuffling through and pulling out the movie. "Your favourite! The only one that could make you cry!"

Dingo snarled, trying not to remember one of the most humiliating moments in his life where he had burst into tears in the middle of class after they showed his favourite Disney movie. It wasn't that the movie _was _sad, it was just one of the first movies he and Jake had ever watched together and the ending was so sad then happy it was just…

_Tearful._

"Yeah, yeah." Dingo mumbled, waving his hand. "I like that one, put that one on…if you want."

"Do I!" Bandit smirked, putting it in. as he hit play he scrambled up into the lounge next to Dingo, sitting up in excitement, already looking much happier than he was when he first came in. Dingo smirked to himself, sharing some of his blanket with his friend as the movie opened with the familiar voice of Michael J. Fox. At least he'd done something right today.

* * *

Fanny rolled over in her sleep, her hands curling to meet her chin as she fought to wake herself from her deep slumber resentfully. She wished she could stay in this bed forever…this comfortable, warm little paradise which she was now familiar with…never going to school, never leaving…staying in this bed, this moment, forever. She opened her eyes, looking over at Dodge sleeping beside her, his arm wrapped lazily around her form. She snickered, gently pulling him off and reaching down to grab her sweater and pulling it over her head. Dodge groaned at the movement, snuggling closer into his blankets and retracting beneath them.

"_It's cold…" _He whined, yanking on her sweater. "Come join me…"

"It's not cold, you baby." She teased him, throwing him his own shirt.

"It's cold to me…" Dodge emerged from his place of hiding, his fingers still holding his covers tightly around his form. He blinked groggily in the sudden light, sitting up and pulling the shirt over his head. He cuddled into Fanny, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling his nose against her neck. Fanny smirked, finding it suddenly weird that Dodge never knew what she was like when she was younger, when just a few years ago she would have knocked someone out if they tried to do that to her. "Why do you have to go, Cherry Pie?" He whined to her pathetically, closing his eyes as he almost fell asleep on her. "Why do you have to go and leave me with these idiots?"

"Because you live with them." Fanny scoffed at him, snickering. She turned around and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before falling back, rising her feet to the ceiling and sliding on her jeans, sitting back up with one quick motion. Dodge smirked at her mischievously, his tongue between his teeth.

"Yeah, I guess I should have learned my lesson by now." He snickered, pulling his own jeans on, a lot less gracefully than Fanny did, and ended up falling to the floor with a painful thud. "…Ow…"

Fanny burst out laughing, leaning over and poking him while he was down. Dodge, never the one to take a fall gracefully, yanked on her arm and sent her sprawling onto the floor too, him tickling her with no mercy.

"Stop!" She giggled, trying to push him off. Since when did she _giggle? _She pressed her lips together, fighting back a smile and glaring at him. "I have to get ready for work!"

"Awww!" Dodge whined, tightening his grip around her shoulders and kissing her neck, sending shivers down her back and arms. "Can't you stay a bit longer?"

She turned her head and planted a kiss on his lips, a passionate kiss that seemed to last an eternity. It was getting pretty heated between the two, but just when Dodge could feel he could take no more and was about to make a grab for her she broke off, giving him a sly smile and getting to her feet, leaving Dodge on the floor, his mouth open and eyes still closed. He blinked, closing his mouth and looking up at her in anger.

"Not fair!" he growled at her, getting to his feet and snarling. Fanny snickered at him as she pulled on her jacket and fluffed out her hair, sitting down to put on her shoes. She had an early shift at work. Dodge stood over her, pouting. "I at least get to drive you."

"Fine." Fanny grinned back, her eyebrows rising as she teased him. "I was going to force you anyway!"

Dodge twisted his lips in thought as he gave her a pondering look, scoffing. "You can walk then, bitch!"

Fanny scoffed again, and as quick as she could she grabbed a pillow from the bed and smacked him with it with enough force that he stumbled. He narrowed his icy blue eyes, a playful, childlike expression grew on his usually dark features as he lit up with excitement.

"Oh, you did not just challenge me!" He launched back at her, hitting her back with her own pillow that he grabbed out of her hands. Fanny laughed loudly, falling back and the two launching into a full pillow fight battle, both of him laughing and cheering as though they were nothing but simple teenagers.

When Dodge finally did emerge from his room, beaming and still smiling from the pillow fight, he jumped back in astonishment as he was met with an image he thought he would never live to see- Dingo, Bandit, together, huddled up on the lounge watching a movie, with matching tear tracks running down their faces. Dodge took a cautious step forward, his grin widening as he realised he'd sprung them.

"Not interrupting anything, am I?"

Dingo and Bandit both jumped, within a few seconds they had removed each other from their awkward crying session and had ended up on either side of the lounge, metres from each other. Dodge burst into laughter as the movie continued to play a sad, solemn tune…the lead dog, an old Golden Retriever named Shadow, giving a mournful monologue that symbolized the almost-end to the eventually happy movie. It was always the part that made Dingo tear up and he couldn't help it, and at Bandit's emotional state he couldn't hold back the bawling that followed after the dog had fallen down into the train tracks. They both knew it was a happy ending…but still.

"NO!" Dingo snarled at him, hastily wiping his wet face on the back of his hand and composing himself. He gave Dodge a foul look. "What?"

"What are you guys watching?" Dodge sniggered at them, leaning over the couch between the two and staring at the screen. Bandit paused it, sulking at being interrupted at the saddest part of the movie. Dodge still had that cocky smirk on his face, one Dingo growled at as he turned around, folding his arms and snarling.

"_Homeward Bound."_

"Oh yeah…" Dodge mumbled, nodding. "The only movie that can make you cry."

Bandit chuckled as Dingo growled at him, his eyes narrowed. Dodge turned to him, his tongue between his teeth.

"Shutup." Dingo snarled at him. "It's a good movie."

"_You _are such a gayass!" Dodge scoffed at him. Dingo took a swipe at him but missed, instead they settled on poking their tongues out at each other. Bandit sniggered cheekily, covering his mouth as Dingo glared his way.

"Take that back!" Dingo growled at him, threatening him with a pillow. Dodge raised his eyebrows, reaching over and scuffing his hair before Dingo could swat him.

"Nice try, Princess!"

Dingo snarled to himself, pouting. He shot Dodge a quick, hard glare as he spun around, leaning against the couch and leering towards his best friend venomously. "Rough night, Dodgem? You look tired."

"Yeah." Dodge smirked somewhat proudly, waltzing around the kitchen with a bit of swagger. "I guess I did, thanks D."

Dingo's eyebrows lifted as he turned around to Bandit, giving him a sly grin.

"What do you think, Bando? Dodge look tired to you?"

Bandit quickly jumped on, feigning a look of mock concern. "Yeah, D." He gave him a cocky grin, noticing Dodge look up with sudden alarm. "He looks pretty tired, obviously a really rough night, and all."

"I bet it would be." Dingo nodded. "I bet it would be. You can sorta tell, you know, where he stands in the relationship at the state of his stature the morning after."

"Indeed, you can." Bandit observed articulately, both nodding. "I mean, it's plain obvious with just looking at them who wears the pants in the relationship and who doesn't."

"I'd say that's a fair statement." Dingo cooed back. Dodge stomped over, looking at his seemingly 'innocent' friends with murderous eyes.

"Cut the crap, you two. What are you implying? That I don't wear the pants in my relationship?"

After exchanging satisfied looks, Dingo looked back at his friend curiously.

"Naw, Dodge. Don't be like that. Not everyone can handle a girl like her, after all. I mean she's nice and everything, a little dominant, some guys like that-"

Dodge narrowed his eyes threateningly.

"And, you know, it's just Cherry's personality!" Bandit put in lightly, snickering. "She likes to be controlling, probably hot when she's on top anyway-"

"Hey! I am NOT the passive one in this relationship!" Dodge growled at the both of them, lowering his voice so his girlfriend couldn't hear in the other room. "I have just as much say as she does in…in stuff in the relationship, and I…I'm not just like, succumbing to her, I wear the pants, here-"

"Of course you do, snookums." Dingo pouted at him, patting his arm in a comforting way. "Of course you do."

Dodge glared at his hand, as if tempted to bite it off.

"You can talk." He shot back, having run out of ammo and instead fighting fire with fire. A mischevious smirk grew on his face. "You suck up to Abby all the time."

Dingo snarled at him, not trusting himself to speak. Bandit, however, burst into laughter. "Hey, yeah! You do!" He suddenly grinned, leaning over and pulling his camera out of his back, his eyes flashing with mirth. "Hey Dodge, wanna see Dingo and Abby in action?"

Dingo went dangerously quiet, his eyes burning but his face paling, whereas Dodge lit up, a confused but amused expression forming on his face.

"Hells yeah!"

"What the fuck?" Dingo spat, trying to take a swipe at it. "What the hell are you-"

"We caught you once, when we were both stoned out of our minds." Bandit snickered, holding up his camera. "Just found it last night."

"You better delete that!" Dingo snarled, leaning over threateningly. "I mean it, Bandit."

"And it's all _heeeeere." _Bandit teased, opening the compartment and holding out the little tape, waving it at him in his annoying way. He snickered, his tongue between his teeth as Dingo watched the little offensive piece of evidence with murderous eyes. Just when it was about to touch his nose he twitched, his hand reaching out, but Bandit had already pegged it across into Dodge's hands, Dodge grinning and running across the room, dancing with it. Dingo had no hesitation in jumping over the couch and running after him, sending vicious threats, and Bandit followed, the trio eventually running around the apartment laughing and shouting, Dingo's half hearted threats mixed in with Dodge and Bandit's childish taunts and sneers. They bumped and bashed into things, chairs were sent flying, bodies smashed into walls and the fridge, Bandit bumped into the couch at least a dozen times, the room was sent into an indistinguishable mess by the time Jake thundered out, deep black circles under his eyes and his shoulders stiff.

"_How old are you all?" _He hissed at them. "It's four in the morning-"

"It's _eight." _Dingo corrected him, snickering.

"Whatever." Jake bit back, looking ready to smack him over the head again. "I spent all night looking after your half-concussed ass, be sure I don't send you back re-concussed." His eyes scanned the room, his eyebrows rising. "What the fuck are you guys thinking? Clean this shit up!"

All three looked around the room sulkily as Jake stomped off, clearly unable to be approached until he had at least another five hours of sleep. Bandit walked over to the kitchen counter, where one of them had bumped into Fanny's bag and sent her stuff flying. "What the Hell is this shit?" he asked, snickering as he picked up one of the photo albums and flicked to a random page. His eyes widened with the treasure he found. "No way Dodge! Your girlfriend with braces!"

"What?" Dodge took a few excited steps, but then shook himself. "Wait, Hey! Put that down! That's hers, her friend gave it to her to give to someone else for their party thing-"

"-And what's this name under the photo?" Bandit paused, his face dangerously still and twitching as he emerged from the pages, a wide grin suddenly splitting his face. "Is this what I-"

"Give me that!" Dodge demanded, jumping forward. Dingo ran forward eagerly, picking up another and randomly running off with it.

"HEY!" Dodge snarled at them. "This isn't funny! It's her shit and she's gonna kill me!"

"Who wears the pants _now, _Dodge?" Bandit teased, snickering as he held the album up high. "You or FANNY!"

Dingo burst into laughter, landing back onto the couch and also flipping through. Dodge and Bandit embarked on a cat and mouse chase around the kitchen, Bandit doing all he could to hide the precious item from Dodge's quick grip. Dingo immersed quickly in the album in his hands, not really paying attention but adding to Dodge's anger. His eyes quickly widened when he found the pair of deep chocolate brown eyes he loved so much, what he was sure was Abby staring back at him from an old photo, looking about thirteen or fourteen, her arms around a blonde haired girl and a redhead beside her. All were smiling and looked as though they were at a football match, rugged up in scarves and beanies and sitting on what looked like the bleachers at nighttime. He stared at it, mesmerised. He was positive it was his Abby; she looked much younger, cute, the way she held herself- not too girly. A red beanie crushed her long brown hair, tied up in braids, as well as matching gloves and a matching red scarf around her neck, she looked so sweet, it was hard to believe she had a whole life behind her that he knew nothing about.

"Hand it over, Dingo." Dodge growled impatiently as he stomped over, hand held out. "I mean it."

Dingo paid no attention, instead he jumped up in sudden alarm and made his way over to the counter, spreading the album out and simply staring at it, still slightly shocked.

"It's Abby…"

Bandit and Dodge scrambled over, looking over his shoulder.

"I didn't know your girl knew Abby." Dingo muttered at Dodge, glancing over. Dodge shrugged, still frowning as he stared at it.

"I didn't know…" He mumbled. "I don't demand to know everything about her life…"

"She looks so pretty…" Dingo suddenly murmured, flipping over the page. Another page and he found her again, this time laughing and being caught in a bear hug with a burly, muddy football player with a shaved head. It looked cold but it seemed as though they'd won the game. Across the page was another scene, his own brother and Abby together at what looked like a party, cuddled up together on a sofa as they watched something out of view. He had his arms around her and they both had small smiles on their faces. Dingo especially noticed how Wally looked- the unruly blonde hair, the tight black jeans that was the fashion back then, and a band t-shirt on, he looked a lot like he'd done when he was that age.

"She does." Dodge nodded, but bit his lip in worry as he glanced over his shoulder. "She's gonna be slightly suspicious when she finds us gawking at these though."

With slight regret Dingo closed the album, slipping it back into the paper bag where it belonged. Bandit sulkily packed up the rest of the tapes and albums, all which had been packed into such a small bag. They perched it neatly on the counter and innocently went back to their movie, still silent. Within a few moments Fanny appeared out of Dodge's room, freshly dressed with her hair up in a neat bun, ready for work.

"Ready." She beamed at her boyfriend, who pulled her into a warm hug. It was the thing she loved about Dodge, for some reason or another; he was always so touchy, always pulling her into hugs or gripping her hand. She gave him a quick peck as she picked her package up off the counter, growling slightly at how much she had to carry. "Could you carry this for me?" She mumbled, offering it to Dodge. He accepted, holding it for her. She grinned at him in thanks as she waved at the two other boys on the couch. "I'll see you guys later."

"Bye." Bandit and Dingo muttered shortly as she turned, heading for the door. Before Dodge could turn his attention to her their mellow looks changed into cocky, knowing ones as he snarled at them, feeling automatically stupid.

"_Byyyeeee snookums." _Dingo added as Dodge headed for the door, his face reddening and the immediate desire to dump the entire contents of the bag on Dingo's head formed in his mind.

* * *

Mushi looked in disdain at what was in the fridge- nothing too useful except takeout boxes filled with various supplies of noodles, chicken, fries and pizza. She nervously reached out to poke at a stray piece of near dead honey soy chicken and she could have sworn it almost bit her. She closed the fridge, wrinkling her nose and folding her arms at Trent, who was sitting in front of the TV flicking through his phone.

"Do you have any breakfast supplies?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Nup." Trent muttered, not even looking up. "I can take you to the diner for breckie, if you want."

Mushi froze, remembering the familiar image of a kind redhead, who was always so kind to her when she arrived there, who got her a job and attempted to get her life back. She shook her head, biting down on her lip.

"Uh…no." She mumbled. "I wanna stay in."

"Okay." Trent countered, shrugging his shoulders. "I got nuthin' though."

Mushi pouted, looking in the fridge again. She did notice a few essentials Bandit probably picked up, as she doubted Trent had ever set foot in a supermarket and the girls were more skilled in picking up push up bras and lipgloss. She noted eggs and milk, and over on the counter there was some bread, enough to make French toast. She took a stab, bustling around preparing it. She tried not to think of her and her sister, back when they used to make breakfast for their parents. Flour and egg yolk would be everywhere, but Kuki would always follow behind her with a cloth, wiping up and cleaning her messes. Mushi sighed to herself as she cooked the bread on the frying pan, poking it every couple of seconds. If only her sister were here to help clean up her mess now.

"Wow."

She looked around to see Trent standing behind her, his grey eyes wide.

"Very few people have ever been nice enough to make me breakfast." He muttered, grinning at her. Mushi grinned back, her eyebrows rising.

"Who says it's for you?" She teased, finally flipping out and putting it on a plate. There were six pieces in total, and she waved the plate in front of him teasingly, the smell of warm toast and butter being enough to make his stomach growl. "Maybe you should get your own…"

"Ha ha" He snarled at her, reaching over and grabbing one. She pushed him playfully and he grabbed her, pulling her entire body towards him with one arm. He planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek and she squealed, laughing as she half-heartedly tried to push him off. He smirked at her proudly, licking his fingers as he ate her prepared French toast. Mushi grabbed one too, grinning as she tried her concoction. Not too bad.

"I'ma take you out tonight, Mushi." Trent declared, hoisting himself up on the counter. "Clubbing."

Mushi frowned, suddenly intrigued. "What for?"

Trent shrugged carelessly, playing as if it was just a random idea. Realistically, however, he knew the mechanics behind his plan. If Mushi trusted him enough to take her out clubbing, it was finally a chance for the two of them to be alone and a chance for him to protect her…for once be the good guy. Mushi hesitated, but then looked back at him, a meek smile on her face.

"Sure…" She muttered back, brightening with excitement at the idea. "I guess as long as you're there with me…"

"'Course." Trent snickered, jumping off the counter and giving her a sly smirk. "I won't leave 'ya." He suddenly looked around the complex with suspicion, cocking an eyebrow. "…You seen Bandit this morning?"

Mushi shook her head, frowning. "Nope."

"Oh." Trent shrugged again airily, stealing another piece of toast and wondering over to the TV. Mushi followed, plate in hand. She cocked her head curiously.

"You're not worried?"

"Heck no." Trent scoffed. "Bandit's like a dog, he runs around a lot, but he always comes back in the end."

Mushi grinned, relieved at Trent's relaxed tone. "That's good."

* * *

It was getting pretty late into the morning when Allie arose from her slumber and made her way downstairs, her head still buzzing from the night before and the events that had occurred. It was a hard thought to process- her own eldest son back again, hugging her and sobbing to her. It was difficult, almost like it was easier thinking it was a dream. But there was a smile on her face when she did make her way down the stairs, gripping the handrail with light fingertips, feeling as if she could almost walk on air. None of the other troubles seemed to worry her or weigh her down.

"Morning." She remarked chirpily to Derek, who was slumped over the kitchen counter reading the paper. She waltzed over to kiss him on the cheek before preparing herself tea. She seemed so immersed in her own light spirits she didn't seem to notice Derek's obvious dampened ones as he turned to look at her, frowning in slight suspicion.

"Why'd you come home so late last night?" He asked her, folding his arms delicately across his chest and surveying her with interest. Allie froze, thoughts rushing into her head as she turned, an innocent look on her face.

"I didn't come home that late…" She said carefully, processing her thoughts gracefully as she watched her husband closely. Derek's frown deepened.

"It was at least 3 in the morning when I heard you come in…" he mumbled. "Wally came home at about 1, where were you?"

Allie bit her lip, trying to think back to what she had said the night before, when Derek had asked. "I was…at the hospital…" She muttered carefully, her deep green eyes looking up at him innocently.

"With who?" Derek muttered, his figure stiffening. "Wally was back here, he was alright…"

"I was with Jake." Allie said bluntly, looking down again. "With…with Dingo, and Jake. He was in pretty bad shape."

"…_Dingo?" _Derek suddenly growled, his eyes narrowing. "Why was he in there? What-" He froze, putting together the pieces as he groaned, looking visibly annoyed. "Allison, you didn't tell me that."

"You didn't ask?" She said carefully, her eyebrows rising. "He-He _talked _to me, Derek. He actually spoke to me and we said everything we needed to. I think we-"

"Enough with this, Allison!" Derek snapped at her, his anger rising. "He's not here for a family reunion!"

"How can you say that?" Allie snapped back, hurt. "I thought you'd be happy for me! He- I- He's my son and I wanted to be there for him, make amends-"

"He's a goddamn _criminal." _Derek snarled over her, finally breaking. "You know who I got a call from yesterday? The fucking police of Sydney, Allison. They want him back, he stowed away. He's involved in a crime, Al-"

"_What?" _

Allie stood there, dumbstruck. She couldn't comprehend the words flowing out of her husband's lips, she could barely keep up, let alone believe whatever it was. She blinked, her face working into a frown.

"What are you talking about? The police? But he-"

They both stopped as they heard laughter from atop of the stairs followed by shuffling footsteps. As if by instinct, Allie busied herself at the kitchen counter and Derek separated himself and sat at the table, opening up to a random page of his newspaper and beginning to read.

"Morning!" Wally entered, beaming, and dragging Kuki by the arm. She had obviously stayed over to keep him company, and she looked just as happy and well rested as he was. Her eyes fell on Allie, however, and she looked sheepish.

"Morning." She greeted, giving the couple a shy smile.

"Kuki stayed over last night to keep me company." Wally brightened, walking over to the table casually and obviously not sensing the tension in the room. "Is it good if we have a breakfast here? Well, more like a brunch." He snickered, looking up at the clock. He looked over at Allie with wide eyes, and Allie gave him a smile back. "Mom, would you be able to make me pancakes? I am sick after all…" He pouted at her.

"Sure, My little Roo." Allie snickered back, turning and taking a sip of her tea. Her head buzzed with thought as she grabbed her ingredients, wondering how long this whole charade of calm would last with her.

* * *

Later that night, Abby found that the flashing lights and loud pumping music of the club did nothing to lift her spirits, in fact after a day in class and more worries on her mind, she was scarcely able to keep her eyes open enough…especially after countless nights of sleep.

"You made it!" Her sister flashed into her view as she ran over in her designer dress, flashing those long tanned legs of hers and flipping her hair, sending guys' heads turning. On her head she wore a fluffy tiara, and her outfit was adorned with a "Bride to Be" sash. She gave Abby a quick kiss on the cheek, sending the minor scent of alcohol her way. Abby raised her eyebrows at her as Cree rolled her eyes.

"I've only had one." She mumbled, in response to Abby's unasked question. She waved a hand at her group of followers. Abby knew them all, all from school or work. They were laughing and talking like crazy, being loud and obnoxious as per usual and dancing to the club music. They were whooping and cheering as they made their way around the club in their wild fashion, Abby could already tell this wasn't going to be a great evening. No matter how much dancing, drinking, flirting and 'fun' Cree and her friends kept leading her to partake in, Abby merely followed her sister meekly with a glass of orange juice in her hand, her simple grey dress showing her bump clearly through the thin cotton. It was enough to ward off any guy willing to make a pass at her, which was a positive, at the very least.

She made her way over to their booth in the corner and sat down, playing with her drink and spinning her straw. A hand rested on her swollen belly as she felt her baby roll around to the music, pulses of sound from the speakers flowing through her with ease.

"_Hey Abby."_

She looked up suddenly as she heard a familiar voice, looking from her juice up into the smiling face of one Hoagie Gilligan.

"Oh, hey Hoagie." She greeted, shifting over so he could sit next to her. His heart lifting, he took the spot and laid down his drink next to hers, sliding into the booth beside her. "What are you doing here?"

Hoagie shrugged, grinning at her as his eyes swept the familiar scenery before him. "Regular hangout, for me." His deep brown eyes connected with hers, his pupils flashing knowingly. "What are you doing here?"

Abby rolled her eyes, nodding towards Cree and her wild gang of girls surrounding her, the coloured lights reflecting their raised hands and crazy laughter as they swept the dance floor. "Cree's bachelorette party. Unfortunately."

"Lucky you." Hoagie smirked at her. He couldn't help but stare. In the dimmed light of the club he could still see the beauty in her face and body, her long soft brown hair falling to her elbows, her slender fingers delicately holding her drink, her big beautiful brown eyes and luscious lips. Her small grey dress showed off her body perfectly, her long legs drawing attention and her baby bump just sticking out of her dress, even suiting her. He swallowed, nervously turning away as he continued to stare at her.

"I know." Abby scoffed sarcastically, her eyebrow rising as she rested her chin in her hand. "It's a blast."

"It must suck." Hoagie pointed out. "You know, not being able to drink or party or anything…"

Abby raised her head, tilting it slightly in confusion. "Not really…" She mumbled, putting a hand back to her stomach. "I mean…I think I'm over the partying, never did much anyway…never drank too much…" She frowned, looking down at her stomach. "Not too much of a big deal."

"A big deal?" Hoagie scoffed, his eyebrows rising to his shaggy brown bangs. "You're having Wally's baby…a baby Abs…that's a pretty big deal…"

Abby's eyes were suddenly sad, and Hoagie immediately felt guilty. Sometimes he spoke before he thought.

"I mean…if anyone could handle it you could, it's just…I'm amazed at how you're handling it, and everything."

"Uh…thanks…" Abby mumbled before taking a swig at her drink. She felt her cheeks flush red with embarrassment as she thought of Hoagie's complimentary words. _If only he knew who the baby really belonged to…he wouldn't be so 'amazed' then…_

"I mean it Abby, I really admire you." Hoagie shifted closer to her, his hand going to her shoulder. It had been so long since they had spoken for longer than a few short sentences, and already he was longing for her- the way she spoke and acted, he felt as though there was no denying that he was definitely falling for her. Her deep chocolate brown eyes looked into his, and that beautiful smile filled her face, her tanned, soft skin radiating under the fluorescent glow of the flickering club lights.

"Thanks, Hoagie…" She mumbled in her soft, sweet tone. "That means a lot."

"That's okay…" Hoagie mumbled, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze. The two fell into silence, only broken by the immense chattering around them and loud beats of music. Hoagie watched the way Abby sipped her drink out of the corner of his eye, the way she licked her lips, tapped her fingers against the counter, sighed, tilted her head so he got a waft of her perfume, the way she lay that dainty hand on her stomach…

In the inner workings of Hoagie's mind, he felt a slight jab of jealously. He couldn't believe with Wally and Abby's relationship, Wally deserved Abby in the first place. He loved both of his friends, but it was plain obvious to him that they weren't right for each other. Abby was so cool, calm and smart, Wally could be so brash, rough and careless. It didn't seem logical to him that Abby was now stuck with a part of him with her for the rest of her life…he couldn't imagine it, a tiny Wally running around calling Abby Mommy, it didn't seem right to him…

He looked deep into her face, gazing at those plump lips as though tempted to kiss them…he wanted to, ever since he was younger that was all he dreamed of doing. Abigail Lincoln, the girl of his dreams…was always out of reach. He took a deep, shuddering breath, leaning forward-

He choked on that deep breath as he suddenly pulled back, looking across the crowds with alarm. _Kuki?_

He blinked, positive that he'd just seen a girl that looked remarkably like his best friend (Who should be caring for Wally) enter the club and make her way through the crowds, her doll-like face and deep ivory hair being a clear indicator. He blinked again, but she had gone. He must have imagined it, and now Abby was looking back at him, launching into a conversation about school and the holidays coming up. He shook himself from his stupor and immediately divulged into the chat with her.

From the bar, Trent narrowed his eyes with sudden curiosity as he saw a familiar brown haired girl at the booths, chatting to a guy as they sat close in the secluded area. It definitely looked suspicious, he noted that fact, and made a mental note to mention it to Dingo.

Mushi clung to his hand sweetly, her petite body pressed against his as she gazed in awe at the club scene around her. She smothered herself into him more, her shimmery, short dress clutching at her form sexily. He pulled his attention away from Abby and instead to his date, wrapping an arm around her. Tonight was especially for her, any other thoughts he was ready to force from his mind.

"Want to dance, Babe?" he purred in her ear. She grinned nervously, but nodded, giggling as he pulled her to the crowded floor.

* * *

Abby was snoozing peacefully in her sister's hire limo way into the early hours of the morning, having had enough of the club scene and was more fond of cuddling up in the hire car and drifting off into a peaceful slumber while her sister and friends clambered around outside laughing and joking around, some drinking and some already drunk. Her peaceful face, however, morphed into a troubled expression as her snores subsided, replaced by deep breaths. The stereo was playing gently in the car as the driver relaxed outside with the girls, smoking a cigarette and even getting a few girls' phone numbers. Nobody really paid attention to Abby, spread out on the leather interior with Usher playing in the background. It was a slow song, a gentle melody that played into Abby's head, pictures forming in her mind as she fell deeper into slumber.

_Girl, understand why  
See it's burning me to hold onto this  
I know this is something I gotta do  
But that don't mean I want to  
What I'm trying to say is that I-love-you I just  
I feel like this is coming to an end  
And its better for me to let it go now than hold on and hurt you  
I gotta let it burn…_

Abby frowned, fidgeting slightly as she shuffled in her sleep, rolling over to a different position. An image, maybe a memory, of Dingo formed in her mind- in his usual attire of a tight black shirt and those ripped jeans he loved so much, that sat just right on his hips. She loved those jeans… but he looked sad, his eyes looked deeply into hers, a look of complete seriousness. He moved slowly, just like the rhythm of the song

_It's gonna burn for me to say this  
But it's coming from my heart  
It's been a long time coming  
But we done been fell apart_

"Abby…" She could hear him mumble to her, his eyes wide with hurt. "You didn't tell Wally that the baby was mine…you don't love me enough for you to be honest with him. You don't want me to have this baby with you…"

"No…" Abby tried to tell him, but her mouth wouldn't open, she tried to reach out to him, but she couldn't move.

_Really wanna work this out  
But I don't think ya gonna change ya  
I do but you don't  
Think it's best we go our separate ways_

"I think it's best if I go." Dingo told her softly, his face morphing into anger as he gave her a look of disgust. He looked down at her, and that cut into Abby more than anything. She felt desperate tears scratch at her eyes as she knew the deep desire to grab him and pull him into a hug, begging him not to go…but still she remained silent as Dingo continued to scowl at her. "I'm going back to Australia…"

Abby shook her head, desperate for him to stay. She felt cold and alone in this endless abyss, if he left she'd have no one, just her and her lies. She felt herself beginning to cry, and the Dingo in front of her noticed, giving her a scathing look.

_Tell me why I should stay in this relationship  
When I'm hurting baby, I ain't happy baby  
Plus theres so many other things I gotta deal with  
I think that you should let it burn_

"You don't even love me, Abby, why should I love you? Why should I hang around some knocked up chick whose still hung up on my brother when I could be livin' the free life back home? Girls would kill to be with me, you're taking me for granted, babe. You know I only wanted you for the sex, that's it. Now that you got a kid and all, you're on your own with that one." He cocked his eyebrow at her, turning his back on her and walking away, scoffing. "You think I'd put up with you when I could be back home right now?"

Abby began to cry, fighting the urge to call out to him and cry that she was sorry, anything to prevent him from fading away. She felt heartbroken and desperate, her entire body aching as she felt herself forming, Dingo leaving her, disappearing, slowly coming back to earth-

"_ABBY!"_

She opened her eyes and saw her sister above her, looking worriedly into her face as she gripped her arms. Abby realised she was out of breath, looking around the car she had just fallen asleep in and feeling as though she had just run a marathon.

"DINGO! NO! WAIT! I-" She was shaken slightly again by Cree, who shouted out to her again.

"ABBY! Calm down! You fell asleep! It was a nightmare! You were dream- Abby? What's wrong with you?"

Abby suddenly burst into tears, emotions of embarrassment and fear becoming too much of her as she was torn from yet another restless slumber, the Dingo she'd seen being nothing but a figment of her imagination and inner emotions. She fell onto her sister, feeling so overwhelmed and exhausted by a simple dream she could think of nothing else, just continued to sob and cry until all tears and emotions left her. She clung to her shakily, her entire body trembling from the experience.

"_I-I-I n-need t-to tal-talk to-to him." _She sobbed shakily into her sister's shoulder, completely petrified. The sad song still playing in the background didn't help her fears one bit.

_When your feeling ain't the same and your body don't want to  
But you know gotta let it go cause the party ain't jumpin' like it used to  
Even though this might bruise you  
Let it burn  
Let it burn  
Gotta let it burn_

* * *

Fanny walked down the hallway in short, quick steps. She wanted this to be quick and easy, no beating around the bush. She gripped the parcel in her hands tightly, wanting nothing more than to be home and have a shower, instead she was forced to play delivery girl clad only in her dirty work uniform, stained from a day's hard work. She gritted her teeth in frustration as she found the door at hand, checking her watch to check the time. He was probably out at some random club somewhere at this late hour, drunk out of his mind. She knocked on the door, half hoping there was no answer.

Unfortunately for her, there was.

"Oh…" A pair of brown eyes looked down as he was automatically met with her intense dark irises. "Hey Fanny."

"Hoagie." Fanny said simply, holding out the bulging bag in her hands. "I come bearing gifts, from Rachel of course."

His eyes lingered on her face, before hurriedly looking down at the bag in her arms and lifting it out of her grip.

"Pretty sure it's for the reunion thing she's so hell-bent on having." Fanny smirked, hoping to at least crack the tension there was between them. "Won't that be a blast, seeing us with braces again, huh?"

"Yeah…" Hoagie shrugged, building up enough courage to look back into her face and crack something of a smile. "Yeah it should be fun…we should get the group together I guess…"

Fanny nodded, her toes twitching as a hint that she wanted to bail. Before she could, however, Hoagie sighed and again took a brave stab at a conversation.

"How's Dodge?"

Fanny stiffened, her eyes suspicious as she attempted to judge whether it was an attack or not. She determined it safe.

"He's good…" She muttered casually, her eyes rolling. "We're doing fine…How's Bonny?"

"We've broken up." Hoagie muttered back, swallowing. "You know…she was a bit needy."

"I know how that is…" Fanny smirked, because she knew she didn't. She bit her lip awkwardly as another silence engulfed them. "Anyways, Hoagie…I better go and…get changed." She gestured to her work uniform, her eyebrows rising. "I feel gross, after all."

"Oh…yeah." Hoagie smirked. "If it's any consolation…you don't look gross."

"Uh, thanks." She mumbled, smirking back. "Anyway…" She raised her hand as a mutual confirmation of goodbye. "I'll see ya tomorrow."

Hoagie nodded as she turned away, her long legs elegantly making their way across the hallway. He couldn't help but watch her go, more thoughts running through his head. He heard a door open behind him and he turned to see Patton walk into their living area, towel drying his hair.

"Who was that?" he asked lazily, running a hand through his damp locks. Hoagie looked down at the tapes and photo albums that were now in his arms, kicking the door closed and shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't worry."

* * *

'_Burn' By Usher was one of the factors that actually got me through this chapter, so I thought I better add it :P_

_Another note, 'Homeward Bound' is, truly, greatest movie ever in my opinion :P you can look up the ending on youtube and see why it gets me to tears every time, such a loving happy moment :) _

_Anyways, let me know what you think :P I'll love you for it!_

_REVIEW! X_


	19. Chapter 19: Reprise

_Hey peeps! I know, it's sad :( My exams are coming up soon so I probably won't be able to update as quickly as I once could...and this chapter was so long I had to slice it in half :( Anyways, I'm just happy I finally finished it! *sigh* _

_I just realised how many songs are in this chapter. This isn't really on purpose...I just couldn't really help it :P This chapter is of pretty big importance as it leads to the bgi climax that ties the story together...I'm hoping to really only have about 30 chapters in this whole story, and depending on what's most popular a sequel/prequel/spinoff...I'm game for all :D _

_I hope you enjoy (: Review Replies are at the bottom today :D x_

* * *

Abigail couldn't stand it anymore.

She was cold and hungry, tired but yet wide awake. She could barely make her way to her apartment complex, nevertheless be able to clamber into her car and drive her way over. It made her tremble just to think about returning to where Kuki could watch and judge her, she couldn't look into those wide purple eyes without that same guilty pain overwhelming her…she could tell Kuki was hurting, not as much as she was, but she knew that lost look in Kuki's eyes…the sad expression that hinted she was fighting a losing battle.

Abby, with tears still streaming down her face, kicked off her high heeled shoes and hugged her naked arms, shivering in the cold. Her older sister gazed at her from the passenger seat, her eyes wide. Cree had no idea what to do, all she knew was her younger sister, who was usually so calm and in control, had reached a near point of hysteria and complete paranoia, only wanting one thing... and that was the father of her child.

Cree's deep brown eyes looked through the tinted windows to the apartment complex beside them. The car was till running, and Cree flexed her toes, wanting nothing more than to pull the car into drive and speed off down the street. She hated the idea of being here, of seeing him- of all people. She looked back at her baby sister. In her eyes Abby could do no wrong, it was merely the people around her. She despised the slightest thought of Abby hooked up with this loser, much less actually running to him at her weakest.

"I want to see him…" Abby sniffed, unclipping her seat belt in a determined fashion, avoiding her older sister's judging eyes. "I just-"

"I don't think this is a good idea, Abby." Cree growled again, repeating the same words she had many times before. "Just calm down and think about this-"

Abby began to cry again- big, loud, undignified baby sobs Cree never thought she had in her. It sounded more like there was a blubbering child beside her, not her strong, independent sister.

"P-Please Cree!" Abby cried, burying her face in her hands. "I d-don't know w-why! I just wa-wanna see him!"

Cree sighed, but turned off the car and climbed out of the driver's side door, striding over smartly to help out her distressed sister. She knew in her heart it was the pregnancy hormones talking, and that's what she like to think, but also, she could tell, Abby was falling for this guy…harder than she ever had fallen before.

She put an arm around her sister's shoulders and helped her up the front path to the door, Abby's arms folded tightly across her grey dress and her bare feet moving quickly along the cold cement. Cree was hesitant in moving across the threshold, but Abby crossed it easily, turning to her sister before moving up the staircase.

"You…you don't have to come with me." Abby sniffed, hanging her head in embarrassment. She hated being seen so weak, glumly she reached up and pulled out her dangling hoop earrings, fidgeting with the jewelry in her fingers.. "Go and enjoy your night, it's still your night." Her hands went to her swollen stomach, where the gentle rolling of her almost six month old baby seemed to have a soothing effect on her. Cree watched her closely, still seeing the fear and distress in her sister's face.

Cree frowned. "Abs, I'm not leaving you."

"I'm fine." Abby insisted, twisting her hands. Her wide chocolate brown eyes gazed at her sister helplessly, pleading. "Just trust me…I'm fine from here…"

Cree narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She knew to trust her sister, she knew Abby had good judgment when it came to people…she was smart, intelligent and always seemed sensible…but now here she was, standing barefooted on the first step of her lover's apartment complex, six months pregnant with his baby and nearing a nervous breakdown. Cree felt a strong urge to grab her arm and drag her back to the car, speeding away no matter how much she kicked and screamed.

She bit her lip, looking away. Sighing, she turned back and pulled her sister into a tight hug.

"Be careful, Abs." She whispered into her ear. Abby nodded, her lips trembling.

"I always am…"

Cree gave a little half smile as she released her sister and backed away, walking slowly back to the car. Abby watched her go with slight anxiety, her stomach still clenching uncomfortably as she made her way up the stairs.

* * *

Dodge wondered into the kitchen, unsurprised to see the familiar face of Bandit sitting at the counter, playfully spinning a spoon around a bowl of cookie dough, chocolate chips making up most of the consistency of the mixture. Dodge raised his eyebrows, cocking his head as he gazed at his friend. He immediately noticed difference- little things that would bypass Dingo's attention for sure, but things Dodge could easily pick up. His eyes narrowed.

Bandit looked thin, he was always a scrawny, skinny little kid, tall but slender…his black, unkempt hair always seemed to give him a shadowed, dead sort of look that complimented his 'emo' fashion sense back when they were teenagers, but he was usually so filled with innocent energy and hyperactivity, he never seemed to be anywhere close to weak or pathetic…but this was different, this was back to teenage times, back to when-

"Bando." Dodge said strongly, planting his palms firmly on the counter. Bandit jumped, looking up in alarm. Dodge's icy blue eyes narrowed, looking deeply into the hesitant ocean blue ones in front of him. "What's wrong?"

"Nufin'." Bandit automatically mumbled, turning back to his cookie dough and sticking a finger into the mixture. He avoided eye contact. "I'm good, Dodge, just tired-"

"_Bullshit." _

Bandit snapped his head up, alert. Very rarely did Dodge curse, especially so harshly. Bandit almost recoiled at the intensity of Dodge's knowing glare, and suddenly he felt very, very small. Dodge leaned forward, his eyes narrowing and his expression solid and still. His hands were still splayed out on the counter, leaning towards his friend threateningly. "What happened?"

Bandit scrunched his lips in annoyance, something Dodge knew he did when he was attempting to fight back tears. Those cobalt blue eyes seemed to well with unshed tears as Bandit looked away, his limp black fringe covering half of his pale face. His throat tightened, promising further bawling.

"Nothing…" He answered thickly, wincing as he felt the tears fall. He cursed himself for acting so pathetic, here he was thinking he passed his 'emotional' stage…here he was hoping he'd never get an emotional connection to another human being again. He thought he was stronger…

"Bandit." Dodge snapped at him quietly, his voice crisp and stern. He knew he had to be firm. "Don't lie to me."

Bandit's face quivered and twitched, one final attempt to calm his growing tears before he gave in, his fists rising to his face as he began to bawl like a small child, attempting to hide his face as he began to whimper and whine, little mumbles that Dodge registered as his friend broke, just like he knew he would.

"_An' I dnno whas wrong wif me an-an I swore I'd never get involved a-again af-after what hap-p-pened an'-an'-an' h-he…he doesn' efen care…-" _

Sniffing and gasping Dodge somehow managed to pull him off the counter and gave his emotional friend a reassuring hug as he had many times in the past, Bandit finally melting into the rare sign of affection and bawling into Dodge's strong shoulder. Everything he felt, no matter how stupid or pathetic it may be, flowed out of him as his friend patted his back, murmuring it was going to be okay.

Dodge swallowed nervously as Bandit continued to cry, unknowing of what it was about or if it would ever end. He just hoped that his murmurs would somehow ring true.

"You'll never let it go, will you?" Dodge mumbled awkwardly, his head tilting in sympathy for his friend.

Bandit choked with sobs, coughing and sniffling pathetically, his eyes squeezing closed. He heaved a deep sigh, those deep wet eyes opening and looking up at his friend, knowing he was probably the only person in the world who could have any empathy to what he was feeling.

"Never…"

* * *

Dingo had retreated to his room, sitting on the edge of his mattress with his head in his hands, massaging his temples. His lank hair fell into his pale face as he looked up in slight despair, staring at his reflection in his full length mirror that was attached to the closet. He glared hatefully at his bruises and cuts that decorated his muscular torso and pale face. He touched them tentatively, his eyes narrowing at how weak they made him look.

His heart sat heavily in his chest as he watched himself in the mirror with his tear-filled eyes, the same eyes as his mother's. He thought of her, what she was doing…what she thought of him now… It made his entire stomach ache at the very thought. He thought of Abby, his darling girl, his baby…the baby _she _was carrying. Anger filled him. It had been so long since he'd seen her, he began to wonder how big she was, how big the baby was getting. He'd never had any time to actually cradle her and feel her stomach, feel his own baby kick. His heavy heart ached at the thought…he was completely lost at what to do. Cupping his chin in his palm, he looked longingly at his reflection, wondering where his girl was. Moodily, he reached over to hit the button on his radio as he laid face down on his bed, feeling too lost and tired to do anything else.

_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn  
Well that's all right because I like the way it hurts…  
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry  
Well that's all right because I love the way you lie…  
I love the way you lie_

Dingo winced, groaning as he buried his face into his pillow. _Rihanna_- it had to be her. Her voice reminded him so much of Abby's smooth and sweet, almost honey like. It stung him to hear those words, almost like he was forming a picture in his mind over how Abby looked after he'd hit her…what his father and Dodge had told him. _No… _he snarled to himself, feeling his lip tremble at the thought. _My relationship isn't like that, it's not an abusive, destructive relationship…I love her, we were meant to be…_

_I can't tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like  
And right now it's a steel knife in my windpipe  
I can't breathe but I still fight while I can fight  
As long as the wrong feels right it's like I'm in flight_

Dingo could automatically tell he was emotional, he felt like he was torn between slamming his fist into the nearest wall and bursting into tears. A _song _was cutting into him, seeming to bury deep down into his emotions and relate to him. He looked over at the lonely radio on his bedside table, the image blurred as he realised tears were scratching at his eyes.

_High off her love, drunk from my hate, it's like I'm huffin' paint  
And I love it the more I suffer, I suffocate  
And right before I'm about to drown, she resuscitates me, she fuckin' hates me  
And I love it, "wait, where you goin'?"  
"I'm leavin' you," "no you ain't come back"  
_  
Abby sniffled and shook as she made her way down the hallway to the apartment she knew so well, pausing for only a second before she knocked on the door- her nimble fingers curling into a ball as she tapped lightly against the wood. Her face stung as the cold winds whipped around her tear stained cheeks and she shivered, one hand still on her stomach protectively.

_We're runnin' right back, here we go again  
So insane, cause when it's goin' good it's goin' great  
I'm superman with the wind in his back, she's Lois Lane  
But when it's bad it's awful, I feel so ashamed I snap  
Whose that dude? I don't even know his name_

Dodge opened the door, stepping back in alarm as he saw the shivering, crying figure of Abby standing in the hallway, her hands on her stomach. One look from those wide, tearful brown eyes told him exactly what she wanted, and he gave her a sad sort of smile as he stepped out of her way, inviting her in. Abby gave a miserable sort of sniff as a thank you and quickly walked down the hall, her head lowered. Dodge watched her go, feeling down. Never before had he been surrounded by such heartache.

_I laid hands on her  
I never stoop so low again  
I guess I don't know my own strength_

Dingo barely looked up as he heard his bedroom door open, because he never would have thought it would be Abby standing in his doorway, crying and desperate for just one look from him. He just stared, dully at the radio before him, the same desire running through his mind. Abby approached him nervously, still crying softly at the desire to just receive simple affection from him. She walked to the side of the bed, unsure of what to say or do. She simply waited, her eyes widening hopefully.

_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn  
Well that's all right because I like the way it hurts  
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry  
Well that's all right because I love the way you lie  
I love the way you lie_

Dingo blinked in alarm at the sight of two tanned legs before him, stopping at an elegant grey hem. He frowned, blinking again, just to check if he was dreaming. _Couldn't be… _He looked up, his eyes widening as he saw her face. His heart lifted as he pushed himself from the bed, his emerald green eyes widening at the sight of the face he missed so much…those deep brown eyes, those tearstained cheeks, cinnamon coloured skin...swollen stomach… that scent that seeped into his senses even at the hospital…

"_Abby_!" He immediately choked, pushing himself up as fast as he could. He winced, automatically regretting it as his head pounded in agony and his bruises sent shocks of pain through his body. He held in a whimper, struggling back to a sitting position as he gazed up at the dream before him, his pleading emerald eyes longingly watching Abby's own tearful deep browns. He could think of nothing else but holding her, reaching out and gripping her hand and holding it to his face. His eyes closed at the motion, the feeling of her warm, soft skin against his…her scent was enough to drive him crazy, once he had some he had to get more. He pulled her into him, his face snuggling into her pregnant stomach. He heaved a deep sigh, his cheek nuzzling her swollen belly. She looked down at him helplessly, feeling how the baby had calmed as soon as Dingo had touched her…

"Dingo…" She mumbled tearfully, before Dingo could say anything. He looked up at her guiltily, and she looked down at him, her eyes shameful. She felt like she was about to collapse, and Dingo was ready to catch her. She stumbled into his lap, curling into a ball as she shivered against him, his own arms wrapping around her cold skin. Both nuzzled into one another's neck, grateful for the presence of each other. "I'm really sorry…" She mumbled weakly, feeling tears scratch at her eyes again.

_Now I know we said things, did things, that we didn't mean  
And we fall back into the same patterns, same routine  
But your temper's just as bad as mine is, you're the same as me__  
__Maybe our relationship isn't as crazy as it seems…_

Dingo ran a few shaky fingers through her hair, raising his head to look into those eyes he loved so much.

"For what?" He mumbled, reaching over and running a thumb down her cheek, wiping away at the smudged makeup and tears. Abby sniffed, her lips trembling as she looked into his face. She didn't know how she even ended up here, in his arms, only wanting him and nobody else, but she had to rid of the burden she felt, the guilt that seemed to consume her.

"For everything…" She sniffed, gripping him close as if afraid to let him go. "I…I'm always pushing you away, I don't want you to leave…" She let out another choked sob, cuddling up to him again.

_"Please don't leave me…"_ He heard her whisper.

_When it comes to love you're just as blinded  
Baby please come back, it wasn't you, baby it was me  
Maybe that's what happens when a tornado meets a volcano  
All I know is I love you too much to walk away though.._

Dingo could only blink at her, too stunned to speak. Processing the fact a girl like her would want him seemed virtually impossible at this point…He knew all through his life he had to fight for the things he wanted, but after so much disappointment he had begun to accept defeat and simply spend the rest of the time being bitter about it. But now he had accepted his mother, he was facing a whole new life, not even sure how it came to being his. He wrapped his arms around Abby's pregnant stomach, amazed at how much her deep chocolate brown eyes sparkled like his own mother's did.

"I won't leave you…" He murmured back to her, the growing lump in his throat promising a flood of tears. She was silenced, their stillness only disturbed by the radio music still playing quietly in the background.

_Come inside, pick up the bags off the sidewalk  
Don't you hear sincerity in my voice when I talk?  
Told you this is my fault, look me in the eyeball  
Next time I'm pissed I'll aim my fist at the drywall_

_"I'm _sorry." He mumbled to her guiltily, looking down at her stomach. He ran a few fingers along her dress, savouring how soft the material was, how beautiful she looked. "You deserve someone better than me…" he sniffed glumly, wincing at how pathetic he sounded. He'd never felt so weak in front of another person before, but with Abby it all seemed to come naturally to him. He looked up at her face, his eyes wide. He could understand why his emotions were so emphasised with her, he couldn't help it when she was around. She looked back at him, her eyes wide and vulnerable.

_Next time there won't be no next time  
I apologize even though I know it's lies  
I'm tired of the games I just want her back  
I know I'm a liar if she ever tries to fuckin' leave again  
I'ma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire_

"Do you ever feel like…" Abby muttered quietly, swallowing carefully as she gazed at him. Her voice sounded like it was breaking. "Like…that we weren't meant to be together…like-"

"Like something's trying to tell us we're not supposed to be together?" Dingo finished, his eyes widening. He looked sheepish. "…Yeah…"

"Like…you're meant to be with someone else…" Abby croaked fearfully, tears slipping down her cheeks. "An-And I'm meant to be with somebody else?"

"Yeah…" Dingo whispered, tilting his head so his forehead touched hers. He blinked at her, his teeth grazing his lower lip. Abby stared back weakly, her eyes widening in fear. Dingo gave her a small smile, cuddling her closer. "But…I say… _fuck it…"_

Abby sniffed, returning the smile. Her emotions were running wild, and maybe it was pregnancy hormones…but she couldn't deny in Dingo's arms was the only place she wanted to be. She couldn't deny that when he held her, or when she kissed him, she felt like she was drowning…and he was the only person holding her up.

_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn  
Well that's all right because I like the way it hurts  
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry  
Well that's all right because I love the way you lie  
I love the way you lie_

* * *

It was late, and the flashing neon lights of the club before the trembling figure lodged under a streetlamp stared at it, afraid. His pale skin shone sickly in the limited light and his faded, split sandy blonde hair fell into his watery blue eyes, his chapped lips shaking. He zipped up his hoodie and quickly made his way across the deserted road, smelling the salty sea air around him.

Knocking on the door with his split knuckles, he shuffled his sneakers against the cracked sidewalk and waited, his eyes widening hopefully. He'd travelled far…back to his hometown…in order to come here, he just hoped it was worth it…he hoped they could help…

The door opened and the young teen looked up eagerly, his pale blue eyes wide. The figure stepped inside to let him in and he scampered into the shadows, the door closing behind him. No sooner had the door completely closed the teenager was engulfed in a backbreaking hug.

"Sandy!" The hugger grinned widely as he engulfed his skinny cousin with his arms. "Long time no see! It's 'bout time you visited us, ya' knucklehead!"

Sandy winced into the hug, trying half heartedly to produce a smile. He failed completely, his face slackening into what looked like a pained grimace. When he was finally released the figure looked down at him almost sadly, his own brown eyes gazing at the teenager with worry.

"You look pale." He growled sternly, but left it at that. He straightened, yanking on his younger cousin's arm. He couldn't have been anymore than 3 years older than Sandy. "C'mon, come and see the rest of your cousins!"

Sandy allowed himself to be lead down the darkened hallway, opening another set of double doors to reveal yet another darkened room- the only source of light being a fading light bulb hanging ominously over a small rounded table, where two seemingly grown men were seated, a bundle of playing cards spread out between them and a small mountain of treasures in the centre. The pair's beady eyes were watching each other closely, as if attempting to pick up a bluff. It was clear they were in the midst of a critical poker battle. Only putting all three adults together did Sandy actually recognise his cousins- the middle answering the door was easily Mitch- he still had a few freckles scattered over his cheeks, the youngest at the table with a few streaks of sun bleached hair was Ethan and the oldest, the one with the sternest face and therefore best at bluffing, was Steven. Sandy shuffled his sneakers against the floor awkwardly. He jumped and winced when he was spoken to. He used to feel he was the true leader of the gang of family members…but ever since he left he'd just felt more and more like an outsider.

"Little cousin!" Steven suddenly called out to him, a sly grin locked into his dark features. "What are you waiting for? Come join us!"

Sandy blinked his faded blue eyes anxiously as he steadily made his way over to the pack, taking the seat before him and looking around curiously at the grown faces before him as he was dealt a hand. They seemed to have grown since he last saw them…and he still looked and felt the same…

"So…" Mitch suddenly smirked at him from across the table, his eyebrows rising cockily. Sandy suddenly felt rather small against that knowing glance. "We've heard you've had a little trouble with your girl…what was her name again?"

"Mushi." Ethan quipped, reaching over and gathering the cards splayed out on the table. He shuffled them expertly, giving his smaller cousin a quick smirk. "I remember you guys together."

"Oh yeah…" Steven remarked, issuing Sandy with a friendly grin. "She was cute."

Sandy looked up to see three pairs of eyes glancing at him expectantly. He swallowed, a lump forming in his throat as he thought back to his girlfriend. He hoped she was alright…that she was handling things. He secretly hoped she was back safe and sound at home where she belonged, away from his mistakes. "…She still is…"

"Where have you been, Sandy?" Mitch asked bluntly, giving him a suspicious look. All three of them were bursting to say it, busting to accuse and indict such blame on him for the issues he had raised within their family- the way he up and left with a drug habit and no future ahead…now he calls and pleads for help, in trouble with the law and into the criminal market…he had explaining to do.

"Uh…" Sandy stiffened, sucking in his lower lip. Always the youngest, he was never used to having to explain himself. He used to be the leader of the pack, always the one to guide and direct…never the one to ask for help. Now here he was, trembling, pale and thin…completely lost and wasted, a mere shadow of who he once was. His faded eyes gazed up at his cousins pathetically, and he heaved a small sigh. "Just…around…I guess…"

"Not in school?"

Sandy looked down at his lap. "No…"

"Seen your parents in a while?"

He gulped again. "No."

"And…you're still in with the whole drug scene, right?"

He felt his face flush. "Not anymore."

"We- uh- well…yeah."

All three pairs of eyebrows rose at him, their eyes twinkling knowledgeably. Sandy could immediately tell the power had changed, his cousins no longer looked up at him with admiration; they looked down on him with immediate disappointment. He felt significantly small against their powerful gaze and dim light. He flushed a light pink, his hands shaking and sweating like mad.

"J-just stuff like…coke, and dope and stuff…" Sandy squeaked, his eyes wide. "I didn't have anywhere else to go, I couldn't go back to home or school, and th-they were after me for the cash and…and they didn't let up on it, they didn't tell me the price until I was hooked, I never-"

He looked down in shame. "They added interest on me…said I was taking too long…"

Ethan gave a small snigger. "And they came after you pretty hard, huh?"

"Yeah…" Sandy mumbled, sighing. "And I had to bail, I didn't know what they would do-"

"We're not _blaming _you, of course…" Steven put in, rolling his deep brown eyes carelessly.

"The rest of the family just thinks that…you should learn from your mistakes, that's all." Mitch sniggered proudly, his eyebrows flicking upward into his black bangs. Sandy gulped, nodding.

_They want me to suffer…. _He thought shakily, trembling in his seat. The trio were silent again, just the sound of cards scraping across the table filling his ears. He figured it was his time to talk again.

"So…that's why I left…and I know they'll come after me…or worse, Mushi…and I just…I just thought-"

"You'd ask for our help." Ethan put in coldly. Sandy jumped, eyes widening.

"Oh, you don't- I didn't mean to- I never-"

"Relax!" Mitch scoffed, waving his arm. "That's what cousins are for, right?"

Sandy blinked. He knew what business his cousins were in…what his whole family was into…he knew his mistake then in leaving. If he hadn't had been so caught up in doing things for himself and Mushi, thinking he alone could get what he wanted, it wouldn't have been this way. It's why he was back…he hated the thought some idiots from Australia were bossing _him _around…he should be bossing _them _around…

"So…you'll…help me get rid of my…" He swallowed, hating how it sounded. "Debt?"

"Well…you see, not quite…" Mitch explained carefully, cheekily biting down on his bottom lip. "See, we have a few contacts in the land Down Under that we've got in touch with…and let's just say…we have the situation under control."

"What?" Sandy rose hopefully, smirking. "Seriously? You guys will help me?" He knew immediately what 'contacts' meant, and was relieved to hear that things hadn't changed within the family. The three cousins matched his smirk, their eyes flashing mischievously.

"'Course we will." Steven muttered, waving his hand carelessly. "You're family! Besides, as luck would have it, our 'contacts' back in Australia immediately knew the group you were talking about. Seems they're wanted down there too and they were only too eager to come up and help us out. No extra expense, and it benefits us all." He smirked. "The less competition, the better."

"So…who is it?" Sandy asked, tilting his head curiously. "I mean, the guys you asked to come up. Are they cops or-"

"Nah." Mitch remarked, frowning. "Consider them bounty hunters, we're paying them to take them back and they agreed. They were lookin' for 'em too, as well, but they ain't cops…"

"They're looking for them?" Sandy asked, shuffling the deck of cards. "As in…they have rivalry with them?"

"Nothing like that…" Steven suddenly snickered. "I'd say…more of a family tie than anything…" The rest of the boys exchanged knowing looks as Sandy gave all three of them a look of confusion. But he couldn't deny the security and warmth he felt, welcomed back into the family he left a long time ago. He grinned back, finally relaxing into his chair and laying down his cards.

He was home once again.

* * *

Trent smirked lazily as Mushi's warm breath tickled his neck, the warm, ripe scent of vodka washing over him as Mushi gripped around his neck, following his own steps in a stumbling fashion. Her usually vibrant violet eyes were glazed over and half-lidded as she giggled giddily, brushing up against Trent with the clear air that she wasn't tipsy, or drunk…

She was smashed.

"_Ohmigawd…" _She giggled, her heels stumbling across the hallway, only held up by Trent's strong arm. She sniggered into his chest as he dragged her along to the front door, his own face slightly softened by the amount of liquor he too had consumed. _"That was…that was like, so much fun…I'm having so much fun…" _She stumbled again and Trent caught her within his strong grip, Mushi giggling and snorting as Trent pulled her to him, holding him close so she voided hurting herself. She snuggled into his neck much more affectionate than she would be when she was sober. She moved up his jaw to kiss at his lips and Trent snickered at her, licking his lips in apparent excitement.

"Settle down, Mushi baby…" he cooed to her sweetly, gripping her petite body close to him. Her borrowed dress was slipping, the straps now down her forearms and the short hem almost at her hips. She giggled restlessly, her arms wrapping tighter around his neck as he reached the apartment door.

* * *

Morning sunlight streamed into the apartment through the thick blinds, hinting at a fresh new day. Bandit's deep cobalt eyes opened fearfully as he jumped, looking around fearfully at where he was. His breaths softened as he was finally yanked out of whatever nightmare he was having, relieved at finding himself of Dingo and Dodge's couch other than… He shook his head, determined to block out whatever memories were surfacing. He rubbed at his eyes as he tried to think about that, instead of other things…

_No…don't think abo- Hey! Don't think about that! _He mentally scolded himself, smirking as he realized how weird he sounded thinking to his own self. Jumping off the couch he made his way over to the kitchen, where his bag was still spread out across the counter, his DVDs and videotapes splayed across the surface. He brushed everything back inside, a strong feeling of foreboding overcoming him at the thought of going back to his apartment- only to see Trent and Mushi together, Trent parading her around in front of him.

He frowned as he looked back into his bag, on the floor, back onto the table, around his bag again, still frowning. From behind him, Dodge wondered into the kitchen, right in the middle of brushing his teeth. Bandit turned to him, a frown still in place.

"Dodge…" He pouted. "Have you seen my tape-"

Dodge held up _The Lion King, _his eyebrows rising expectantly. Blushing, Bandit yanked it out of his grip, growling.

"No- the one from yesterday, from my video camera…the tiny tape that goes into the…you know…" he frowned again, scratching at his head. In the end he shrugged moodily, too confused to actually remember whether or not he brought it in. he didn't want to lose the tape, as it held some random memories back home in Australia, but from all the substances poor Bandit had consumed over the years he was never sure which was reality and what could be merely a figment of his imagination. "…Don't worry."

"I won't." Dodge assured him, smirking as he threw his toothbrush into the sink. He grabbed his jacket form the bench and threw it on, zipping it up. "You headin' back to your apartment?"

"Yeah…" Bandit mumbled sulkily, running his finger along the zipper of his bag. Dodge sighed, his icy blue eyes rolling.

"C'mon- surely you can find something to do. What about Bon?"

Bandit twisted his lips thoughtfully. "Breakup drama."

"Sounds like her. What about Hols?"

Bandit bit his lip. "Guess I could try her…"

"There you go." Dodge snickered, pulling out a carton of milk from the fridge and taking a slurp.

Meanwhile, in Dingo's room, Dingo was yanking his jeans up to his hips, his studded belt still threaded through the loops. Goosebumps adorned his upper torso as he shivered, missing the warmth of his bed already. Pouting, he looked over at the naked tanned body that was still wrapped in the warmth of his bed sheets. Abby's long chestnut brown hair spilled out all over the pillow as she hugged herself in her sleep, her eyes closed and her lips agape. He gave her a pained look as he crept over to her, his face pressed against hers. With a quick kiss on her cheek and a few fingers waving through her hair he gave her a longing look, sighing.

"I love you, baby…" he sighed to her quietly. She stirred slightly, but didn't wake. He hated leaving her so early in the morning when he knew when he returned she wouldn't be here…but still he knew he had to. He hadn't hung out with Dodge in so long and he even had a minor plan of his own…just to show Abby how much he loved her. "I'll be back soon…"

He rose to his feet and gave her one last look before walking out of the room sulkily, pulling a jacket around his shivering form. He hated leaving his girl, especially after a night like _that…_when she needed him the most, when he needed her… He heaved another sigh, folding his arms and seething. How could anyone deny they should be together?

* * *

Mushi groaned, unable to comprehend the extreme hardship it seemed to be trying to wake up. The pain in her head throbbed unbelievably, her stomach ached agonizingly and she could scarcely open her eyes. Worse still was the tenderness in all of her muscles- her legs, arms, her neck…especially around her hips and thighs…immediate, sharp pain. She frowned in complete discomfort, rolling over and giving a small whimper. She pulled apart her heavy lids, her eyes meeting with the close-up view of the swollen, puffy eyes of Trent, long reddish brown locks falling into his pale, sleeping face. Mushi blinked, still unable to sort out her fuzzy thoughts. She did…however, feel really cold…

She shuffled her body, and her eyes widened in alarm.

She was naked.

Shivering, her breath quickened as she sat up, gasping for air. Her skin prickled under the sheets as she tried to work out why the hell she was _here…like this…_

And why her body ached so much.

Trembling she made her way out of bed and across the cold floor, immediately heading for the shower with her thoughts still scattered and hazy. She locked the door, her hands still shaking with numbness and nerves, and let the warm water and steam clear her mind and rid her body of any regrets. It didn't seem to work, she scrubbed and scrubbed but still couldn't wash off the guilt that seemed to coat her. Frowning, she thought about this as she rubbed at her scalp with a peach shampoo.

_Naked…never a good sign…and I don't remember anything! I'm only sixteen! Sure, Sandy and I did stuff but never…like this…I don't know how it happened…when…what…why…the last thing I remember was the club…I never knew I could drink so much…And what about Trent? How much did he drink? Did he even know what he was doing…what he did?_

She shook her pounding head, her feet scattering across the wet tiled floor. He wrapped a towel around her throbbing body, trying not to look at it in the mirror. She wrapped a towel around her wet hair and pulled on an old shirt and jacket, pulling up a pair of loose pants she was sure were Bonny's. She opened the door to the hall and made her way to the kitchen, unable to look at Trent so soon.

Bonny and Hollie were comfortable at the kitchen counter when she walked in, Bonny's cheeks and eyes still red from her obvious sobbing and alcohol consumption. Mushi knew she hadn't been to work in a week due to her angst in not being able to get over her recent breakup.

"C'mon, Bon." Hollie growled at her, sipping at a cup of tea. "You've been through breakups before, haven't you? He's just a prick, and you weren't even going out for that long-"

"I honestly thought, for once, I'd met a _good _guy. You know, one that would buy you flowers and shit like that." He smudged, lined eyes looked up to her best friend pathetically. "He'd…you know, actually call you back and ask how you were, he'd be actually _nice _in the morning and not hungover. He made me breakfast, for crying out loud…"

"Breakfast, Schmeakfast!" Hollie scoffed, her eyes rolling. "Is that any different from a guy taking you out to dinner and paying?

Bonny looked up, cocking an eyebrow. "Has a guy ever made you breakfast?"

Hollie frowned. "Dingo's taken me out to Maccas a couple of times in the morning!"

Mushi watched as Bonnie snickered, the two girls immediately sharing knowing grins. She could tell the girls had been best friends for a while, just knowing what the other was thinking and a mutual understanding between the two apparent. She frowned, an idea suddenly springing to her head.

"You and Dingo and that….you guys have been together for a long time, huh?" Mushi asked, leaning against the counter casually. Hollie smirked, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah- primary school sweethearts I guess…ever since kindy we've had a crush on one another…"

"And…so…you've always been with the guys…" Mushi turned to Bonny. "Right?"

"Yeah." Bonnie shrugged. "Known all of them since kindy. Been with the same group forever."

Mushi brightened. Jackpot.

"So…you guys would know…all of their…history?" Mushi asked, her eyes rolling casually. Hollie frowned suspiciously, her and Bonny exchanging looks.

"…History?"

"As in…" Mushi bit her lip, her cheeks flushing. "Past…girlfriends?"

Bonny and Hollie suddenly smirked knowingly. Of course. Mushi blushed, knowing she'd been sprung- paranoid and worried about past partners that no longer mattered…but she couldn't help it.

"Yeah…" Hollie grinned carefully, wide Cheshire cat grins appearing on their faces. "We'd know a fair few of them…"

"Oh…" Mushi swallowed, attempting to appear cool, but her heart rapidly pounded in anticipation, her chest tightening harshly. "I… I was just wondering…because…I noticed Trent has this tattoo…"

Bonny bit her lip, her eyes widening. Hollie gave her a swift kick under the table, still giving the younger girl a crystal clear, innocent expression. "Bambi."

"You-" Mushi cleared her throat, attempting to rid the impatient squeak in her voice. "You uh…know her?"

Hollie and Bonny exchanged looks, each raising their eyebrows cheekily.

"You…er…" Bonny bit her lip, a smile tugging at her lips. "May say that…"

Mushi watched them both, her pulse quickening with rapid emotion. She didn't know why she was so quick to know the girl permanently named on Trent's hipbone, but she was. She had to know. But she knew those faces. They looked almost guilty, like they were hiding something…Her teeth dug deeper into her lower lip, those purple-blue eyes widening.

"W…who is it?" She asked, looking from one mischievous smirk to the other. "It…He said she didn't matter to him anymore b…" She frowned…Bambi… She looked over at Bonny, who was giving her a sly smirk. "It's you, isn't it Bonny?"

Bonny jumped, her eyes widening and her smile immediately fading as she let out a scoff. "No! What?"

"Bambi, Bonny." Mushi muttered, trying to remove the accusatory tone out of her voice. "Sounds…similar-"

"No." Bonny smirked. "No, me and Trent kissed _once- _but it was in year 4, and it was nothing. Me and Trent…" She gave a small shudder, snickering. Her eyes seemed true and honest as she gave Mushi a straightforward look, her tone strong. "We'll never be a great match, and we never tried to be."

Mush blushed lightly, looking down in mild embarrassment.

"Well…you could definitely say we…know Bambi." Hollie smirked, her eyes flashing. "Bambi's always…around…Trent's relationship with Bambi was very…" She licked her lips. "They were very close…"

"True love." Bonny added, grinning.

Mushi blinked hopefully. "Wh-who? Is there a photo of her? Is she back home? I-in Australia?"

"Weh-" Bonny began eagerly, but Hollie held out her hand to her friend, silencing her with a quick smile.

"Trent will kill us if we tell her." She whispered. Mushi stiffened, her bottom lip dropping in alarm.

"Bu-"

"Right…" Bonny sighed. "We better shut up…"

"Wait, I won't _tell _him." Mushi gave a nervous laugh. "I mean it's okay, you can tell me-"

"You shouldn't worry about it anyway, Mushi…" Hollie grinned, flipping her hair over her shoulder and grabbing her purse, making to leave. "It's all ancient history…"

* * *

"That fuckin' killed!"

Dodge and Dingo bundled through the door, scoffing and laughing. Dodge was still pouting, his eyes watering with the pain. Both sported bandaged wrists- both left. Dingo nudged him sneakily, his eyes flashing mischievously.

"Aw, ya' big girl." He snickered, his tongue between his teeth. Dodge nudged him back and they both chuckled. It reminded him of the old times, back when the two had barely any troubles between them.

"Yeah, Yeah." Dodge mumbled, rolling his eyes. He gazed at his bandaged wrist curiously, his eyebrows rising. "I better go wash this up."

Dingo grinned, walking over to the couch and looking over Bandit's shoulder, his eyebrows rising.

"Whatch'ya watching?"

"_Oliver and Company." _Bandit replied, smiling as he leaned against the couch arm, snuggled into the blankets that were wrapped around him.

"So what's up?" Dingo asked him, his eyebrows raised. Bandit turned to him, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his friend, who was giving him such a knowing look.

"W-wha-"

"C'mon Bando, even _I _know you watch Disney when you're stressed out." Dingo scoffed, blowing his fringe up. "I'm not _that _emotionally retarded. Gimme _some _cred."

"Yeah, yeah." Bandit grumbled irritably, turning back to the TV with some annoyance. He hated everyone knowing he was troubled- he always would rather keep it to himself.

"And I know you hate talking about it…" Dingo sighed, giving him a quick punch in the arm with his non-bandaged hand. "So I'll leave ya with Dodger and the gang."

"Thanks." Bandit smirked, turning to him with a wide grin. "You know I'll come to you if I need to-"

"Leave that to Dodge." Dingo smirked, looking over his shoulder and pointing to his temple. "Emotionally retarded, and all…"

"Yeah yeah." Bandit grinned, his feelings lifting. He turned back to the TV, feeling considerably lighter.

Dingo wondered back to his room, his own emotions feeling slightly lighter. After spending the night with his own Abby and spending some quality time with Dodge he felt as though he had just that little bit less of trouble surrounding him, even though nothing had changed. He knew Abby had left by now, however, and it made him slightly sad to think he would return to an empty room and an empty bed. He wished it would be different between them, that they could be much freer, they could-

"_Dingo."_

He jumped in alarm, almost crashing into the wall beside him, as her soft voice reached her ears. As he looked up at his doorway, he felt for sure he had dropped to the floor and passed out- because he _must _be dreaming…

Abby leaned against his doorframe, her eyes still sleepy and her hair still tousled and tangled from her night's sleep. She hadn't left; she looked like she'd only just gotten out of bed. She frowned as she scratched at her hair; her slim tanned legs looking marvelous, her body just covered by one of _his _own Bonds blue singlets. It hugged her body beautifully, the hem grazing the very upper of her thighs and her pregnant stomach showing clearly against the dull blue material. Dingo twitched, struggling to close his mouth as he gaped at her.

"Do you have any pants I can borrow?" Abby slurred tiredly, wiping at her eyes and running a hand through her hair. _She doesn't even know she's doing it but she looks soooooo seeeeexxxyyyyyy…. _"I really don't wanna wear my dress from last night…" She looked up, frowning, as Dingo gave her a complete look of amazement, his lips hanging open and his eyes wide, stopped in his tracks. She tilted her head, concerned. "Are… you alright?"

"Neh…" Dingo burbled incoherently, struggling to contain the overwhelming urge to jump on top of her. "Yeh…I'm good…"

Abby gave him a sly look, retreating back into the room, those slim legs gently wondering away teasingly. Dingo faintly followed, feeling lightheaded. Abby sat down on his bed, rubbing at her face and eyes as she fell onto her back, her hands on her swollen belly. Dingo looked down at awe, he couldn't help it…she looked so gorgeous to him. Abby looked up at the ceiling, running her fingers along her prominent bump. Dingo hovered over her, his face over hers and his wide, amazed green eyes looking into her half lidded chocolate browns.

"Wow…" Was all he muttered, leaning down and giving her a thick kiss on her lips. He raised his head, panting as he gave her another kiss on the cheek. "You amaze me…"

Abby scoffed, cocking an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Yeah, sure."

"You do…" He muttered, still choked up. "I don't know how, but you do."

"Sure, Sure." Abby joked with him, giving him one of her best smirks. Her deep brown irises flashed mischievously, but her face morphed into one of utter seriousness as she gazed up at him, her hands twisting together.

"I need to ask you something…" She murmured to him. Dingo stiffened.

"What?"

She grinned, bringing out something she had been hiding under the pillow. A pair of big, beady, motionless eyes stared back at Dingo and he immediately stiffened.

"Who's thiiiis?" Abby asked, smirking.

"Nothing." Dingo mumbled, trying to snatch it from her grasp. "Give it, it's nothing."

Abby pouted, holding the little blue dog up to her face. "So he's nothing, huh?"

Dingo narrowed his eyes, looking halfway between murderous and sulky. "Give him back, he's-"

"So it's a he?" Abby grinned, patting it's head. "Does he have a name?"

Dingo narrowed his eyes, his face blushing a light pink. Abby smirked. She'd never really seen him embarrassed or shy before…he looked actually sweet and cute.

"It's Rip." He growled at her, looking away. "Well…Ripper, but-"

"Aww!" Abby cooed, holding the dog up to look at it. "That's so cute! He looks worn, must have been your favourite toy! I didn't know you had such a sweet side!"

"Jus…Just Shutup." He snarled at her, grabbing the dog out of her hands. She sat up, still grinning at him. He held the dog delicately in his hands, looking at it with a softened expression, his lip protruding into a pout.

"You don't have to be so tough all the time…" She snickered at him, biting down on her bottom lip to keep her from bursting into laughter.

"I have to." Dingo mumbled, but shrugged his shoulders all the same. "But sometimes I don't know how to act in front of you…you're so perfect all the time…"

Abby smiled at him. He always knew what to say to make her feel special. He didn't always need a reason. She looked over to his wrist, which was still bandaged from his last activity. She frowned, her eyes darkening with worry.

"What happened to your-"

"Nothing…" He muttered quickly, withdrawing his fist and holding it out of her reach. Abby growled, sitting up and glaring at him in his obviously guilty face. Usually Dingo was a prince at lying, but in front of a hot, nearly naked, pregnant lover, he was completely faltering.

"It's not nothing." She snarled at him, her emotions quickly heating up. Anger, sadness…all of these emotions seemed to rise with gusto all because of her stupid pregnancy emotions. Her chocolate eyes burned with intense heat. "Show me your wrist."

"No!" Dingo pouted childishly, cuddling his wrist to his chest and giving her shy look. "N-no I don't wanna show you now-"

"Why not?" Abby demanded, her cheeks flushing with sudden emotion at her man's secrecy. "Why can't you just show me?"

"I…I just can't…" he muttered, frowning at her.

Abby scrunched her lips up dangerously, her eyes clouding furiously as her cheeks flushed with visible annoyance. "Fine." She growled, stomping to her feet and pushing herself off the bed. She gave him a glare, hinting at what a big mistake Dingo had made. "Fine!"

"Abby baby!" Dingo whined to her, crawling forward desperately and grabbing her hand. "Abby wait, don't go-"

"You're keeping things from me again!" Abby snapped at him, growling. "I'm leaving!"

"Please don't." Dingo whimpered, and Abby actually froze at the genuine plea in his voice. She looked back to see his deep emerald eyes gazing up at her pleadingly, his bottom lip trembling. He was genuinely fearful at letting her leave, his face showed true worry as he gripped her hand firmly, his voice cracking with promising tears. Abby yanked her hand back and folded her arms expectantly. Dingo wrinkled his lips cutely as he groaned in return, pouting.

"Just…please don't freak out…" he mumbled to her. "Please? Okay?"

Abby narrowed her eyes. "Why would I freak out?"

Dingo avoided her gaze as he lowered back onto the bed, pulling her down with him. She sat back on the bedspread, waiting. He growled at her once more before going to the bandages on his wrist, gently unwrapping them, hesitating as he held it out to her, wincing at her reaction.

Her eyes widened in alarm, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling with emotional tears as she gazed back up at him slowly, her lips agape and speechless.

There in glistening, still healing, black ink were the curvy, decorative slanting words of her name, right across his wrist- permanently.

The simple, beatiful script of his newest tattoo-

_'Abby'._

* * *

Kuki hugged her books and papers to her chest, making her way smartly across the quad, her head down and her iPod earphones locked in her ears. Her long ebony hair waved silkily in the slight breeze, brushing over her porcelain coloured skin gracefully, but still her violet satin coloured eyes were sad. She automatically headed for the hall across from the main building, knowing at this time the entire place would be empty, but unlocked. Rachel did hint to her that it was the best place to go if she needed peace and quiet.

Kuki pushed open the main doors, keeping her face low to avoid looking suspiciously around for people. Closing the door quietly, she crossed the small foyer and continued into the main hall, where the college concerts and shows were performed. Opening the doors, her own violet eyes widened at the grandness of it all- the high ceiling, the wide stage, curtains opened, audience chairs already set out…probably seating thousands. She sighed, making her way to the back of the room. It was very peaceful to her, she had always loved the theatre scene, and the dim lighting was just enough to help her work through her assignment.

She made her way to the first aisle chair in the back row, where the lighting would help conceal her while she worked. She sighed as she sank into the plush cushion of the worn chair, folding her legs and sitting her folder and books on her lap, balancing them perfectly on her jeans. Setting down her Rainbow Monkey pencil case on the chair beside her, she pulled out her favourite fluffy purple pen, opened her book to a new page, and began to write her notes. She loved to handwrite things, that way she could doodle in the margins and write little scribbles when she was trying to think.

The hall provided a clear, clean atmosphere for her, and with her iPod earphones still in, stuck on her favourite playlist, Kuki soon found herself happy and relaxed, her mind free and clear from the troubles that seemed to surround her. For half an hour she worked quietly, divulging so deeply into her work that she didn't notice a familiar face ascending up the stairs towards her, a playful look in her hazel eyes and gnawing down on her bottom lip.

"AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Kuki jumped with such alarm that her papers and pens were thrown to the floor, her hands going straight to her mouth in a loud gasp. Her eyes widened as she turned to the source of the yelling- expecting some security guard or grumpy professor about to tell her off for being in the hall in the first place. Instead Rachel was beside her, cracking up with laughter and clutching her sides as she caught sight of the horrified expression on her friend's face. It was clear she had scared her.

"Rach!" Kuki groaned loudly, lowering her hands to her chest as she caught her breath, her heart still hammering in her chest. "Don't _do _that! You scared me!"

"S-sorry, Kooks!" Rachel spluttered, still breaking with laughter. She sniffed, straightening but still with that wide, joking grin lighting her features. "It was just too good to pass."

Kuki rolled her eyes but smiled all the same, leaning down and gathering her fallen sheets of paper. Rachel grabbed the pens that had fallen and handed them to her as she looked around the hall curiously.

"Needed some peace and quiet?"

"You could say that." Kuki sighed, giving her friend a tired look. "With all the stress from this pregnancy thing with Abby, Wally in hospital…"

Rachel sucked in a breath through her teeth, her head nodding in understanding. "Yeah, Nigel told me quickly last night…the gang knows now…but Nigel said to keep things on the down low…not to make a big deal, and all." Her hazel eyes gave Kuki a worried look, her head tilting to the side. "You alright with everything?"

"Oh…yeah…" Kuki muttered, piling everything back onto the seat and trying her best to inconspicuously ignore Rachel's gaze. "Yeah I'm fine, we've talked about it, and everything…"

"That's good." Rachel remarked. They were left in a silence, and Rachel leaned over to collect her own materials from the seat in front of Kuki, tucking them under her arm. Kuki looked up with interest.

"What's that?"

"These?" Rachel scoffed, rolling her eyes tiredly. "For my stupid work with the theatre group and my thanks for helping out with the art students." She gave Kuki a sarcastic smirk. "They're for the talent show in a couple of weeks, you may have seen the posters?"

"Only everywhere I turn." Kuki smirked back. The drama group within the school was hosting a Talent Show to celebrate the end of the College semester, first prize only about $2000. The posters practically littered the entire campus and there was always somebody going on about the show in the hallways before and after class. She raised her eyebrows. "Auditions closing soon?"

"Yep, and of course they want everyone to have a fair warning." Rachel rolled her eyes and held one up to see. In big, flashy words it read- '_LAST CHANCE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A GRAND'S CHANCE!'_ Kuki gave her a snicker, Rachel rolled it up with disdain, sighing to herself.

"Shouldn't take too long to tack up, just around the few main buildings should be fine."

"Have fun with that." Kuki remarked, smiling sweetly. "You look so thrilled."

"Oh, can you tell?" Rachel scowled, but gave her friend a quick smirk as she waved at her. "Catch 'ya later, Kooks."

"See you." Kuki grinned as Rachel descended back down the stairs, her Talent Show posters tucked under her arm. Rachel McKenzie…always the one to take the initiative for any group within the school. Always a leader. Kuki sighed, turning back to her essay.

* * *

"This is so weird, like being back in school."

Hollie scoffed, shoving her friend slightly as she walked beside him. "You were never in school to begin with, Bando!"

Bandit pouted at her, whirling around and sticking his tongue out. Hollie replied in the same way, the two of them laughing and snorting as they stumbled and ran across the college park lawn, the studying students giving them bewildered, annoyed looks as they disturbed the usual peace and quiet that surrounded the park.

"Shutup!" Bandit pouted, running after her. "I was most of the time!"

"Yeah." Hollie smirked. "At recess and lunch."

Both of them were drawing some increased attention. They thought it would be good to cut across campus just to see what it was like, especially since so much with Dodge and Dingo had occurred around there, and it was so close to the apartment. Bandit was clad in the same clothes he was wearing the night before, crumpled and limp from a restless night. Hollie was adorned in her regular get up, despite the cold weather around her, she was only wearing a pair of tight denim shorts and a skimpy grey singlet top, complete with some bright converse high tops and a SpongeBob backpack, her long red and blonde extensions teased and falling to her elbows. Her makeup was heavy handed and her skin the colour of fake tan.

"True." Bandit admitted, skipping after her. He seemed to be full of his usual hyperactive energy, but Hollie could still sense the sadness and despair in his face, the weakness in his usual vibe, the slight shrunken look in his body. He looked paler…skinnier… "Think Abby's around here somewhere?"

Hollie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Who cares?"

Bandit rolled his own eyes, expecting as much. He looked over towards the coffee shop with interest, tugging on Hollie's arm as if he was a small child trying to get his mother's attention. "Ooo! Look Holl! It's like a college coffee shop just for coffee-"

"They have those back home." Hollie snapped, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but this ones like the one on TV! I wonder if they have a _pool table-"_

Hollie scoffed slightly, but her attention had turned elsewhere. She noticed the large entertainment hall at the other end of the park, where the doors were wide open. She cocked her head to the side, her curiosity immediately lifting. She was, of course, used to the entertainment scene, and theatres and entertainment halls had intrigued her ever since she could remember. She thought of the bands, the dance groups-

"I'll be back." She declared, wondering off towards the hall. She had taken a fair few steps before Bandit had even noticed she was gone, she was skipping across the campus with such enthusiasm and energy Bandit watched her go with shock, his eyes widening. Suddenly aware of all the eyes that were locked on him he felt immediately nervous and self conscious. Twirling around he looked sulkily at the shop behind him, hesitating for a mere second before making his way towards it, hoping he didn't look too out of place. At the last minute he scampered back towards the apartment block, already spotting someone he scarily recognised.

Lizzie frowned, clutching the takeout coffee in her hands, watching him run away with immediate fear in his eyes.

"…He looks familiar…"

* * *

Patton wondered into the police station, waving friendly at the officer at the front desk, him returning one casually. As he wondered through the offices, the sound of ringing phones, shuffling paper and general chatter filled his ears pleasantly, his hands dug deep into the pockets of his cargo pants. He quickly spotted a friendly face in a corner cubicle and made his way over, smirking as he reached the desk.

"Maurice, you tired already?"

Maurice jumped, his head quickly jumping out of his hands as he read the report in front of him. He blinked in alarm at the newcomer, his gaze softening as he recognised his own friend and colleague- Patton Drilovsky, giving him an old familiar smirk.

"Hey Pat." He greeted, waving away at a couple of files and papers on his desk to make room for Patton to at least recognise the surface. Patton dragged across an office chair, sitting on it backwards and leaning against the back of the chair, giving his friend a wide grin.

"How's it been? I've heard…" His eyes glinted mischievously. "Heard it's your wedding tomorrow, aren't you supposed to be preparing?"

Maurice scoffed, smirking. "Yeah, just a few things to tie up, then it's the bachelor party tonight." He rolled his eyes at that. "But I just had a few things to do quickly back here before my holiday, that's all…, just a couple of memos…" He scoffed, shoving the printed paper to the other side of the desk. "Nothing to worry about, really."

"Lucky you." He sniggered. "Marrying Cree Lincoln."

"Yeah." Maurice smirked. "You should come tonight, by the way, just at Club Nine." He rolled his eyes again. "The guys are trying to make me get strippers, and apparently you're there, and I may need you to help get me out of it."

"Why bother?" Patton laughed. "A whole lifetime of Cree? I think you _need _a few moments of freedom in your life in preparation for _that."_

Maurice scoffed. "So you'll come?"

"Sure." Patton grinned. "I'll bring the guys too, whoever's up for it when they don't have university assignments all the-freakin-time." He rolled his own eyes to the ceiling, leaning forward in his chair to gaze at his friend. "Other than that, how you been?"

"Pretty good." Maurice sighed. "Just the regular new cop drama, I guess." His deep brown eyes flickered to his. "Yourself?"

"I've been better…" Patton mumbled, preparing himself for the conversation that lay ahead. Of course, he had come to wish his friend congratulations and a good luck in his marriage tomorrow, but he also had underlying intentions that had been bugging him. Sure, it sounded stupid…but he did care for his friend, it wasn't just about jealously…

_He? Patton __Drilovsky? Jealous? Never…_

"Actually…there was something I need to ask you…" He mumbled guiltily, sighing. "I just…there's something off about Fanny's new boyfriend." He gave Maurice a careful look. "I was just wondering if you would be able to…ya know…check him out for me, just…put my own worries at ease."

Maurice smirked, and his dark eyes flashed knowingly as Patton's cheeks gave a telltale blush. "Sure, Pat…sure." He snickered, leaning over and fishing out a fresh piece of paper. "What's the name? I'll give a quick run through in the system…"

"Uh…" Patton shrugged. He hated saying the name, it made his stupid schoolboy concerns real. He sighed. "I'm not sure if it's his real name, but it's Dodge."

Maurice stiffened, his head rising and tilting in alarm. "Dodge?"

"Yeah." Patton scoffed. "It may be a nickname but I-"

With a quick movement Maurice reached over to the far side of his desk and pulled out a Polaroid, still dusty and dirty from where he had found it. When Chad had taken his precious folder, luckily he had been careless enough to drag it across the floor where files and photos could easily fall out…and Maurice had retrieved it from behind his desk the following day. It had brought him no satisfaction in proving Dingo wasn't who he seemed…it just captured innocent sixteen year old Dodge in custody, but maybe it was useful after all.

Patton's eyes widened as he took the picture, gazing into the face of the fearful youth in his hands. His baby blue eyes gazed up at him innocently, his hands holding the number in front of him shakily. Dodge Mathers…

"It's him! A little young, of course, but it's definitely him." Patton exclaimed, unable to believe his luck. He looked up, amazed. "So you know him? He's-"

"Had a whole file on him." Maurice shrugged, sighing. "Got a record a mile long of course. That's him at sixteen- he and the rest of his friends were caught with shoplifting, trying to steal a car and drug possession- the charges are at the bottom." He looked sad as he looked up into Patton's face. "But it's gone now, and all the records are back in Australia. Have to have a good reason to bring it up."

"You're joking!" Patton groaned. "What kind of stuff was he in for? Serious stuff?"

Maurice sighed, running a hand through his dreads. "Most minor being underage drinking, disorderly behavior… shoplifting small stuff…vandalism…" He rolled his eyes, looking stormy. "But then…I dunno…went into some weird shit, he and his whole group. Always with drugs, some stealing cars here and there, involved with some other gangs…family… always called in with DOCS, child services, back then for child abuse…poor kid, some stuff wasn't revealed it was so bad…but other stuff, with the group, serious stuff, dude…witness in some rape cases, even on suspicion of murder, a couple of assault charges, possession of a deadly weapon…violent stuff…" He raised his eyebrows. "Only 21, too, and already with 50 plus charges under his belt…"

Patton quickly closed his mouth. "Any way to prove it?" he asked. He was now jittery, shaky…dying to tell Fanny…she could be in danger, involved with this guy…

"Sadly nope." Maurice shrugged. "Right to privacy, of course, and we don't have enough evidence to indicate he's involved with anything. He and the guys actually have an order of protection over them, saying they can't really go out of state, but that's _for _them, not _against _them…" He shook his head. "Trying to look up what that was about, but ran into a dead end. Pretty private case…they were witnesses…" He sighed. "but anyway, all said and done…that's all I have left…"

Patton swallowed, looking up. "Can I keep this?"

"Sure." Maurice shrugged, turning back to the computer. Patton made to rise, his hand shaking as he put the photo into his pocket, his brain already processing so much. "So I'll see you tonight?"

Patton grinned, his spirits already lifting. He felt completely overwhelmed and nervous about the entire ordeal, but he knew what had to be done. "Sure thing. And Maurice?"

Maurice looked over, cocking an eyebrow. Patton gave him a wide grin.

"Thanks."

* * *

Hollie pushed the double doors of the hall open eagerly, her eyes wide with childlike excitement at being back in a proper entertainment hall, much better than any sleazy stripclub. Her heart warmed as she made her way across the front room towards the main theatre, pushing the door open and looking inside. It took her back to old ballet performances as a girl, old musical performances on her mother's grand piano, being told she was the greatest pianist for her age group…it seemed like a lifetime ago…

She pushed open the door, letting a stream of light flow into the dim-lighted room. Her hazel eyes widened even further as she laid eyes on the giant, polished grand piano in the centre of the stage, illuminated by the spotlight above. Easy steps laid out in front of her, leading her to it, and Hollie, dressed in her skimpy shorts, converses and SpongeBob backpack, chewing a wad of Extra gum, suddenly felt as rich and special as she had when she was eight. She grinned, quickly listening to hear the silence around her, promising her loneliness, as she skipped up the stairs to the piano, her eyes wide and her grin quickly spreading.

Kuki jumped upon seeing someone enter her hiding place, and her heart seemed to skip a beat as she caught sight of the girl who entered.

_Couldn't be… _She swallowed the lump forming in her tight throat

But it was- it had to be the redhead who attacked her only a few months ago, the one who kissed Wally on his brother's orders, the one who swore revenge. It had to be. The same blonde and red hair, same long, slender legs, curvy, desirable body, made up face… She wore a cute backpack and a few flirty cherry and Hell Kitty clips in her long fake hair as she didn't seem to notice the shy girl studying in the back corner of the hall, instead she immediately skipped up to the lightened stage, right to the piano in the corner. Kuki leaned forward, her eyebrows rising in curiosity.

Hollie twitched with excitement, her fingers gliding across the polished surface, feeling at home with the reflective black surface. Giving a quick glance over her shoulder she pulled up the lid that covered the ivory keys, running her acrylic nails across the keys. She scraped her teeth across her lower lip in apprehension as she pushed on a minor key, the note ringing through the hall. Kuki hid in the shadows as Hollie walked around the piano, her eyes wide and eager as she stroked the musical instrument with a familiar feeling. Kuki tilted her head and frowned. She seemed almost childlike, gazing at the piano with such vigor and imagination, those hazel eyes wide and sparkling with new found energy. With another cautious look, she sat down on the open bench, chewing on her lower lip as she fingered the keys before her, happy memories of her lessons filling her mind, back to childhood… She tapped the keys with her nails apprehensively, remembering the notes she had memorised so long ago. She played a few, the sharp melody flowing to the acoustics of the hall easily.

"_Do you remember, when you were seven?" _Hollie mumbled, her syrupy singing voice complimenting the sweet, light notes of the piano. She quickened her pace, the song she used to love quickly playing.

"_And the only thing that you wanted to do,  
Was show your Mum you could play the piano…  
Ten years have passed…and the one thing that lasts…  
Was the same old song that we played along,  
That made my mama cry…" _

A smile spread across her face. Kuki watched, mesmorised, as Hollie began to play, as though she had been playing for centuries. It was a simple song, but the notes hit Kuki more than her soft singing did as she began to play along with a song, her soft singing voice reaching her easily. She felt guilty, as Hollie really didn't know she was there, but she couldn't help but listen along as she saw the girl pour her heart and soul into that piano playing, her fingers dancing along the keys easily, almost a blur.

"_I miss those days…"_ Hollie pouted, the sadness in her voice apparent as she played, the words hitting Kuki's heart as though the song was made for her. _"And I miss those ways…_

_When I got lost in fantasies…  
In a cartoon land of mysteries…  
In a place you won't grow old..  
In a place you won't feel cold…"_

Hollie blinked, her eyes glassy as her voice grew quieter into a whisper, the strong notes piercing the hall as the rhythm sped up into an obvious chorus. Kuki rose from her chair, unable to keep watching anymore as Hollie played perfectly such a cute song, and she didn't know anyone was watching. Hollie's converses danced across the ground as she swayed to the music, enjoying her little blast to the past, a song she used to love to sing back in high school.

"_And I'll sing…_

_Da da da da da da da da da da da da  
Seems I'm lost in my reflection  
Da da da da da da da da da da da da  
Find a star for my direction…"_

Kuki descended down the steps slowly, her eyes wide and the girl playing the piano, feeling so at home and happy it was hard to believe she had so callously punched her in the face. Her eyes were closed as her fingers danced across the ivory keys, singing a song that seemed so close to her heart, her slightly shaky, rich, sweet voice filling the hall in a cute melody.  
_  
"Da da da da da da da da da da da da  
For the little girl inside who won't just hide  
Don't let me see mistakes and lies  
Let me keep my faith and innocent eyes…" _

"Uh…" Kuki cleared her throat, hoping to sound strong over the new solo of a furious piano melody. "Excuse me!"

Hollie jumped, her fingers splaying forward to slam on the keys harshly, earning a violent, sharp _BLUNK. _Her lined eyes blinked in shock and her caked cheeks immediately flushed warmly as she looked around in alarm, ready to be told off for being in the college in the first place, let along playing like the idiot she was. Instead she laid eyes on an innocent, sweet little Japanese girl, who was blinking up at her cutely with big violet eyes from the bottom of the stage, a kind smile on her face. Hollie's face darkened immediately, recognizing the girl anywhere. She jumped up, stomping over and leering at the girl.

"YOU!" She snarled harshly, her lips curling into a snarl. "What the Hell are you doing here, Spying on me? I ought'a kick your ass! You stupid- you little-"

"I-I'm sorry!" Kuki quickly squeaked, making her way up to the stairs with her eyes wide, her face scared. "I didn't mean to interrupt you, I really didn't…you were going so well it was such a nice song and you were such a good player-"

She was rambling, and Hollie snarled at her suspiciously, folding her arms across her chest. She didn't trust the girl, but she could tell Kuki was as embarrassed as she was at getting caught.

"I…I just didn't want you to keep playing not knowing somebody was in the room…" Kuki explained, swallowing as she looked up to Hollie's harsh glare. Her own sweet gaze softened as she held out her dainty hand to Hollie, those innocent eyes wide. "Peace offering? I'm really sorry for anything I may have done to upset you…"

"You almost broke my nose!" Hollie spat at her, but her glare faltered as she looked at her. She really did look sorry, and she felt stupid enough as it is being caught singing to herself with a freakin' piano. "…Fine." She resentfully gripped the girl's hand, and a sudden thought entered her mind. "…Only if I can come here." She nodded around to the hall, unable to hide the sparkle in her eye. "To this place."

"Well…" Kuki shrugged. "It's open to everyone, of course…unless there's someone else in here." She smirked. "Other than that, I'm sure anyone will let you in."

Hollie gave her a small smile, unable to think of anything else to do. She leaned down and picked up her backpack, throwing it over her shoulder. Kuki however still looked up at her with awe, her head tilting in admiration.

"Where'd you learn to play like that?" Kuki asked, her eyes wide. "I mean, you sounded so good…"

"Oh…" Hollie bit her lip, suddenly feeling awkward. "We…well…I started when I was about 5 and…my Mum and Grandma taught me…I gave up when I was about 16…"

"It's great…" Kuki sighed, leaning against the piano. "I wish I learned…"

Hollie frowned at her, suddenly tilting your own head in curiosity. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class or some shit like that?"

"I'm studying in here…" Kuki mumbled, her graceful face suddenly drooping. Hollie immediately saw the sadness in her face, the flaw in that doll-like expression of hers. "You know…to get away from it all…"

"It all what?" Hollie immediately scoffed, her eyebrows rising. It was hard to believe the girl in front of her had any problems, especially none close to the drama Hollie had faced. She sneered at the oriental girl in front of her, growling slightly. "What could possibly be going wrong with your life?"

"Just…" Kuki sighed gently, shaking her head. She shouldn't tell a girl, let alone one she only just made peace with, her dramas, but yet she felt she couldn't hold it in anymore. Everything seemed to be suffocating her, it made her feel physically sick to think she was expected to take everything in her stride, be so happy and cheerful all the time…she couldn't…and the fact that this girl didn't know her, she barely was sure of her name, it made her think to just explode. "Just…pressure, that's all…pressure in school, by parents, by friends…" her pale cheeks shaded into pink as she turned to the girl, her petite figure stiffening. Even Hollie's eyes widened. "I'm just…tired of being a little princess all the time! Everyone expects me to just put up with things and be okay with it, I've never reacted to anything! I just can't punch something like you can or speak up like I'm sure you do!" She flushed as she said this, remembering how easily the redhead had fought back. She looked away, now completely embarrassed. Yet, she couldn't stop. "Now I'm forced to just ACCEPT that the guy I love will always be with someone else, even though he loves me and is with me, he'll always have her! Now he's going to be a father and I…" She groaned. "I'm not even ready for a guy to really _kiss _me, go farther than that…I'm hardly ready to be considered a mother figure to a baby that's not even mine…to help him out…" She growled, shaking her head. "I love him, but I'm not ready for that…"

She paused, blinking in alarm as she stared back at Hollie, who stared back, amazed. "Uh…" She swallowed. "So…yeah, that's why I hide out in here."

Hollie processed this, frowning darkly as Kuki's words echoed in her head. She delicately thought, and processed.

"Sorry." Kuki mumbled sheepishly, leaning down to pick up her books. "I've probably already scared you enough, but it was good to get it off my chest, I should just-"

"Wait." Hollie muttered, her hand shooting out to stop her. Her dark eyes watched her closely, examining her. "Your boyfriend…the one I kissed, right?"

"We-" Kuki again blushed at that, a slight ripple of anger going through her. "Well…yeah, but please don't-"

"_His _Baby?" Hollie repeated uncouthly, snarling. She rose her voice. "His? His baby? His ex?"

"He-" Kuki was stumped, her eyes widening, her mouth drooping. "N-no, just..you wouldn't-"

A surge of anger went through Hollie, and Kuki didn't know what touched upon it. Neither did she…but she still felt it, an immediate feeling of absolute fury at the thought of this girl, this girl Dingo loved _so _much, who was pregnant- _who else would it be?- _and lying about it. Probably the only guy around who would actually stick around for a baby and be there for her- and she pins it on somebody else! She glared angrily at Kuki, this poor seemingly innocent chick who seemed tainted by all this drama. Hollie could immediately tell, all past feelings aside, that this girl had no place in a position like that…neither did Dingo's brother, and neither did Dingo.

Her own past returned…and she quickly shook out those terrible memories. _She _never had a man beside her when _she _was pregnant…_she _didn't have a leg to stand on, let alone any guy to blame it on. She never had anybody…only her baby…and then she was gone…

She felt tears scratch at her eyes and she willed them away, focusing instead on the girl in front of her, who was gazing at her with that same innocent curiosity and embarrassment.

"I…I didn't mean-" Kuki stuttered. "I shouldn't have said any-"

"I think I know what you're talking about, Kuki." Hollie suddenly snarled, and Kuki was immediately taken aback by the sudden anger in her eyes. "And I wouldn't be too quick to trust her, saying it's _your _boyfriend'sbaby." She hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder, her mouth working into a sneer. Kuki gaped at her, frowning.

"Wh-"

"Just trust me on this one." Hollie spat, folding her arms across her chest. Anger pumped fresh in her veins as she struggled to speak, ready to head straight for Dingo and warn him about what kind of girl he was getting in with. "Don't be so quick to think your friend's that honest." She raised her eyebrows. "It's easy to blame a guy that will stick around, but it's not so easy to admit when you've been unfaithful. Your friend may not be as _perfect _as you think."

Kuki gaped. "But-"

"Just." Hollie gave a dangerous growl as she turned her back, stomping off in a huff before Kuki had a chance to retort. "Trust me."

Kuki watched her go, her lips agape and now with more thoughts swimming and crashing around in her mind than she could count.

* * *

Mushi looked up in excitement as she heard the front door unlock, her smile only widening as she realised that Bandit had scuffled in, drearily closing the door behind him. His eyes were half lidded, framed by dark shadows and he looked sleepy and sad, but he automatically put on a smile seeing Mushi grinning at him from the couch. He noted Trent was nowhere in sight, and concluded he must be at work.

"Morning Mushi…." He greeted, dumping his stuff onto the armchair and grinning at her. "How are you?"

"Pretty good." Mushi chirped, relieved Bandit seemed back to his old self. He still looked quite peaky and sick, skinny and pale…but he was still smiling at her, even though his usually deep blue eyes looked faded."How are you? Feeling better? Trent said you were feeling sick…"

"Oh…I was…" Bandit mumbled, rolling his eyes. He bit his lip, listening to the silence that quickly followed them. "So…how was going out and clubbing last night?"

Mushi shrugged, her lips twisting. "It was…okay…I guess…" She muttered. "I…I just didn't know what to do…"

Bandit stiffened, an idea suddenly forming. _So Trent wants a competition huh…_

"Hey Mushi!" Bandit suddenly brightened, putting on his familiar hyperactive attitude and wide, exaggerated grin. "how'd you like to go out with me tonight? We can take Bonny and Hollie too! What'chya say?"

Mushi blinked at his sudden enthusiasm. "What about Trent?"

Bandit rolled his eyes, snickering. "Well, he can come if he wants, but he's working." Those deep blue eyes looked back at her sweetly, his lips twisting to a pout. "how about it? Hang out with me?"

Mushi grinned. "Sure."

* * *

Jake clenched at the leather steering wheel anxiously, his teeth grinding in annoyance as he stared straight ahead, trying to sort out the furious, emotional thoughts flowing through his mind with ease. He had to remain calm…_remain calm…calm…soothing breaths…calm blue ocean…deep breaths…_

_Must kill brother…_

He wrinkled his nose, mentally slapping himself.

_No! Bad Jake!_

With a final sigh he turned off the ignition and rolled out of the car, his sneakers scraping across the footpath sulkily. He wore a full pout on his face, his eyes sad. He didn't want to let go of this BMW, he doubted his brother even missed it. Having something of Derek's somehow filled Jake's heart with happiness. His brother lived a life of luxury and wealth, Jake so easily stealing something probably so 'precious' to him…again…made this trip so much more tolerable.

He wrinkled his nose again. But, as Allie said, he was almost thirty-seven and needed to be _mature _about this. He mentally shuddered, digging his hands into his pockets along with the keys. He needed to actually _talk _to his brother.

He looked up at the house with apprehension. A regular white picket fence, double storey McMansion that everyone seems to desire, perfect paint job, perfect garden, trimmed lawn…Jake grimaced as he shuffled up the front path again, stomping up the front steps grudgingly.

_Don't make me do this, don't make me do this… _He groaned inwardly, wanting nothing more than to turn on his heel and drive the car into the nearest river, never to be seen again. He smirked. _That'll show him…_

His eyes wondered over to the two car garage as he pondered over whether to knock on the door or ring the doorbell. Allie's car wasn't there…must mean she wasn't here. He debated on whether or not waiting for her, but immediately stiffened at the suggestion. He didn't need _her _to work out his family issues…

And before he'd known it, he'd already bashed his fist against the door, his deep brown eyes wide at the sudden action.

"_And I don't really care how you get it done…" _Derek grumbled into the phone, shuffling across the carpet with annoyance. He was on the phone to one of his colleagues, who seemed stumped in how to do the accounts. Derek inwardly snarled. They were utterly useless at the office without him, and he despised it. _I use just _one _of my sick days…and everything suddenly collapses. _He looked over at the sound of a knock on the door, and sighed at the noises of panic at the other end of the line. _"Just get it DONE, I'm sick!" _At this, he gave a quick cough. _"_And I don't need this kind of worry, you should be able to handle it."

With this, he hung up, throwing the phone onto his wife's leather cream couch. Yawning, he ran a hand through his sunshine blonde hair and opened the door, hoping he looked at least halfway decent to whoever had the guts to show up to his house at 10'o'clock on a weekday morning. He pulled open the front door, rubbing at his eyes at the sudden light.

"_Well…"_

He tore open his eyes with alarm, his heart stilling in his chest.

There, on _his _front porch, was his very own little brother, giving him the same mischievous smirk he always seemed to give him since he was three years old. Those deep chocolate brown eyes flashed at him mischievously from under those shaggy, shining raven locks and his sun-kissed skin complimented his still muscular physique , shown off with his tight deep navy Bonds shirt and baggy, crumpled jeans that sat on his hips. He folded his arms and raised his eyebrows cockily. Derek noted they both now stood at the exact same height.

"_Aren't you a sight for sore eyes…" _Jake cooed, his smirk widening as he looked at his brother up and down. Derek immediately flushed with embarrassment, hating the fact he still felt at competition with his _little _brother, and immediately anger pumped through his system, bringing life to his stiffened figure as he scowled at the figure before him, past memories and past anger immediately returning to the tension the two brothers already felt. He hadn't seen him since he was sixteen, but already Derek felt the connection and the bond he always had with Jake…and he _hated _it.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing here?" Derek hissed at him, a minor thought entering him of what the neighbours would think if they saw them have a domestic on his front porch. He winced, trying to calm his deep set frown. He folded his arms, the two brothers sporting identical defensive glares. "What do you want, Jake?"

Jake growled, trying to hold himself back from landing a direct punch right into his brother's face. It's what he promised himself, what he even promised Dingo, he would do when he saw him again. But he knew he had to be civilized…put the past behind them… Instead he simply glared at his opponent, trying to forget what he'd done to his own baby.

"Easy, Derek." He muttered, but both noted the tone of coldness in his voice. A clear warning. His dark eyes darkened even further into a pitch black abyss as he stared daggers at his own son's legal stepfather. "I didn't come here to fight." He held out the jingling group of keys, tinkling and glistening in the sun ominously as Jake pulled them out of his pocket and held them out at arms length, his glare still not dropping. "I just came to bring back the keys."

Derek immediately snatched them out of his grip, holding the keys in his hand with such force they almost cut into his palm. His jaw stiffened, his fists tightening. "Who gave you those?" He spat at him, his eyes narrowing. "I was going to report it _stolen, _but Allie said-"

Jake raised his eyebrows cockily at that, and Derek automatically groaned, squeezing his eyes closed. _Allison. Great. Of course. _He opened them again, glaring. His hazel eyes had darkened to a deep brown hue. "…Right."

"Don't get all jealous, now." Jake cooed innocently before he could stop himself. "I needed a set of wheels." He tilted his head, those deep brown eyes gazing innocently at his big brother. "You're familiar with the idea of 'borrowing' a car, aren't you? You always returned mine in its regular form."

Derek gritted his teeth. Jake was purposely bringing up a side of him he had long forgotten. He couldn't help it- everything Jake was and did reminded him of the past, a past he wanted to forget. Just the thought of having him anywhere near him, standing there on his porch was like tainting what he worked so hard to get. He threw his keys onto the side table, giving his brother a fierce glare, a snarl on his face.

"Get the fuck off my property, Jake." He snapped at him. "I don't ever want to see you again. You got that? _Fuck off."_

And before Jake could give him anything but an angry scoff, Derek had slammed the door in his face, Jake stepping back with alarm. His eyes suddenly narrowed, his body stiffening and his heart hammering within his ribcage, sending pulses of fury right to his head, down his arms and to his fists, which had clenched in anger.

_Nobody _ignores Jake.

"_FINE!" _Jake screamed, as loudly as he could. Just as easily as Dingo could snap, Jake could snap just as easily, and he was stomping down the stairs with hatred deep in his eyes, storming down the porch and towards the poor BMW, still sitting innocently in the driveway. Jake's furious glare flashed mischievously, the anger and hatred ripe in his body. His throat was dry, his head ached, his jaw clenched and set… A smirk flashed across his face.

"IF THAT'S HOW YOU WANT IT!" Jake screamed again at the house, before rounding onto the car. Angrily he picked up a rock, one of the perfect rounded ones that bordered the footpath, and pegged it at the car, smashing the front rear window. Jake sniggered, turning back towards the house and tilting his head, pouting. "OOPSIE!"

From inside, Derek heard the sickening crash and immediately stopped in his tracks, but not before he'd heard _another. _Jake had hurled another rock right into the other side of the car, feeling as though he was no older than eighteen again.

"Oh…that'll cost another five hundred, at least…" Jake judged with mock sympathy, before grabbing another rock and throwing it upward so it landed on the windscreen, the crack forming a spiderweb across the glass.

"WHOOPSIDAISY!" Jake cackled, suddenly climbing onto the roof. He planted his feet solidly on the bonnet as Derek came sprinting out of the house, his eyes widening as his worst fears were confirmed.

"WHAT THE-" he gaped, running over. "GET THE FUCK OFF MY CAR!"

"MAKE ME!" Jake sneered back, actually sticking out his tongue and blowing a very child-like raspberry. He stomped angrily on the roof, causing a dent in the precious body work he knew would cost to fix. "COME AN' GET ME, DEREK!"

"GET THE FUCK OFF-" Derek stopped himself before he completely exploded. His Australian accent was even coming back as he screamed at his brother, feeling as though they were back to being sixteen and Derek was threatening his brother yet again. He took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he struggled to maintain his voice. He noticed out of the corner of his eye a few neighbours had opened their doors and peered through the curtains with interest at the figure now jumping on top of his car like it was no more than a trampoline. _"Jake…get off the car and you can come in, we can discuss this issue like normal human beings…"_

A sickening metallic thump broke the silence as Jake slammed his shoe against the side of the car again, leaping and bouncing against the car. Derek snapped, making his way towards him and furiously trying to pull him off. Jake snickered, dancing out of his grip.

"JAKE! I SWEAR TO GOD-"

"YOU'LL HAVE TO TRY BETTER THAN THAT, DEE-RECK!"

"SHUTUP JAKE! I'LL CALL THE COPS ON YOU I SWEAR-"

"OOO I'M SO SCARED! PWEASE DON'T!" Jake pouted, his eyes fluttering sarcastically as he put on his 'baby' voice.

"JAAAAKEEEEE! I'LL GODDAMN KILL YOU!" Derek screamed, seemingly powerless against his younger brother's taunting. Completely snapping he launched himself onto the trunk of the car and scrambled to the roof, but Jake had already leaped across to the hood of the car and beckoning him over teasingly, daring him to follow. With a growl Derek scrambled across the roof, causing a few more dents and scratches, but by that time Jake had jumped gracefully from the front and landed in the driveway, giving his brother a sarcastic scoff as he took off up the street, laughing and wooping like a teenager. Derek swallowed his retorts as he glared at his brother's retreating back, suddenly self conscious of the many eyes of his neighbours watching him from the street. He looked over in alarm as he heard another giggle, and Joey stood at the doorway with his green eyes wide, his tongue between his teeth.

"Dad…" he scoffed, grinning. "What are you doing on the roof of the car?"

"Uh…" Derek slipped off casually, dusting himself off as he made his way inside. "…Nothing, Joey."

* * *

It was quickly becoming dark, and Hoagie found he had had a better day than usual, the bag bulging with videos and photos in front of him quickly becoming smaller as he scanned, viewed and sorted the memories into a neat little slideshow presentation, positive Rachel would practically explode with excitement upon seeing it, even Hoagie getting eager at the thought of a flashback night…especially with Abby and the rest of his friends by his side…

Hoagie smirked, sitting on his bedroom floor with his back against the bed frame, sorting through the old memories. It was strangely satisfying to see so many, with Nigel and Wally by his side…'helping'.

Wally was spread out on Hoagie's bed, thumbing through a magazine with his head in his palm, sighing to himself. Nigel was beside him on the floor, editing through the video footage they would use. The trio had gone through a lot of the stock they already had, and had accumulated a large collection of memories they would include, every now and then sharing it with the other to laugh and scoff at the moment in time they had captured. It was funny, to see how the gang had grown…how they had become what they were now.

"Heh." He chuckled, holding a photo out to Nigel, a grin on his face. "Look, Wally's pool party. You remember that?"

Nigel smirked at the photo, with all five main members- Nigel, Hoagie, Kuki, Wally and Abby, all clad together in swimming outfits near Wally's pool, grinning and smiling. Except the shortest blonde in the centre, who looked less than impressed with the idea of swimming. He had his arms folded and a scowl on his face, while all the rest of the group laughed and hugged him, grinning at the camera. He could hardly remember that day, it seemed like only a dream.

"Haha." Nigel smirked. "Wally, you look so thrilled."

Wally scoffed as he peered over to look, his eyebrows rising. "I was such an adorable kid." He smirked, turning back to the magazine in his hands. "I was surprised the girls weren't flocking after me…"

Hoagie and Nigel exchanged looks, their eyeballs identically rolling towards the ceiling. Nigel peered into the bag Fanny had brought, which lay opened at their laps. "Only a few tapes left…" He muttered, and quickly looked at the footage they had collected on the computer. "And about 23 minutes of footage. If we get another 7 it'll get to half an hour." He frowned. "Do you think that'll be too much?"

"Heck no." Hoagie scoffed, that same joking grin spreading across his face. "It's ten years of our lives, maybe more, that we need to commemorate."

"True…" Nigel shrugged, reaching for another tape and placing it into the VCR. Hoagie was the only person he knew who still had a tape player, and he was grateful for it when it came to viewing all of the old tapes of the gang.

"What's this one?" Wally suddenly mumbled, reaching across and picking up a tape from the bag. He held it suspiciously, frowning. "It looks different from the others…who took this one"

"Dunno." Nigel shrugged. "But be careful with it! I've spent ages sorting out the ones we've used and the ones we haven't."

Wally sighed, dropping it unceremoniously back into the 'not used' pile. Nigel gave him an annoyed look before turning back to the screen, and automatically wrinkling his nose in disgust. _He _was the one being filmed, and he looked furious and tired- dark black bags even visible under his sunglasses and clad only in his pajama bottoms as he glared angrily at the happy, joyous faces around him.

"_Surprise, Nigel!" _Came Lizzie's voice, and all of a sudden she came racing into view to give him a backbreaking hug. Snorts and scoffs were heard, and it was obvious Wally was holding the camera and sniggering at the scene. He concentrated instead on Abby and Rachel, who were off to the side pulling faces. It looked like their treehouse, and it looked like a party just for him. _"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"_

"Ugh. Great." Nigel groaned, pressing the 'fast forward' button easily. "Yeah, thanks for making my thirteenth birthday a great 'surprise' guys."

"It was Lizzie's idea." Wally snickered. "And we couldn't pass on the entertainment." He looked up at the screen, his grin widening. "Hey look!"

All three of them did, and Nigel pressed play. It was Rachel and Nigel together, talking secretively in the corner of some room, and they were being filmed through what looked like a plant. It looked innocent enough, but Rachel kept blushing and Nigel putting a nervous hand to the back of his head, both chuckling awkwardly.

Hoagie and Wally laughed, Hoagie punching Nigel on the arm. "Aww! How cute!"

Nigel's cheeks flushed to a deep red, but he too was unable to keep the grin off his face. The camera switched to another view and instead concentrated on Abby and Hoagie, the two playing video games on some random couch. It looked like they were at a party. Abby was clutching onto what looked like a Double Gulp cup from 7-Eleven as her and Hoagie seemed to be having a massive Xbox match, Hoagie especially scrambling and attacking at the controller in order to beat her. Abby sat delicately, sipping at her drink, as she calmly played one handed.

"_I believe I win again."_ Abby smirked widely as the lights flashed across their faces in the dark, Hoagie's jaw dropping in complete alarm. The scene changed again to what looked like later in the night, where everyone in the screen seemed to be holding a piece of cake. The camera scanned the faces at the party until landing on the two leaning against the brick wall of the house itself- Wally and Abby, talking and laughing to each other. They looked about fourteen, only a few years before they started going out. Hoagie's stomach immediately tightened upon seeig that scene, knowing it was him behind the camera lens, and he was secretly hoping, _praying _that there wasn't anything going on between them…

"_Sup guys!" _

The trio jumped as the door to the bedroom flew open, jumping off the opposing wall as Patton paraded into the room, a wide, happy grin on his face. He looked immensely happy, and his dark eyes gleamed in excitement as he watched his three friends.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked, frowning. Nigel turned off the VCR player, pulling out the tape and putting it to the side.

"Just looking through some old tapes…" Hoagie sighed, closing the album in front of him. "What about you?"

Patton grinned again, straightening. "I was actually wondering…" He explained, his tongue between his teeth. "If you guys would like to come with me to Maurice's Bachelor Party tonight. It's at Club Nine, and it looks pretty fun, if you guys need a break from your _studying." _He snickered.

"Club Nine…" Wally repeated, wrinkling his nose. "Not the best memories for me. I'll pass."

"Same here." Nigel muttered. "Clubs have never been the best thing for me. Especially…" At this, he gave Patton a stern look. "Stripclubs."

"It's only _half _a stripclub." Patton explained, smirking widely. He turned to Hoagie. "What about you, Hoags? You in?"

Hoagie wrinkled his nose, rolling his eyes as he processed this carefully. He shrugged, giving his friend a small grin. "Yeah. Sure, why not?"

* * *

"Oi!"

Dingo jumped, whirling around to glare at Dodge's sharp exclamation. What made it even more suspicious was Dodge's hands, which were concealed behind his back, a wide smirk on his face and a mischievous glint in his eye…this all pointed to trouble.

"What?" Dingo mumbled, immediately shielding himself from possible harm. Dodge scoffed, launching himself over the couch and giving his friend a proud grin.

"I gotch'a somethin'." Dodge grinned, then paused, rolling his eyes. "Well…actually I got Abby something, but I thought you could give it to her."

"What is it?" Dingo groaned, already narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "If you got it from a sex store I'm telling you now-"

"Nah, nah." Dodge snickered, his tongue between his teeth. "No- I learned my lesson from your 18th. Nope- I got her something she'll actually _use…" _He rolled his eyes, suddenly hesitating. "At least I hope she will…"

Dingo still kept that suspicious glare going, unsure of any of Dodge's impromptu 'gifts' but Dodge really did look proud, and when he pulled out a flash of black cotton, Dingo tilted his head in confusion, raising an eyebrow as Dodge held it up. It was a black shirt- simple, like a girl's shirt, but it was pitch black except for a picture of a set of brass knuckles right across the chest beneath the shallow rounded neckline. Dingo blinked, his eyes widening.

"It's a maternity tee!" Dodge grinned widely. "I didn't know if she had any yet, because I've never seen her in one, but she's getting bigger and I thought…" He snickered. "You know- _your _baby, especially a boy, I think he shouldn't be covered in florals." He blinked those icy blue eyes at his friend, trying to read his expression. "What do you think?"

Dingo's face split into a wide grin. He loved it, the thought of his girl wearing it only brought him excitement and joy, maybe the thought of seeing her every day in something like that, her only getting bigger with his baby, the two shopping for more baby stuff…clothes, furniture, toys…the whole thing brought him nothing but joy, his heart lifting at the very thought.

"I think…" He smirked, the two best friends sharing mischievous looks. "We need to get the whole set."*

* * *

Hollie arrived home in a surefire fury, slamming her bag to the ground and folding her arms across her chest, pouting. Bandit looked up in alarm as she slammed the door, stomping off into her room.

"Woah!" Bandit muttered, his eyebrows rising. "What's got your panties in a bunch?"

Hollie turned to him, a furious scowl on her face. "Don't. Ask." She snarled dangerously, her teeth gritted. Bandit almost cowered under that furious snarl

"Well…now we're on the subject…" Bandit mumbled awkwardly, biting down on his bottom lip sheepishly. "Did you wanna go out with me and Mushi tonight?"

"I would." Hollie snarled. "But I'm working…" She sighed, her eyebrows rising. "Mushi, really? Trent will kill you."

"That's the plan." Bandit shrugged, snickering. Hollie rolled her eyes and stomped off to her room, still severely ticked off with the entire conversation she had had with that stupid Japanese chick. She was _sure _she was talking about Abby- Dingo's girlfriend. She snarled again, slamming her bedroom door. She debated whether or not to tell him…did that make it snooping? Did that make it seem like she still loved Dingo? She kicked her bed angrily, her arms still tightly folded. She grabbed at her bag and dumped the contents onto the bed, searching through to her lipgloss. She stumbled upon her phone, frowning as she realised there was a missed call, and a message. The message told her a voicemail was left on her phone. She snarled, immediately dialing to check it. Probably Vince telling her to start early at work…typical…

"_Message received today at one-twenty-three-pm…"_

_*Beep*_

Hollie stilled, her heart raced, as all she was met with was silence…eerie, doubtful silence, only broken by the faint…_very faint, _radio playing in the background. An Australian accent…sounded like morning radio…Her breaths become fierce and rapid as she frowned. Who would call her from back home, just sitting there with silence? And she knew they were there…

"_Holly…._" A voice suddenly cooed to her, and her fingers clenched around the phone, her mind blanking out immediately- _that _voice… She'd know that voice anywhere… No…

"_Oh…I'm coming for you, Holly." _His rough voice snarled at her venomously, a snigger echoing through the phone as he chuckled at her mockingly. Hollie fell against the wall, her eyes wide with horror.

_How did HE get out…!_

"_I'll get you my pretty…" _He snickered at her, his breaths harsh and staticy over the phone. _"And your little friends too!"_

"_Message ended"_

Hollie was left gripping the phone in her hand, her chest heaving as if she'd run a marathon, her face pasty white, listening to the deathly dial tone as she processed that one voice that she feared the most…the horror she had left behind. Tears scratched at her eyes, her entire body pumped with fear, her heart racing.

She knew then her and her friends were in _big _trouble.

* * *

Kuki looked over casually at her roommate, who was opposite her on the couch. She was sitting cross-legged, her feet tucked beneath her and her hands sitting on her swollen stomach as she watched TV. Her long brown hair waved all the way down to her elbows, her graceful face seemed relaxed, but her deep brown eyes looked far away from the TV screen before her, instead thinking about something else. Kuki bit her lip, the redhead's words returning to her. She shook her head, mentally scolding herself. No…Abby wouldn't do that…

_Would she?_

She turned to her friend, sighing. "So…Abby…"

Abby looked over to her friend, her face tired.

"How's the baby?"

Abby gave her a small smile, her hand going to her bump. It was getting bigger and now seemed impossible to hide. She felt bad enough walking around the campus with everyone staring and gaping at her, now she felt completely exposed in terms of her private life. There was the familiar sick feeling in her stomach, the niggling guilt that told her to tell Wally the truth- especially for Dingo and the baby. She knew she had to…she just felt so overwhelmed- her sister's wedding tomorrow was hard enough for her family, so she had mentally challenged herself that she had to have a conversation with Wally- tell him he's made a mistake, that it's not his…

…Then she mentally would shiver, and instead calm herself by saying she could always move out of state.

She sighed, looking over to the girl beside her. But she knew she had to…she hated the thought, but she had to. It wasn't right and she was just digging herself a deeper hole. Wally had to know…no matter how much it hurt her…

"He's fine…" She sighed, rubbing at her belly. "Just getting bigger by the day, always kicking me…" She smirked, looking down at her stomach. Kuki leaned forward, her eyes wide.

"So…it's a boy?"

"Yeah…" Abby muttered, nodding. "That's what the ultrasound says…"

"Does…" Kuki frowned. "Does Wally know…that it's a boy?"

"Uh…" Abby bit her lip. "I don't know…I don't think I've…I told him…"

Kuki's frown deepened as she looked away, now thoroughly confused. She looked down at her lap, her face sad. She knew she should trust Abby, it seemed outrageous not to…trusting a complete stranger, filling her head with second thoughts…

"Kooks…" Abby frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Uh…yeah…" Kuki muttered, looking away. She turned back, her eyes wide. "Listen…Abs…" Guilt and anxiety clawed at her stomach as she gripped the couch, but it had been sticking in her head all day…she had to get it out, she had to be convinced it wasn't true. "Listen…I…" her eyes looked deeply into Abby's, and Abby's breath stilled within her chest, her heart racing.

"Are you….100% sure…that the baby is…Wally's?"

There was a thick silence, only broken by Kuki's nails dragging across the couch arm as she retracted, immediately guilty at asking such a stupid thing. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her face burned with immediate embarrassment. It was nothing compared to Abby- her face paled and her hands shook with complete horror. The immediate thought that entered her mind was…

She'd been _sprung._

"Wh…" Abby choked out, her throat constricting and her mind spinning. "Uhn…I…what?" She felt emotional tears scratch at her eyes and anger swell within her as her emotions raced. "I…wha…I…" She jumped to her feet, her knees shaking but her hands fists as she gaped at Kuki, who looked back in shock. "Who…Why would you _think _that?"

"Abby I…" Kuki frowned, taken aback at Abby's almost hysterical reaction, both girls stumped to words. "I was just…concerned, I-"

"WELL!" Abby burst into a fiery anger, sad tears scraping her eyes as her entire body shook vulnerably. Her throat constricted as she felt her heart thud and thump in her chest, as if jumping to escape. She stumbled away, wanting to escape and run…away from the judging look Kuki was giving her. Poor kUki didn't know what was going on, she just gaped at her friend in alarm, shaking her head as tears itched at her own wide eyes. "Well, Stay out of it!" Abby suddenly shouted, disappearing down the hall and slamming her bedroom door.

Kuki was left, half risen from the couch, as she watched her friend leave, amazed and shocked at what had just unfolded in front of her, completely bewildered.

_What had just happened…? _Kuki lowered back onto the couch, tears spilling down her cheeks and her hands shaking in pure shock and emotion.

Abby buried her face in her hands, breaking with frightened sobs. She thought this was truly it, everyone would know…she was doomed…she slid to the floor, her hands gripping her stomach and her heart feeling as though it was breaking. All she could think about was losing everything. She broke into sobs, crying and spluttering about everything she had done and everything seeming to collapse around her.

_What had just happened…? _

* * *

*My Baby Rocks- revolvers, boom boxes, cupcakes, robots, skulls, 'zombie slayer' there's one that says 'birth control fail'!…you can tell I'll have a lot of fun dressing Abby! :D

Songs were 'Love the Way you Lie' from the new Eminem album (I heard it and automatically thought of Dingo and Abby's relationship) and 'Innocent Eyes' By Delta Goodrem, it kind of presents to me a real Kuki, an innocent ballerina kinda vision. More will be revealed about Hollie too...along with more villains and some more secrets revealed :P I'm just...evil like that. ;)

On another note I would like to say...yes...I write based on my own experiences. Just last week I got a tattoo :D on my butt, though, and not with the name 'Abby' just a loveheart :) My mum says I look like a Care Bear though... *sigh* :D

* * *

_And now...my lurvely reviewers!_

Laurie43: *_Sigh* Sorry about the long wait :( I feel awful! Heh, no real flashbacks in this chapter unfortunately, but I love writing them! :D Not to worry as well, the truth shall appear soon...it's so tempting for one of the characters to BLURT it out, but alas, that's where the real drama begins :P YAY glad you love Homewood Bound, good taste! ;) ANd I LOOOOOOOVE your long reviews! :D! They make my day, I love that you're always there to let me know how the story went :D Well, let's just say I love you! :P (non stalker like way) ;)_

1000GreenSun: _That's what I'm aiming for, but the chapters seem to get LONGER and LONGER, gah! Hope they're not becoming too much of a bore. THANK YOU :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

numbuh310alltheway : _YAY! :D I hope you loved this chapter just as much, I love your feedback :P Hopefully it'll continue to be a favourite, I certainly love writing it :D Thank you! :P_

Joydream: _Aw (: Thank you, I love your feedback, I love Dodge/Fanny too :P I'm a sucker for those two...really :P_

NinjaxTurtles: _Homewood Bound definately is. I'm surprised it didn't win AT LEAST half a dozen Oscars. What ARE people thinking...gawsh!_

laughyytaffy : _Hehe, yeah, I felt Abby is kind of annoying in this chapter, the secrets getting WAY out of hand...but she's pretty hard to write, I don't know anyone who has been in this position...and I'd hate to get ALL of my inspiration from terrific shows like Springer and Maury :P Thanks for you review! x_

itsaDoggyDogworld : _You're back! Don't worry, if anyone knows I do with what it's like to be busy :( Glad you like my romance, I'm forever working on it :D Love your opinion, I hope you loved the chapter! x!_

Lexi: _Hehe! Aw *blush* I'm so happy you like it, I love your long reviews :D I love when my writing actually succeeds in actually gaining emotions :D I hope you enjoy Australia, and thank you sooo much for your lovely reviews (:_

simi838 : _Keehee, whenever I need help with my english-english I watch Top Gear :D love that show :D lol, thank you! :D I'm glad you love the chapter, I hope you loved this one :D :D_

super ario: _:D no problems, I love your reviews! They never fail to make me smile :) Believe it or not I'm afraid for the interaction, after so long its like shaking the bottle of soda...shaking..shaking...shaking...BOOM! :P It'll be dynamic, I'm sure, and with my way it won't be with a simple conversation ;) I hope you liked the chapter! x_

Apples Go Boom: _GAH! You've found my weakness! *munches cherries* Sorry for the wait, I hope it was worth it :P YOU TOO have amazing tastes on movies, again, homeward bound should have definately won an Oscar...several! I love your opinions...and your long reviews...makes me smile :D :D :D :D THANK YOU!_

hellopandaluver: _hehe YAY I love your long reviews :D step by step of loveliness! :) But...arghhh...you caught me! :S I even didn't spot that, really, I actually put in a small scene where Nigel talks to Hoagie and Rachel about it, but I took it out to edit it and never put it back in! You're good :| better than me! :P *sigh* forgive me? PLEASE? !_

**I LOVE YOU ALL!**


	20. Chapter 20: A Night to Forget pt 1

_*GAH* Well, this was a massive challenge to get out! My exam trials however, are finally over and all I have to do now is prepare for the actual ones :S ahhhhhhhh... OH well :) Anyways, sorry about the delay, and worse being, :P this is one of two part, so of course it doesn't capture the whole of Cree's wedding :P So I'll do all review replies in the next chapter, which is halfway done and should be out within about two weeks (: I'd love to know what people think happens ;) _

_*evil laughter*_

_Ahem..._

_Enjoy :)_

* * *

Mushi stumbled through the crowds of people at the club, the loud music pumping in her ears and rattling her ribcage as she gripped Bandit's hand, allowing herself to be dragged along by her hyperactive friend, who could hardly contain his excitement as he skipped through the waves of people, unable to keep the grin from his face. For the first time in a long time, he felt happy, the sinking feeling of sadness and guilt had been rid of him and instead all he felt was brimming enthusiasm.

"Bandit!" Mushi whined, quickening her step to follow his own. "Wait up, you're way too hyper sometimes."

Bandit snickered at her, turning around with vigor and giving her one of his best smiles. "I know."

Mushi raised her eyebrows, but otherwise didn't reply as Bandit dragged her deeper and deeper into the crowds, easily parting them with his happy skipping. Mushi noticed he looked different- he was wearing a pair of bright sky blue skinny jeans along with his converse high tops and a regular black band shirt with some name she didn't recognise, but it looked bright and colourful. He seemed to have abandoned his regular shades of black, white and grey and gone for a more colourful look, even donning a bright red bandanna which he'd wrapped around his head in a form of headband. He certainly looked much livelier, and hardly noticed when he bumped into people while heading to the centre of the club scene.

Maurice, however, hardly skipped upon entering the club, and simply groaned as Chad gripped his arm closely, preventing his escape. They were in the stripclub area, surrounded by dimmed lights but bright stages, poles and skimpily dressed girls surrounding them. Maurice's best man Ryan, as well as three other of his groomsmen as well as Chad, Hoagie and Patton, all walked in after him, grinning. Maurice, however, looked scathingly over at Chad, snarling.

"We're leaving after an hour. An _hour, _tops."

"Yeah, yeah." Chad muttered, rolling his eyes as he gripped his hand closely. "Now c'mon, we need to get you a lapdance-"

"No lapdances!" Maurice snarled weakly, but was dragged along with the rest of the guys to the nearest pole, Ryan already ordering a round of shots. Patton piped up, excited. Already this night was turning out better than expected.

"You seem happy…" Hoagie muttered, his eyebrows raised.

"I am, rather." Patton grinned, accepting a beer that one of Maurice's groomsmen was passing around. He took a sip. "Aren't you?"

Hoagie bit his lip, feeling suddenly out of place. "Well…I-"

He jolted forward as he was suddenly shoved from behind, a slender, tanned girl dressed in a pair of denim cut-offs (high enough to portray a great deal of her butt) and a tiny midriff tank top, with shoulder length brown hair, shoved past him, her nose in the air.

"Great…" Hoagie snarled under his breath, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "Ex girlfriend."

"Woah!" Patton groaned, his eyes following her. "She works here?"

"I guess…" Hoagie snarled. "I should have known…" He shook his head and clapped Patton on the shoulder, jerking his head to the doorway. "I'm off to the club for a drink, you comin'?"

"Nah…" Patton gave him a mischievous smirk. "I'm gonna…" his eyes quickly dragged over to another exposed midriff and quickly trailed off, his mind already elsewhere. Hoagie rolled his eyes and quickly scanned the room, wandering casually amongst the partygoers, grinning at anyone who caught his eye. He was used to the club scene by now. But he immediately froze, stiffened in alarm, and did a double take as he noticed a girl- looking younger and smaller than those around her, dancing shyly amongst a bunch of other teenagers- who were laughing and shouting like no tomorrow. She stood out, and not because she looked sweet and cute, as well as different…but because she was familiar…

"Mushi…" Hoagie muttered, shaking his head. He didn't take his eyes off her, and just watching her, everything mirrored Kuki…only younger. It had to be Mushi. He groaned, especially at seeing who she was with. "Oh…_Hell no…"_

Meanwhile Bandit was jumping around happily, his deep cerulean eyes darting around the room happily, watching everyone around him with visible excitement. It had been so long since he had been out and about, and it just felt good to party again, without any worries.

He hated to admit it…but it still felt foreign to him.

"C'mon Mush!" He grinned widely, gripping her hand as he heard one of his favourite songs begin. "To the centre! Mosh!"

Mushi's eyes widened as Bandit took off without her, sprinting in pure joy and excitement. "But I- Hey! Bandit! Wait-"

She felt a hand on her arm and jumped, immediately stumbling backwards. She wasn't feeling the most comfortable in what she was wearing- which she had quickly borrowed from Bonny- a tight mini dress that pushed her almost nonexistent chest to maximum cleavage, a pair of shiny black skyscraper tall stilettos that strained her ankles and her hair had been yanked into wavy, playful curls by Bonny's unforgiving hair curler, as well as the fake eyelashes itching her eyelids like mad. Luckily, a pair of strong muscular arms reached out and caught her gracefully, her tiny frame falling into his built one. She grinned thankfully, turning to the friendly stranger.

"Thanks, I-" She stopped, her eyes widening as she gazed up into a familiar friendly, yet stern stare…the same stare she could remember from childhood…the one who always caught her out when she'd done something wrong. She bit her lip, tottering to a straight, standing position as a million excuses rambled through her head. "…Hoagie…" She groaned eventually, an awkward lump forming in her throat as she listened to the beats of the club music, wondering if there was ever a more awkward time for someone to find her- alone, in a club, underage, with some hyperactive cokehead friend just running off on her. "Um…how are you?"

"Mushi." Hoagie cocked an eyebrow knowingly, his pale arms folding across his broad chest. "Long time, no see."

* * *

Trent slammed the front door shut, immediately freezing at the still silence that followed. He frowned. That wasn't normal.

He looked around the apartment complex, which seemed almost abandoned. Growling suspiciously, he opened both Mushi and Bandit's bedroom doors, finding them both empty. He stomped into Bonny and Hollie's room instead, his eyes widening as he saw, instead of an empty room, Hollie was sitting huddled, with a blanket wrapped around her, in her bed against the wall, sniffling.

"The fuck?" Trent snarled, cocking an eyebrow. "Why aren't you at work?"

"I'm not going in tonight." Hollie sniffled sadly, cuddling her blanket tighter around her shaking form. That voice…it just kept echoing around in her mind…with that laugh…it just took her back. She looked up into Trent's face, and immediately regretted it. Everything about Trent just reminded her of _him…_and all the memories she still had of him. She could never tell anyone…nobody even knew she was with him…_it was officially cheating on Dingo and nobody could know that…nobody knew she was pregnant either…_

"Just…just leave me alone, Trent."

Trent shrugged, his eyes rolling. He had no time for chick dramas anyway. "'Kay, fine." He shut the door, leaving Hollie alone with her problems. He stomped down the hallway, his arms tightly folded. Bandit and Mushi gone…he had a sneaking suspicion about where they could be. He growled angrily and tightened his grip on his phone, dialing Bandit's number. He didn't have to wait long before he suddenly picked up.

"BANDIT!" Trent snarled before he had a chance to say anything. "Where the Hell are you? Where's Mushi? I told you-"

Bandit snickered as he heard his friend completely explode into the phone. Without answering he simply swayed side to side to the song now playing, one of his personal dancing favourites- the notorious Lady Gaga and Beyonce's _Telephone. _It played loud and clear as he held the phone in the air, Trent pulling back as the music screamed into his ear.

_Hello, hello baby you called I can't hear a thing  
I have got no service in the club you say say  
W-w-what did you say  
You're breakin' up on me  
Sorry I can not hear you I'm kinda busy  
K-kinda busy…  
K-kinda busy…_

"SMARTASS!" Trent screamed into the phone, causing Bandit to giggle and Trent to furiously hang up. That was it. He snarled to himself, his teeth gritted as he clenched the phone angrily in his hand, his fist shaking. He couldn't believe it- the one thing he wanted, the one girl he wanted to keep to himself…and Bandit takes her from him. _That selfish little-_

"Oh that's it…" He growled angrily, stomping back to the door and throwing on a jacket as he went. "It's on."

* * *

Bonny stomped through to the dressing room, where the aggressively grabbed a comb from one of the vanity's and tugged at her hair, teasing it into almost recognition. With a permanent snarl etched into her face, the other girls around her knew not to annoy the new girl- who they already knew as a beautiful Australian with a fiery temper. Bonny merely ignored them, smoothing down her now sprayed hair and set about doing her lips, the lipliner held firmly in her hands.

_"Bonny!"_

She jumped in alarm as she heard the familiar growl of her boss, Vince, who was storming over to her threateningly. She turned, matching his dangerous look with one quick glare of her deep dark brown eyes. He stopped, but nevertheless loomed over her, his hands on his hips.

"Where's Hollie? She was supposed to be on tonight!"

"She's not coming." Bonny growled, shaking her head. "And don't ask me why, she didn't tell me." _She looked pretty upset… _she mentally added to herself, but chose to keep it on the down low. Soemtimes it can only take a small thing to set Hollie off, and Bonny didn't want to blow it out of proportion. She shook it off and turned her attention back to her makeup, making a mental note to ask Hollie what was up later.

"Well this is the last straw!" Vince bellowed at her, his face red. "She hasn't been at work for more than a week, this is it, she's done! Tell her she's fired! And if _you _call in sick one more time, consider yourself fired as well!"

Bonny, already too filled with emotion to squeeze in any others, simply stiffened, the eyeliner pencil in her other hand almost snapping into two as her boss stormed off, snarling at the other girls to get ready for 'showtime'. Bonny merely shook her head, turning back to her reflection. She had to stay focused…especially seeing as she was the one still with a job.

Quickly slipping on her outfit and throwing on a jacket, she slipped out of the door and out into the club, sneaking out to the back entrance to the club. She had to find Bandit…get him to call Hollie… She only took a few steps before she did an ungraceful double-take, spotting Mushi and her one and only ex Hoagie together, looking as though they were in a deep conversation. Her anger reaching boiling point she stomped off into the crowds, where she was positive she would find her friend faster than anyone else could. Sure enough-

"Bandit!" She snarled, grabbing his arm and dragging him aside. He stumbled over, blinking in alarm as he laid eyes on her face. He grinned mischievously, straightening.

"Bon!" He giggled. "Sup?"

"I'll tell you what's _sup!" _Bonny snarled at him harshly, her acrylic nails digging into his collar as she screamed at him over the music, quickly dragging him out of the crowds. "Hollie's just been fired and you've lost Mushi, that's what's up!"

"Relax…" Bandit rolled his eyes as he tugged himself out of her grip, giving her a quick scowl. "She's fine-"

"She's talking to my ex, that's not fine!" Bonny pouted, folding her arms. "I didn't know they knew each other…"

Bandit shrugged his shoulders, uncaring. He was in a happy mood, and he didn't want it to go to waste. "Whatever, Bonny…" He grumbled, raising his eyebrows. "Anything else?"

Bonny growled at him, her eyes once again trailing over to the two figures in the corner. Her eyes immediately widened as she saw another familiar face- angry grey eyes, familiar snarl, shoulders hunched, dark ginger hair…

"Yeah…" Bonny gave Bandit a cocky smirk, her own eyebrows rising. "You're dead."

Bandit frowned, scoffing at her before turning to where she was looking, giving a little squeak and sprinting off in the opposite direction. Bonny sighed to herself, grumbling something about '_boys' _before she strutted off to start work.

* * *

Two hooded figures huddled in a locked car, the radio playing softly as they shared a phone between them. One listened closely to the receiver, hanging up once he'd given his chilling message. The other held a cigarette between his fingers, chain smoking as he gazed up at the night sky. It had been so long since he'd faced such a wide, open view of the night sky- the stars twinkling at him knowingly. He scowled at the memory of watching at the night sky…he'd only done it with one person…the person half responsible for locking him away in the first place…

He snarled, winding down the window and chucking the butt into the open street, resting his elbow on the car door and resting his head in his palm, growling to himself as he attempted to push his furious feelings aside.

"Fuck."

He turned, his deep, dark sharp brown eyes looking back to his friend, who had just slammed the phone back into the console, his face twisted in anger. He looked up, his grey eyes narrowed.

"Voicemail?"

"Yeah…" His partner growled, folding his arms across his muscular chest as he leaned back in the driver's seat, flicking his lighter. He suddenly smirked, the flicker of flame lighting up his face eerily. "So what about you? Are you gonna call your…" His eyes flashed mischievously. "_Your wittle Bambi?"_

"We have _business _to take care of!" the other snapped harshly, his body tensing with sudden anger. Of course he _longed _to talk to his ex…he longed to call his _wittle Bambi _up and then strangle that little traitor…the only one he'd ever loved and…_stupid bitch_. "I've got no time for that shit! It's in the past now!"

"Suuuure…" His partner cooed teasingly, flipping the phone in his hand. He felt slightly disheartened…he really wanted to talk to his own ex and put the wind up her…make her feel sorry she ever left him in the first place…make her regret keeping him a _secret _for all these years… He growled under his breath. He'll make her _pay… _

"Our flight's in three hours." His friend mumbled darkly, running a hand through his thick chestnut brown hair. It had grown since being in prison, now falling around his face and covering the back of his neck. He'd put on a few pounds of extra muscle too, and he couldn't help but think how that would come in handy once he actually came face to face with those who were responsible for putting him in prison in the first place. "We better head off."

"Yeah…" his partner growled darkly, reaching over to turn on the ignition. "Got everythin'?"

"Yep." He reached over and pulled out his handgun from the glovebox, checking it over with his sharp, deep brown eyes looking over it admirably, looking up into the visor mirror as he did so. He hated his eyes…they were his father's…not his mother's. But he smirked all the same, snapping the visor shut, hoisting up his hips and shoving the gun into his jeans, resting against his hip- where in delicate, black scrawl, the tattooed name of _'Bambi' _was just visible above his belt.

"Let's go Dingo huntin'."

* * *

Fanny sighed as she glanced over again to Dodge's pathetic pout, his icy blue eyes gazing up at her, wide and pleading, innocent and sweet…it basically mirrored Puss in Boots' look from _Shrek_, and she wasn't buying.

"Stop with that _look." _She snickered, her tongue between her teeth as she attempted to remain stern. "It doesn't work with me, you know."

"Damn." Dodge growled, dropping the 'puppy dog eyes' and immediately going for a pout instead, burying his head in his arms as he lay across the bed, already draped in what looked like a million articles of clothing spread across the bed. He hated this. "C'monnnn…." He whined into his arms, kicking his legs like a little kid having a tantrum. He raised his head again, his eyes narrowed. "Cherry Baby _pleeeaaaaseeeee-"_

"No." Fanny snapped sharply, flinging another item of clothing at him, landing right on target. "You promised you'd come with me to this wedding."

"You didn't say it would come with you tearing apart my closet!" Dodge whined, pulling the pair of jeans off his face. Fanny smirked, debating over a plain grey shirt before flinging that too over her shoulder.

"Hey, you're acting like I'm enjoying this." She snarled, rounding on him with her hand on her hip. She raised her eyebrows at him. "I hate clothes and shopping. _You're _the one who doesn't have any clothes for this wedding tomorrow."

Dodge pouted, his lower lip protruding even further as he beat his fists and feet against the bed, having a silent tantrum.

"But…" he raised his head, blinking pathetically. "Can't we just order some pizza and have just a _little _makeout _before _the clothes hunt? _Please_?"

"For the last time no!" Fanny growled sternly, but nevertheless grinned. She would love nothing more, but loved to see the reaction of keeping him on a hard leash. He didn't take it too well. "We have to find you something to wear, otherwise tomorrow you'll be showing up naked-"

"To avoid this, I would gladly-"

"No." Fanny growled, wincing as she reached far into the closet, looking skeptical as she pulled out a stained shirt, holding it out in arms length and unfolding it, her eyes wide. It was a _Bullet for My Valentine _concert shirt, black with red and white scrawl across the front. She held it up to her boyfriend, cocking an eyebrow. "You went to this?"

"Against my will." Dodge grumbled, his chin in his palm. "When Dingo and Bandit were going through their screamo phase." He blinked, tilting his head as he added as an afterthought- "They didn't quite get over it, actually-" He was silenced by the shirt slapping him again in the face, and sighed as he heard more rustling in his closet.

"Oooo…" Fanny grinned eagerly as she held up his leather jacket. "This is sexy."

"Psh." Dodge scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You wear it then, I ain't wearing it."

She pouted, feeling stupid at daydreaming of her on the back of a Harley with him, but still she was always a fan of rebels… "Aw, why? It would suit…"

"Dread gave me that." Dodge muttered casually, shifting through the shirts already abandoned on the floor. "Only present he ever gave me."

Fanny frowned, gazing at the jacket in her hands. It felt so soft, must have been real leather, but instead of the high collar instead it had a hood, with a soft black interior inside for warmth. She couldn't imagine not wearing something so fine, she couldn't see anything wrong with it. In fact, it looked as though it had hardly been worn.

"It's stolen, of course." Dodge mumbled, a slight smirk on his face. "Dread never had a real job."

"But still…" Fanny frowned, noticing the sudden glumness in his voice. "Why don't you wear it?"

Dodge shrugged. "I look like him in it."

"So?"

Dodge cocked an eyebrow. "He looks, and acts, a lot like my dad."

Fanny's frown deepened. There was something that didn't seem right, and Dodge looked up with sudden alarm, his own face working into a frown. The room filled with an awkward silence, sadly only broken by Dingo shuffling and thumping around in the kitchen outside his room, burping. Dodge threw a disgusted look at the closed door before turning to his girl, giving her a weak smile. Fanny suddenly startled, dropping the jacket as though it had given her an electric shock.

"Oh!" She blushed, suddenly feeling horrible. "R-right…sorry."

"It's cool, baby." Dodge snickered at her, his eyebrows rising. "Really."

Fanny had immediately thought back to talking about Dodge's scars…she knew the mere fact Dodge's father was abusive, she couldn't believe it had slipped her mind. She plonked down beside him on the bed, feeling completely guilty.

"It slipped my mind…" She confessed, sighing. "I'm so sorry."

Dodge frowned. "You shouldn't be sorry, I'm glad."

Fanny looked across to him, a frown set deep into her graceful features. Dodge hated seeing her like that. "Why?"

Dodge grinned, reaching across and pushing a small piece of flaming red hair behind her ear. "Because you remember me for what I am now, not who I was." He smirked. "I'd rather you know me now, my past means nothing when it comes to you. I'd rather not remember it…" He leaned forward and kissed her sweetly against her cheek, his arm draped around her shoulders. Even after all this time, his touch still gave her goosebumps. "I'd rather you know me for what I am now."

"But still…" Fanny blushed, looking down at her lap. "I know nothing about you, like, your childhood and everything…"

Dodge scoffed. "Nothing to tell. Besides, I know nothing of you either…" He grinned, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

It was Fanny's turn to scoff. "I'd rather you didn't know about my childhood, I was such a brat-"

"Well…" Dodge grinned triumphantly. "Same here."

Fanny frowned with annoyance, but a grin still surfaced. She really did want to know about Dodge's past, everything about him she loved, why would his past be any different? But she knew she was a hypocrite saying that, wanting to keep her weirdness as a kid away from Dodge too…how _embarrassing…_

"Okay…" Fanny sighed. "What about we…tell each other _some _things about our past, and we can maybe…fill in the blanks if we want?" She raised her eyebrows expectantly, and Dodge wrinkled his lips in thought, frowning. Finally he shrugged, giving her a short nod.

"Yeah, fine…sure."

* * *

Hoagie's eyes widened at Mushi, narrowing as he realised he was positive- there was no mistaking the small pre-teen before him. Mushi's wide eyes watched him fearfully, her sweet light blue eyes slightly coloured with a small hue of purple- just like Kuki's. He stiffened with slight amazement as he realised just how much the young Sanban had changed- far from the miniature, tiny little Kuki, her long raven black hair had a few fake blonde streaks through it, her tiny frame had been pushed upward and tightened in a push up corset dress and she was standing at least three inches taller on skyscraper heels. Hoagie frowned as he processed her face- just how much makeup was slathered over the naturally sweet, oriental face. He shook his head.

"Mushi!" He scolded over the music, dragging her away from the crowds. She tottered after him, feeling frozen to the spot. "What the Hell are you doing here? You're too young to be here, what the Hell are you wearing, Does your sister know you're here?"

Mushi bit her lip, too much questioning for her to take. Hoagie had finally stopped once they were clear from the crowds of the rave, and his hand held her upper arm gently but firmly- preventing her escape as Hoagie leaned in close, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"P-please don't tell her!" Mushi whimpered over the faint pumping of the music. "Listen Hoagie I'm begging you, just don't tell her! It was hopeless with my parents, okay? I just couldn't do it anymore! They were…." She swallowed, her eyes widening under her chopped bangs. "They were getting abusive, okay? And I'm going to school here, I want to tell her when I get some money, I've got a job and money and I'm going to tell her, just don't blow it for me alright? PLEASE?" She shouted over the music, which had just risen in volume. Hoagie glared at her closely, feeling suddenly awkward. He knew Kuki should know Mushi was here, in the country, but at the same time it was none of his business, he and Kuki weren't _that _close either. He was worried for them both, but he didn't want to intrude into something he knew nothing about…

"Fine." He growled weakly, releasing her. "But you just remember, Mushi, I'm always here if you need me." His eyes remained narrowed. "And if you get into anything dangerous, I'll have no hesitation in letting your sister know, and then-"

_"MUSHI!"_

They both jumped as a sudden angry shout was heard above the music, and a second later they both looked to see Trent stomping through the thinning crowds towards them, his grey eyes narrowed and livid. Hoagie jumped in surprise, his eyes flashing angrily, whereas Mushi's widened with shock.

"Trent!" She yelped. "Wh-what are you doing-"

"SHUTUP!" He hollered at her, looking murderous. His hair was sticking out at odd angles, ruffled and wild, just as his steel grey eyes were, and his muscular figure loomed over her threateningly, his shoulders square and his hands fists. "WHERE'S BANDIT? I'LL KILL THE FUCKER!"

Mushi's mouth widened in surprise as Trent snarled so harshly at her, his eyes searching the crowds for any sign of his hyperactive best friend. Mushi was positive that she had never seen him so angered. He scarcely noticed Hoagie beside him, looking as though he was seriously considering belting Trent right in the nose.

"Stay _here." _Trent told her sharply through clenched teeth, stomping off in fury in search of unfortunate Bandit. Hoagie rounded back onto Mushi, his arms now folded across his chest.

"Now what the hell…" He sneered darkly. "Was _that _about?"

* * *

Bandit swayed from side to side awkwardly, his back against the cold brick wall of the club. He bit his lip in anticipation, knowing the worst was about to come. Mushi had been gone for a while now, she may be looking for him, but he hadn't been looking for her…

His eyes scanned the crowd hopefully, looking for any sign. Again he looked down in disappointment, sighing to himself as he ran a hand through his slightly sticky hair, his teeth numbly chewing against the sides of his mouth. Suddenly a pair of red and white Element shoes appeared into his view as he focused on the floor, and his eyes widened in mild horror. He looked up, a pair of steel grey eyes immediately glaring into his face, narrowed and looking ready to kill.

"Trent-" Bandit began, but his voice automatically was brought into a squeak. He winced. "T-Trent, just lemme-" The rest of his speech was brought into a gasp as Trent grabbed the collar of his shirt, immediately charging down a hallway of the club, probably down to the store room or kitchens or something. Bandit didn't have much time to think about it, because as soon as they were out of public view Trent threw him against a door harshly, covering his body with his to give him a snarl, their noses almost touching with the closeness of the assault. Bandit gulped. _He looks pissed._

"Who the fuck do you think you are, stealing Mushi like that and leaving her alone?" Trent hissed angrily, his fingers tightening on the collar of Bandit's shirt. Bandit stiffened, his eyes wide and his lips trembling at the fierceness of Trent's growls. He never thought it would make him this angry. "What the fuck were you thinking, huh, Bandit? You wanna make me suffer or some shit? We're supposed to be mates!" He shoved him violently across the wall with a furious snarl and turned away, making his way back to the club. He didn't want to deal with him anymore. But he was suddenly yanked back, Bandit grabbing his arm and pulling him back to the scene, his eyes wide and livid.

"What's the big fucking deal Trent? I didn't do anything wrong! Why are you so angry at me? There's nothing going on between me and Mushi, you don't have to worry-"

At this Trent whirled around, his grey eyes narrowed. He could see right past Bandit's innocent act, and he knew Bandit was at least trying to make him suffer.

"You want there to be!" Trent spat at him, snarling. "You know what you're doing!"

"I haven't done _anything!" _Bandit yelled, now looking completely lost. The last thing he wanted was Trent to be furious at him. He didn't want that… "I can hang out with Mushi if you can hang with her-"

"Bandit, you don't GET IT!" Trent growled, his face pushing into his. Bandit blinked back, his lips trembling. "Me and Mushi are a couple, we've fucked already, don't you get it?"

Bandit froze, his eyes widening even further. Trent panted, overwhelmed with the emotional outburst. He processed what he'd just said…and automatically felt guilt. Bandit simply blinked, those deep ocean blue eyes welling with promising tears. He began to tremble, suddenly seeming much weaker and paler than he used to. Trent automatically noticed how washed out and skinny he looked…

Like he used to be…

"Bandit…" Trent sighed, his anger ebbing away and replacing with guilt. "I shouldn't have said that…"

"No." Bandit croaked, shaking violently as he backed into the wall, slowly and carefully. He looked shrunken, suddenly passive and vulnerable. "You shouldn't have."

"Bandit- you have to get over it!" Trent snapped at him, but his glare softened as he saw how hurt Bandit looked. "I learned the hard way, dude…but you haven't learned it yet." He closed the distance between them, his hard, grey concrete glare meeting Bandit's deep blue gaze. "You can't always get what you want."

Bandit's chapped lips trembled in the dim light, those hopeful eyes still glimmering desperately. His gaze lowered, too overcome with the intensity of Trent's strict, serious glare. He looked ready to cry, and Trent groaned. Only one person has ever made him feel this much guilt in his entire life, and it was the boy standing in front of him. Bandit fidgeted anxiously. He raised his head, and Trent automatically stepped back in alarm. Instead of the usual tearful ocean blue eyes, his gaze had hardened into a mean, demanding glare.

"You…you can't just _expect _that of me!" Bandit snapped at him, his voice rising in distress. "You KNOW what I've been through, Trent! You can't just snap your fingers and say get over it! You know me! You know-"

"I _know _Bandit!" Trent snarled bleakly, his eyes narrowing.

"You know nothing!" Bandit wailed, his hands balling into fists and his eyes screwing up in anger. "You don't know anything, you've always treated me like shit- fucking piece of shit, that's how you've treated me ever since you knew me! Jus-Just taken me for granted and never cared about what I've been through and what I did an-and what I had t-to GO THROUGH! You fucking asshole Trent, You fucking piece of shit, you can't do this to me, you can't just-"

He cut off, his breath caught in his throat as Trent suddenly grabbed his flailing arms, pushing him full force against the wall behind him, his back hitting the brick and his head soon following. His wild, hateful eyes glared up at Trent furiously, his face livid. Trent, however, narrowed his own eyes thoughtfully, a flash of worry crossing his own angry expression.

"Bandit." He snarled, and now his voice was laced with danger. "What have you taken?"

Bandit wrestled against his grip, trying to escape the intensity of that knowing glare. "Ge-off me-"

"No." Trent snapped harshly, his eyes narrowing. "Show me your arms."

Bandit growled again, tugging his covered arms out of Trent's strong grip. He was clad in his familiar black hoodie and his regular wristbands, and Trent was glaring at the articles of clothing with immediate suspicion.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Bandit hollered at him angrily, folding his arms and hands out of sight. "I'm NOT sixteen anymo-"

"You're acting like it." Trent snapped bitterly. "Always the attention seeker, huh, Bandit?"

Bandit furiously pushed him, his livid eyes quickly filling with hurt tears. His mood was swinging in all directions like some wild tree swing, and suddenly he found himself desperate to explain himself to the boy he'd just pushed away.

"You know I don't do things like that anymore!" Bandit wailed, falling back onto the wall and widening his eyes pathetically. "You know I'm not like that anymore, Trent you _know _me, and we're _friends _now-"

Trent snarled, his eyes narrowing. "You want Mushi to know the truth about _me." _He huffed angrily. "I wonder if you've told her the truth about _you." _

"I'm not afraid to." Bandit snapped back. "Unlike you."

Trent didn't answer; he just looked away back to the club scene. He could feel Bandit's harsh blue eyes boring into him.

"You're ashamed of your past!" Bandit growled, looking hurt. "You'll never tell her, you're putting on a fucking act!"

"What about you?" Trent snapped back, eyes narrowing. "You and your own performance, sucking up to Mushi like that, why pretend, huh? Why be selfish? Why be a whor-"

"DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT!" Bandit suddenly screamed, his eyes wide as tears did fall down his pale cheeks. He looked ready to clap his hands over his ears as he gazed at Trent, looking both hurt and furious. "Don't call me that, not again! I'm not like that- NOT ANYMORE!"

"Then stay away from her!" Trent growled shortly, folding his arms stubbornly. "Or you can consider our friendship over again. You're not acting like a real friend, anyway." With those hard hitting words, he turned and made to walk back to his young girlfriend. A shot of fear went through Bandit's system as he suddenly grabbed Trent's arm, forcing him back and sobbing. Trent furiously tried to shake him off, already making his way back into the crowds of the club.

"Trent, please!" Bandit suddenly bawled, burying his face in Trent's arm and gripping him so hard it resembled a death grip. He completely fell on him as Trent made to tug him off and he ended up falling onto the hard ground, bawling and sobbing on the floor at Trent's feet. Trent jumped in alarm, his grey eyes widening in surprise as Bandit had become nothing but a puddle of mess on the floor. He cried to him desperately, hating the thought of losing the friendship they had, the connection they had shared for so long…

"Trent! Don't go! Don't leave me-"

"Aw for fuck sakes Band-"

"T-T-Trent!" Bandit begged, gripping onto his jeans. Trent could tell he'd been drinking, his tears seeping into the denim with ease, sniffling and pleading. "You can't leave me, not over a fuckin' girl, not after everything- DON'T LEAVE ME-"

"Just shut up Bandit!" Trent groaned, seemingly suffering. "Just shut up, okay?"

Bandit sniffed, his eyes widening worryingly as he realised Trent looked embarrassed of him.

Bandit sniffed, his emotions running sky high. He longed to shout, scream and yell, sob and whine all night long at his worries and pain, but Trent was giving him that pained, demanding sort of look. Bandit quickly sobered up, wiping at his face and quickly sniffing, returning back to normal.

"I'm sorry." He whimpered, his eyes widening just like the victim he always seemed to be. Trent sighed, ruffling his hair as he prepared to make his way back to his girlfriend.

Bandit could feel the sadness and loss overwhelm him. He felt stupid for being like that, he knew it would make no difference what he did or said… Things just wouldn't be how he wanted them. He couldn't help it…he needed at least one comfort in his life, and only Trent could give it to him now.

"Trent." He whimpered again, his arm shooting out and tugging on Trent's hoodie. Trent snarled as he turned, his eyes fierce and impatient. But Bandit looked hurt, his lips trembling desperately as his eyes searched Trent's face. "Please don't hate me…" He whimpered again, giving that same face he always seemed to have…those eyes gave Trent so much guilt. "I…I just can't help it, I'm so stupid-"

"I know Bandit." Trent growled, he tried as best he could to push the guilt from him. _Bandit _was the one trying to steal his girl, _Bandit _was the one causing drama…no puppy dog stare was going to change that…he wanted to give his friend comfort, he hated to see him suffer…it seemed out of the question…forbidden…stupid…a thing of the past…never to think of or be spoken about again… he kept walking, his hand dug deep into his pockets. He thought back to Mushi. Bandit looked hurt, watching his friend walk away carelessly. He whimpered again, his eyes widening.

He knew he should follow him, but he couldn't find the strength too. Instead he turned, the tears already falling from his eyes, and he ran off in the opposite direction, just wanting to escape and suffer. He felt so stupid, like such a failure. He never wanted to look into those angry steel grey eyes ever again.

* * *

Bonny twirled seductively for her patrons, swinging her hips smoothly and sweetly, her hands gracing the curves of her body and that flimsy outfit she was forced to wear. She found a natural smile gracing her face as she entertained the party, and the brewing worries of Hollie were immediately dissolved as the muscular blonde slipped another fifty into the tight string of her bikini ties, flashing her a sexy smirk as she winked at him.

"There's more in it for you…" She heard him coo in her ear as his fingers lightly danced across her upper arms. "If you come back to the hotel room with us…"

Bonny grinned at that, sending him a curt nod as she danced against him, swaying her hips and shoulders in a slow rhythm set to the music. He grinned at her and she smirked in return.

This was going to be a _good night. _

She frowned suddenly as a quick flash of black hair disappeared out of the corner of her eye, and she snapped her head around to see Bandit appear out of a tight knit crowd, tears streaming down his face and his body shrunken with what looked like sadness. His eyes were wide and Bonnie could easily see what it was aimed at- walking away and looking furious, with Bandit quickly following- Trent.

"So…"

She snapped her head back to the man before her, still smirking expectantly.

"Are you going to come with us? Make this a bachelor party to remember?" He grinned eagerly, and she kept her sexy smirk, running a finger down his hard, muscular chest to his belt.

"I'm sure it's a night that you will forget…" She smirked. "But I'll be there, baby…just…" The image of Bandit's face stuck clear in her mind, and she flashed a reassuring smile to her customer before stepping aside. "I just have to make one quick phone call, and I'll be right with you."

* * *

"Favourite food as a kid?"

Fanny kicked her legs as she chewed on a piece of pepperoni. Dodge was amazed she could lie on her stomach and still digest properly, but he was too busy to really contemplate this as he kept trying to think up more interesting questions to ask her. So far they were innocent enough, and he wanted to keep it that way…nothing too probing…he didn't want to lie to her.

"Definitely Rainbow Monkey Raspberry Banana Swirl ice cream…" She mumbled, her freckled cheeks reddening as she looked up at him, frowning. "Laugh and you die."

Dodge snickered, adjusting the thick band that covered his wrist. He was preparing it as a surprise for her, so he didn't want to show it yet. "I'm not laughing."

"You're snickering!" She scoffed, giving him a weak slap as she shoved the rest of the crust in her mouth. "Okay…" She dusted off her hands, looking up at him sneakily. "First kiss?"

Dodge grinned at the memory. "First kiss on the cheek was Shelly Garrett in year two, she came up to me and just laid one on me in front of everyone, it was a dare." He snickered at the memory, rolling his eyes in thought. "First real kiss was in the back of Dingo's car, I was thirteen and joyriding…Bon of course…" He frowned, but grinned all the same. "Ah, memories…" He turned to her, a mischievous look in his eyes. "What about you Miss Romance?"

"I was eighteen!" Fanny grumbled, her cheeks flushing. "And what were you doing joyriding?"

Dodge looked down shamefully, but still snickered. "Aw, we couldn't help it…it was only to our mates' back paddock…he owned heaps of property and we…" Fanny was giving him a sly, knowing look "We thought it was a good idea at the time, okay?"

"Let me guess…" She scoffed. "You were caught?"

"By Holly's dad…" Dodge added, trying not to wince at the memory. "He was a cop, we weren't too popular with him after that…" He cocked his head, reaching for his can of Coke. "Eighteen, huh? Late Bloomer…"

"Yeah, last year…" Fanny sighed. "Patton."

Dodge choked on his Coke, coughing and spluttering. Fanny watched wide eyed. "You okay?"

"N-no!" He coughed, his eyes wide. "HIM? Dickhead?"

"Hey!" Fanny slapped him, growling. "Be nice!"

"I didn't know you had a history…" Dodge snarled, now looking moody. "If I had've known he lay a hand on my girl…"

"I wasn't _your girl _then…" Fanny reminded him, snuggling up to him. He still looked pouty. "Hey come on, it was after prom party and it was a truth or dare. He never really had an interest in me…We went out a little bit-" At this, Dodge's eyes widened. "But it was only for a month, we never _did _anything…" She rolled her eyes, snickering. "Not jealous, are we?"

"Never…" Dodge sighed, but still he looked moody. He faced her again, his face now lightened with curiosity. "So…what about your family? Your brothers and that…how are they? What are they like?"

Fanny shrugged. "Pretty normal, both of my parents migrated from Ireland, of course, my Mom was always nice, even when she embarrassed me in front of my friends…whenever I had any…my Dad was always at work, but he made an effort to be with us, every Sunday we used to have pancakes." She grinned at the memory. "But he hated the idea of any other kids in the house, but that was okay, I barely had any friends anyway I was so bossy…" She rolled her eyes. "Shawnie and Patty were always annoying, but I remember having to stand up to bullies for them, I can tell they respect me…" She looked up at Dodge, swallowing the lump in her throat. "And…your family?"

He shrugged as well, but he fidgeted as he looked down into his lap. "My Mum is like…" He frowned. "I don't know if you know, but she's like…half Aboriginal. And since Australia was like, settled, they never liked the native Aboriginal people, so they tried to kill them off, but later on they just tried to take the kids, and put them into white homes." He blinked, looking across to her. "My Grandma was like that, part of the 'Stolen Generations' they call them, because she was a half cast, half white and half Aborigine." He rolled his eyes. "I guess that's why my family's so screwed up. The Aborigine people are treated like crap back home, they still have like, third world statistics for health and living conditions, and anyone who's a part of the Stolen Generations is officially considered screwed…"

He frowned, whereas Fanny just looked on, her eyes widening. "So I guess that's why my Mum went to my Dad, she was only eighteen when she had me, you know, so she must have been like, fifteen or sixteen when she had Dread…" He rolled his eyes. "My Dad was a psycho, but he was, well, White, so I guess to her that meant she could live a little bit of a nice life…But nah, he was always an alco and could never get a real job, he always took it out on me because I was so close to Mum, never like that with Dread because they were so alike…" He sighed, sinking lower into the couch and giving a small smile.

"She got beaten up, I got beaten up, my brother did occasionally, but in his spare time he beat me up…got me to steal shit, Dad went to prison, Dread went to prison…the end." He scoffed, turning to Fanny. "That's basically my past, babe, as well as my family history. It doesn't matter."

Fanny tilted her head to land on his shoulder, running a soothing hand through his hair. "It's in the past; the past is what makes you who you are…"

"I'm not like that anymore." He quickly muttered, already afraid of what Fanny thought of him. "I want you to know that…"

"I don't care." She grinned happily, and this seemed to soften Dodge more than anything. "I love you for who you are now, and that's all that matters."

He leaned over and kissed her, nuzzling into her shoulder as they hugged each other, a peaceful embrace between the two. "I love you too…" He murmured to her. They kissed again, more passionate and heated than the last one. Dodge pulled her onto his lap and they continued, caressing and kissing. Dingo walked in, looking grumpy, and snarled at the two on the couch.

"Oh, get a room!" He snarled, pouting as he stomped into the kitchen. Dodge gave him the finger, but otherwise continued in his heated makeout session. That is, until his phone unfortunately rang, the annoying little buzzing sound vibrating between the two from Dodge's front pocket, and Fanny pulled away, Dodge pouting at her. He debated on not answering, but he was the only one in his gang that could be relied on for answering his phone. With a mumbled apology, he flipped it open and held it to his ear.

"Yeah, what?"

Immediately he heard the sound of muffled pumping music, and he almost voiced a groan upon hearing Bonny's voice. "Dodge! Hey!"

"Ugh…" Dodge pinched the bridge of his nose. Whenever Bonny rang, there was always something she wanted. "What do you want, Bonny?"

"Well, hello to you too!" She growled at him, but immediately looked over her shoulder, her eyes widening. A few seconds before she had witnessed Trent steering Mushi from the club, looking furious…but no sign of Bandit. That worried her. "Listen, Dodge, I'm serious…it's about Bandit."

Dodge sat up, stiffening. "He okay?"

"That's the thing…" Bonny sighed, leaning against the door as she tried to put on her jacket, her phone still glued to her ear. "He looked really upset, I think he and Trent got into a fight and he ran off, you know him better than anyone, and he'll talk to you…" She bit her lip. "He looked really upset Dodge."

Dodge winced. "Really?"

"Like…unpredictably upset. You know how he is."

"How could I forget?" Dodge sighed. "Thanks for telling me, Bon. You know where he went?"

"Nope." Bonny ran her tongue thoughtfully along her teeth. "But he didn't leave with Trent…"

"I gotcha." Dodge mumbled. "Thanks for telling me, Bonny."

"Right, call me if anything happens."

"Yeah, yeah. I won't let it. Night."

"Night!"

He hung up, looking guiltily up into the face of Fanny, whose lips were already crinkled with hearing his ex-girlfriend's voice. "What was that about?"

Dodge ran a hand through his hair, scraping his teeth against his bottom lip. It was all too much for him, so many past memories came into his head that he didn't want to think about. It was crazy. Bandit couldn't possibly…not again…_could he?_

"Listen…" Dodge sighed, gripping Fanny's hands and pouting. "I don't want to, but I have to go. Bandit's gone off somewhere and I need to look for him."

Fanny immediately noted the worry in his voice and stilled, her eyes widening. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know." Dodge admitted, shrugging. "Bandit's always been unpredictable, and a couple of times that's cost him."

"Why do you have to go?"

"I know how to talk to him." Dodge sighed, bringing her face to his and giving her an apologetic kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry, Cherry, I gotta go."

Fanny pouted, feeling cold as Dodge rose to his feet and looked around for his sneakers. "When will you be back?"

"Dunno."

Fanny sighed, debating on whether she should leave.

"If you wanna stay…" Dodge gave her a grin as he balanced on one foot, sliding on a sneaker. "Dingo's here."

Dingo startled, having drifted off in his arms against the counter. He blinked in alarm. "Wha-"

"I'm goin' to talk to Bando." Dodge said swiftly, twirling his keys. "You think you can look after my Cherry?"

"Course, yeah, whatevs." Dingo yawned, stretching his muscular arms above his head. He was shirtless, and Fanny could see he was about even with Dodge in the fitness department, except Dingo of course was much paler, with a few different tats here and there. "We can watch a movie or something til' you get back."

Fanny sat up, her eyes wide. "Oh, you don't have to-"

"It's fine!" Dingo looked eager, jumping over the back of the couch to land a spot next to her. "I won't bite _Cherry, _and if you can't _handle _the movie I choose I got a soft toy you can cuddle and I can leave the lights on-"

Fanny's mouth fell open. "Um, excuse me? I can handle _any _movie-"

Dodge snickered, flicking up the hood of his jacket as he opened the front door.

"You have fun, you two."

* * *

Bandit sprinted up the stairs of the garage, already bawling and shaking with what he was about to do. He didn't care, he just wanted to get out of the dark. It was his fear, the dark, and even the streetlights weren't enough light for him. He quickly unlocked the door with the hide-a-key and slammed the door closed, his fingers trembling as he locked it back up and flicked on all the lights, leaning against the door.

His slim figure was trembling, and only then had he realised how much weight he'd lost. Trent was right, he was back to the way he was before…when he was skinny and weak, dependant and attention seeking. His cheeks were stained with tears as he made his way to the staffroom, slamming the door behind him as he sniffed, wiping at his tears and cursing under his breath. Emptying his pockets, he threw all the stuff he had bought on the way here on the table, trying to push the rest of his guilt away. It was _his _life…_his _decisions… _If Trent wants to treat me like shit, I'll show him…I'll fucking show him…_

He spread out the stuff, his fingers trembling as he rolled up the sleeves of his favourite hoodie. Add water, prep syringe, he could hear _his _voice in the back of his mind, a voice long gone…

"_Bandy Baby, shooting up is the best, you can snort and smoke all you want, but if you want the good shit, you have to feel the good shit, and that is to pump it through your fucking veins, baby."_

He shook his head, squeezing his eyes closed. He knew deep down what he was doing was wrong, but he couldn't help himself now. It was what he needed. He bit his lip, swallowing the lump in his throat. He was so angry yet so scared, his emotions were in a wreck…

He looked over to his iPod speakers, immediately flicking through to land on one of his favourites, and grinned to himself, turning up the volume to the heavy, thick guitar base to a popular favourite- the _Oops I did it Again _cover by Children of Bodom. He quickly danced along to the rhythm, gathering his prepped needles and stomping off to the bathroom. Britney's voice filled the room, blending nicely with the fierce bass.

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_

Then a harsher, rusher voice came in, and Bandit immediately sang along, his own voice taking on a screamo tone, harsh and menacing as he swayed to the riff of the guitar.

"_Oh Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah…"_ He snickered at reaching the mirror, the practically orgasmic screams of the guitar giving him a warm, familiar feeling as he glared at his reflection, speaking the lyrics that mirrored his own heart.

"_I think I did it again…"_ He pouted. "_I made you believe, we're more than just friends…"_ He growled, slamming his fists against the slightly stained mirror and snarling at his reflection, his damp hair clinging to his forehead. _"Oh baby, it might seem like a crush, but it doesn't mean…that I'm serious…"_ He tilted his head to the side, watching himself with uncertainty. _"Cause to…lose all my senses…"_ He snarled, slamming his head against the tiled wall and cursing himself. "_That is just so typically me!"_ He snickered, skipping across to the sink, where he dumped his stash.

_Oh Baby. Baby…_

"_Oops I did it again…" _Bandit sang seemingly innocently, but swung his head violently to the rhythm of the beat all the same, his teeth gritted as he screamed along to the lyrics, kicking anything he could along the way. _"I played with your heart…got lost in the game…"_ He jumped up to the mirror again, reaching into the sink and holding out his hand, where he was positive nobody would look.

"_Oh baby, baby…" _

Not taking his eyes off the mirror, where he could clearly see his proud smirk, he dug the tip of the needle into the webbing of his fingers, a sharp stab where he injected as much as he cold, biting through the pain by singing through the rest of the song through gritted teeth, feeling the euphoria sing through his veins.

"_Oops you think I'm in love...That I'm sent from abooooove…" _His smirk turned evil as he opened his eyes, grinning triumphantly.

"_I'm not that innocent." _

* * *

Dodge drove along the deserted streets anxiously, his teeth digging into his bottom lip. Furiously and one handed, he dialed Trent's number, his fingers trembling so much it took a couple of tries. The phone rang a couple of times before Trent answered, sounding furious.

"_What?" _

"Trent!" Dodge snarled, cruising along the main road towards the garage, where he hoped Bandit was. "Trent, have you seen Bandit? Is he home?"

Dodge heard his friend scoff, and immediately a surge of anger went through him.

"_No." _Trent sneered. "_I haven't seen him since…since we were at the club, I guess."_

"Don't fucking lie to me." Dodge snarled, and he knew he had immediately shocked Trent just by how harsh he sounded. "You upset him. Where is he?"

"I dunno, I didn't know he was that upset…" Now Trent sounded unsure, but his anger was still stubbornly trying to maintain itself. "I mean he got himself into it but he seemed fine when he left-"

"He didn't leave with you?"

"No" Trent admitted, now sounding slightly jumpy. "He…he didn't…why? Is he okay? Dodge?"

"Well I don't know, do I?" Dodge growled. "You know what he's like."

"He wouldn't…" Trent sounded unsure. "He wouldn't…you know…would he?"

"Fuck if I know." Dodge snarled at him, now furious. "You know how sensitive he is. He's _delicate _Trent-"

"Hey, this aint my fault!" Trent snarled. "He's been pushing it ever since and he needed to be told-"

"I don't care what bitchfight you had." Dodge growled dangerously over him. "Just let me know if you hear from him."

With that he hung up, not wanting to wait for Trent to reply. Dodge was furious. Trent didn't know how much he could upset Bandit, and Bandit was always known as the sensitive one. Trent winced as Dodge hung up harshly. VERY rarely does Dodge ever lose his temper enough to snap at him and hang up on him, and that's only in dire circumstances…back when…

Trent shook his head. No- Bandit wouldn't do that…

_Would he? _

* * *

Even with the drugs now pumping through his system, the needle still sticking out from his dry, pale skin, Bandit was still singing.

"_You see my problem is this…" _Bandit looked up, the skin between his fingers now bleeding slightly. His hand formed a fist as the drugged happiness flowed through him, and his dull eyes gazed back at him from his reflection._ "I'm dreaming away…wishing that heroes, they truly exist…"_ He stumbled back into the staffroom, almost tripping over the couch in his drugged up state. He thought the stuff would make him happier, not send him into a deep, furious mood swing. Now he felt angry, as well as euphoric. _" I cry, watching the days…Can't you see I'm a fooool… in so many ways…?"_ he let a few tears fall, kicking the wall angrily. He snarled with the song. He pouted, looking sad.

"_But to, lose all my senses,  
That is just so typically me…"_

Bandit stomped back to the mirror, leaning against it again. He glared into his ocean blue eyes, which gazed furiously back. But then they changed, and suddenly he saw _her _eyes- Mushi's- a furious light indigo…glaring at him sadly. He grinned back at her, a twisted, evil smirk as he leaned his forehead against the cracked mirror.

"_Oops I did it again…"_ He snickered at her. _"I played with your heart…got lost in the game… oh baby, baby …"_ He put a fist to the glass, as if trying to push through to get to her. He pouted, almost mockingly._ "…Oops you think I'm in looove…got sent from abooooove…" _He snarled, pushing off the mirror and thrusting his entire fist into it, sending a crack across the mirror like a spider web, distorting his reflection and causing him to whimper, step back and hit the wall, sliding to the floor as the guitar solo and Finnish conversation began.

"…_I'm not that innocent." _He whispered faintly.

He closed his eyes, feeling the drugs echo and swim through his body as the guitar riff and singing filled his mind. The rush was incredible. He fell weakly to the tiled floor, amongst the broken fragments, and lay there pathetically, whimpering and cuddling to the cold pieces of glass. He didn't even care if they cut him. The music faded, the beat still steady.

_Oops!... I did it again  
I've played with your heart,  
got lost in this game,  
oh baby,  
baby  
Oops!... You think I'm in love,  
that I'm sent from above  
I'm not that innocent_

_

* * *

_

Fanny surprisingly found Dingo to be quite nice when it came to it, and they wasted no time in watching the first movie they could find, which turned out to be Bandit's copy of_ Lady and the Tramp. _A good enough movie, Fanny always thought, but annoyingly enough Dingo kept fast-forwarding through any lovey-dovey scenes, which Fanny always thought was the best.

"No." She growled sternly, slapping his hand away as he reached for the remote. "It's the spaghetti eating scene! You cannot be serious in skipping this, it's a classic!"

Dingo pouted, quickly excusing himself to go make a cup of tea. Fanny rolled her eyes. Even she could see he was clearly having girlfriend drama. She thought back to the claim by Dodge in the car just the other day… that his girlfriend was pregnant. She wondered what they meant for Dingo, if he accepted it or not…if he stood by her…she thought back to her own pregnant friend Abby…the awkwardness is must be with Wally…she sighed as she suddenly felt guilty, knowing her own reaction to hearing Abby's pregnancy. Immediately irresponsible…stupid…doomed for life… She shook her head.

_Maybe I was too harsh…_

Dingo crawled back into the couch once the scene was over, a warm tea cradled in his hands. Fanny cleared her throat, thinking to herself that she might as well make conversation.

"So…how's…life?"

"Pretty shit." Dingo mumbled, leaning back in the chair to scratch at his stomach. He yawned. "Ya'self?"

"Uh…pretty good…" Fanny muttered back, biting her lip. "So how's your…girlfriend? The pregnant one?"

Dingo turned to her, his eyes wide. Fanny jumped suddenly as she realised just how familiar his eyes were…and she wondered why she didn't put two and two together before…

"How did you-"

"Dodge mentioned it in the car, remember?" Fanny smirked, cocking an eyebrow. "I never really noticed before…but are you Wallabee's brother? The one from Australia?"

"Uh…" Dingo gulped, a nervous lump suddenly forming in his throat…_too many questions. Crap, what if she suspects…neh…act…natural! _"yeah…I am…we don't-" He looked up, his eyes hard. "We're technically half brothers, and we don't get along-"

"Oh." Fanny blushed, looking away. "Well, that's okay…I was just wondering…"

Dingo nodded, but still felt awkward all the same. He took another gulp of tea, something that always seemed to calm him down.

"His ex-girlfriend's pregnant, you know, so you're on your way to becoming an uncle…did you know that?'

Dingo choked, hot tea immediately scalding his throat as he spat out the mouthful of tea, choking and spluttering in alarm, his chest wracking with alarmed coughs, his eyes wide as he turned to Fanny- tea dripping down his chin.

"WHAT?"

* * *

Dodge pulled up to the garage, shaking as he locked his car. He quickly stepped up the stairs as he noticed all the lights were on, something he knew Bandit does due to his phobia of the dark. He bit his lip anxiously as he unlocked the door, quickly closing it as he stepped through to the staffroom, where he noticed it was eerily quiet.

"Shit." He hissed, running a hand through his chestnut hair. He noticed the instruments on the table and immediately thought of the worst, his teeth digging into his bottom lip so harshly it was close to drawing blood. "Bandit!"

He strained his ears, only the sound of his thumping heart could be heard. Then he snapped his head to the bathroom, where he was positive he heard a small whimper. He practically sprinted over, skidding to a halt when he noticed the crumpled, pathetic figure of one of his best friends on the cold floor, his body trembling and writhing.

"Bandit…" he groaned, immediately pulling him up. Bandit struggled weakly against his grip, but Dodge easily half carried, half dragged his friend to the couch, shoving him onto it face up and quickly looking into his pale face, where his eyes were closed and his breathing slow. "Bandit, hey. Bando."

Bandit didn't respond, he simply lay there with those slow breaths. Dodge's heartbeat rose anxiously and he put a hand to his friend's cheek. Biting his lip he looked over his shoulder to see a glass of water on the table- probably used to mix the crap in the first place- and he trickled some of it onto Bandit's forehead, hoping it would get a response. He let out a sigh of relief as Bandit's face screwed up with discomfort, shuffling slightly. Dodge bit his lip, knowing what the stuff was like with breathing.

"Breathe, Bandit." He growled at him. "Just breathe, okay?" He gripped his arm, and noticed how hot his friend felt. His lips twisted anxiously as Bandit struggled to open his eyes, his focus clearing as he saw Dodge's face hovering over his. He suddenly jolted, struggling to get away and screaming.

"NO! NO! NOT YOU! NOT YOU! GO AWAY! PLEASE DON'T-"

"Bandit!" Dodge barked, gripping his shoulders and forcing the weakly flailing Bandit to look at him. "Bandit it's _ME!_ Dodge! Bandit look at me!"

Bandit stilled as he looked at him, into Dodge's icy blue, calming eyes, which showed no violence or hatred towards him. He relaxed in his friend's grip, feeling exhausted.

"Aw…" He sighed weakly, looking drowsy. "…It's _you…"_ His eyes suddenly widened, his bottom lip trembling as he looked over, realising just who it was. "…Shit."

"Damn right- _shit." _Dodge snarled at him, his eyes narrowing. "What the fuck were you thinking, huh?"

"Mnn…" Bandit rolled over on the couch, licking his dry lips. His eyes were filling with tears as the full weight of his rush and downfall came to him, especially with the added weight of Dodge's disappointed glare. The fear entered him for the second time that night, and Dodge looked down to see Bandit gripping his wrist weakly, his eyes wide. "Please don't be mad, Dodgem…"

Dodge weakly tried to tug him off, snarling. "Bandit-"

"Please don'-don't be mad and leave me-" Bandit whimpered, tears springing to his eyes as he slumped against the couch, too weak to rise. "I won't do it again, I promise-"

"Just lie down, Bandit." Dodge snarled at him, checking over his arms. They were littered with cuts and bruises, little rivers of dried blood tainting the pale skin. But Bandit refused to give in, clawing for Dodge's forgiveness.

"N-no…b-but you're not too mad, are you? We're still friends right? Dodge?" He whimpered pathetically, gripping at Dodge's shirt as he tried to check him over. "Dodgem! Joker!"

"Yes, Bandit!" Dodge snarled at him, but mentally slapped himself as Bandit began to cry, saddened and immediately shamed by Dodge's yelling. He was delicate, Dodge of all people should know that. He put a hand to his friend's shoulder, trying to speak soothingly to him. _"_Yeah, Bandit…okay? You'll always be my friend, I'm not mad and I'm not leaving you….okay?"

Bandit sniffled, but managed to nod and let Dodge check him over. Dodge sighed, looking over to the bathroom. _Must have fell on all of the glass from the mirror…that's what has him so cut up…_

"I didn't mean to, this time…" Bandit promised him, his eyes wide. "I didn't do it on purpose, Dodge, you know I don't do that 'no mores…"

"Yeah, I know mate."

"I wasn't going to this time…it wasn't on purpose…I was just mad."

"I know, Bandit. I know."

"An' An' it won't happen again…" He added weakly, blinking slowly at Dodge, who was picking off any other glass that clung to him. "I promise. The cuts weren't on purpose."

"Yeah…"

Dodge lifted his wrist, the one that still had a couple of white, deep set scars along the main veins, and couldn't repress a shiver. His eyes quickly found the markings in between the webbings of his thin fingers, where he learned to look a long time ago. Bandit attempted to tug his hand away, his voice thick with tears and shame.

"Don'-Don't, Dodge…" He sobbed to him. "I won't do it anymore."

Dodge let his hand go, but his eyes still carried that harsh, angry glare. "How much did you take?"

"Not a lot." Bandit whimpered. "I had some left; I didn't take all of it. Don't be mad."

"I'm not." Dodge sighed, rising to his feet. "C'mon Bandit, I'm taking you home-"

"No." Bandit sniffled, rolling onto his side and cuddling his hands to his chest. He was still twitching from the rush, his eyes closing. "I wanna stay here, I don't wanna see Trent."

"Bandit…" Dodge leaned down, his face full of concern. "I can't leave you here alone."

Bandit just shook his head, burying his face in his arms. Dodge sighed, knowing a decision had already been made. He made himself comfortable on the couch next to Bandit and quickly dialed Dingo, knowing where he was staying tonight. Bandit crawled over to him, snuggling his head into Dodge's arm. Dodge sighed, still trying to dial. Sometimes he was positive Bandit was like a lost puppy, sniveling and begging for affection and forgiveness at the slightest error.

"I'm really, really sorry Dodge…" Bandit sniffed, his eyes wide as he leaned against Dodge's side, his knees curled up into his chest. "I really am. I fucking screwed up big time huh?"

"You're alright, Bando." Dodge sighed, throwing an arm around his friend. "I've come to your rescue before, and I'll do it again. Anytime."

* * *

Fanny twirled her house keys around her finger, still slightly alarmed over Dingo's reaction to Abby's pregnancy- his alarm at being an uncle…it seemed strange to her, just as the disappointment in his face as she immediately proclaimed that she was ready to go home. She processed this._ It must have been a big thing for him…to find out he has a brother and then to be an uncle…even if they didn't get along that's gotta be big, right? You can't really blame him for being upset…_

…_Especially if his girlfriend's pregnant too…_

Fanny sighed, not wanting to think about it anymore. Instead she unlocked her door and stepped inside, frowning as she immediately stepped on a piece of paper that had been shoved under the door.

"That came for you." Rachel muttered, coming out of the hallway holding an empty bowl. She raised her eyebrows. "it had your name on it, so I didn't touch it. You expecting anything?"

Fanny's frown deepened as she leaned down, holding a simple envelope in her hands with the printed, written name of 'Fanny' on the front. "No…" She muttered, shrugging. "I don't know what it is."

Rachel smirked. "A lurrve letter?"

Fanny let out a loud scoff, rolling her eyes as she threw the envelope onto the counter, her head too filled with worries and thoughts to examine yet another potential drama. "Whatever, I doubt it. I'm off to bed."

"Aren't you going to read it?" Rachel asked, her eyes bulging curiously at the mysterious white envelope.

"Not right now…" Fanny yawned, stretching her arms and scratching at her stomach. She paused, her eyes widening as she realised just how many mannerisms she'd picked up from Dingo and Dodge. "I better go to bed, I'm feeling so tired and I know everyone's going to be looking at me tomorrow at this wedding…better at least have no bags under my eyes."

"Fair enough." Rachel smirked. "How was your boyfriend tonight?"

Fanny narrowed her eyes at her friend, a sly smirk echoing across her face as she sauntered off to her room, grinning to herself.

"I saaaawwww that…." Rachel teased from behind her.

* * *

Kuki arose the next morning to the sun streaming through her closed blinds, her head aching at the thought of what today will bring…a wedding…seeing Abby again…and Wally…Hollie's words immediately echoed through her mind and she buried her head under her blankets and pillows, wondering vaguely if she'll ever be able to get out of bed.

She'd confronted Abby- almost accused her of being unfaithful towards Wally and her baby not being his. Just the thought of seeing her friend again, after what she had accused her of, made her want to bury her head in her pillows and never see the light of day again.

But just as she was about to fall back into a peaceful slumber, the phone on her bedside table suddenly buzzed, signaling that she had received a text message. She blindly grabbed for the vibrating cell, her fingers enclosing around the instrument as she peeled her eyes back open, her vision still fuzzy. It was Wally.

_Morning Baby, r u getting ready at Rach's?_

_Xx_

She couldn't resist a smile. Wally actually texted her good morning- _how sweet is that?_ She bit her lip, though, as she tried to work out how to reply. She had to tell him- what Holly said. Even if he laughed it off she still couldn't stand keeping out that from him. Her thumb worked expertedly across the buttons.

_Yeah I should be there at about 2. Hey after the wedding can we talk about something?_

_Xo_

She laid the phone back onto the table, her stomach twisting and turning at the thought of getting a reply. She didn't have to wait long before the phone buzzed again.

_Lol- that doesn't sound good? _

No kisses at the bottom, she could tell she was being a bit forward.

_No just something I have to ask you. No big deal (: I'll see you there_

_XXX_

_Ps- you better be wearing your cute tux I picked out :P_

She sighed to herself as she climbed out of bed, keeping her phone on her as a form of life preserver. Cautiously she opened the door, biting down hard on her bottom lip as she kept an eye out for Abby. Feeling the coast was clear she grabbed her towel and sprinted into the bathroom, just as Wally texted back. She flipped it open as she locked the door, a grin gracing her face as she read the words.

_Yeah yeah, anything for you xx_

She let the warm water from the shower flow down her body, warming and waking her senses, as she thought of the day ahead- Cree's wedding. She could remember back when she was only a kid, when Cree seemed so big and intimidating- now the truth was clear that she was only a few years older than she was- no different than any other girl at that age. Now she was getting married…flowing along the seemingly normal, natural way of life. Kuki bit her lip, closing her eyes as she threaded her fingers through her long hair, rubbing in her favourite peach shampoo. A wedding…

_One day…_

_

* * *

_

Fanny sat at the edge of her bed, her eyes wide and her lips agape as she held the photo evidence in her hands, the ripped envelope at her feet. Dodge stared back at her, his frightened blue eyes looking guilty and sheepish, but still with the same flash of defiance as his lips curled into the slightest growl- looking foreign on such a young face. He held his number in his hand, showing what crime he had committed. Fanny flipped it over, looking again at the words someone had scribbled on the back.

_Wanted for murder?_

Fanny shook her head, burying her head in her hands as those words bounced around in her skull. Of course it seemed ludicrous, but at the same time Dodge's guilty gaze still stared at her, blunt proof of the past he had tried so hard to hide from her.

"Fan?" Rachel knocked on her friend's open door, her cautious eyes narrowed as she frowned at her friend, who looked so shocked and defeated. "Fanny? You okay?"

"He…He's _this _Rach." Fanny mumbled, quickly standing and shoving the small picture into Rachel's grip. Her sad face turned stormy as she grabbed her jacket, yanking it on and zipping it up, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly she looked dangerous. "And he didn't tell me!"

"Wanted…for murder?" Rachel scoffed, her eyebrows raised disbelievingly. "Fanny- you don't know who sent you this or who wrote it, it could be just a blatant lie-"

"A picture doesn't _lie." _Fanny snarled. "He never said anything about this- about being arrested or anything. He didn't tell me, he didn't trust me to tell me, and now some psycho's sending me pictures saying he's wanted for murder…how do I know that's not a lie too?"

Rachel bit her lip as she watched her friend rant and rave around the room, gradually growing dangerously more furious. "Fan, let's think first, we don't know-"

"I'm going to see him." Fanny snarled, grabbing the picture and stomping out of the room. Hurt and pain was bubbling fiercely within her, and she could feel within her she couldn't function unless she got answers. She _knew _something had to be up- Dodge- seemingly perfect Dodge, she always thought there had to be something- otherwise why would he like her?

She snarled, stomping to her car, ready for the attack.

* * *

Abby sighed to herself, twitching her nose in slight discomfort as she attempted to stay completely still, beauticians, masseuses and nail clerks buzzing around her like flies, smearing all kinds of products on her skin and touching her in ways that made her jump in annoyance. She could tell her emotions were flying high today, and she found herself getting annoyed at virtually anything that came into contact with her.

"_Beware the pregnant lady…" _Her cousin, Sarah, snickered at her behind her cucumber face mask. Abby narrowed her eyes, not trusting herself to say anything. Cree's entire bridal party was booked into a room at an expensive spa uptown, getting treated to only the best facials, manicures and makeovers that Cree could order. The wedding was in approximately five hours, it was only seven in the morning, and already Cree was panicking. Despite being in the bridal suite, Abby and the rest of Cree's bridesmaids could hear her anxious rants through the closed door.

"_No I do not want RED lipstick! What do I look like, some cheap hussy?"_

Abby fiddled with her perfected nails, ready to chip off the flashy pearly pink polish that had been applied. Her poor fingernails felt hard and sharp, as well as cheap and plastic-y. She hated acrylics. But of course, Cree loved them. Abby snarled. Suddenly she felt less natural, and that just added to her feelings of pain.

"Cheer up, Abby." One of Cree's friends, Leyla, soothed her, reaching out and tapping her own fake nails against Abby's wrist. "Cheer up, you look beautiful."

Abby gave her a smile, although she felt far from better, and definitely far from beautiful. Kuki's words stuck in her mind and refused to budge. She already felt a horrible, sinking feeling at yelling at her friend, who had done nothing wrong, but the fact that Kuki was _suspicious _of her seemed to sting more than anything. Her secret was surfacing; soon she'd have to face the music. She hated the thought of telling Wallabee, but she absolutely despised the mere thought of lying to him any longer. She had ignored it enough…it was time to tell him the blunt truth.

She had yet to tell Cree this, she thought her neurotic sister had enough to worry about on her Wedding Day without the added stress of having to scream at her for being so stupid.

"Baby dramas?" Sarah immediately asked, sitting up straighter. A smile brimmed on her face. "I can't believe you're so big!"

Abby gave her a forced smile, and put her manicured hands to her covered belly protectively. She could feel all of the girls in the room- all five of Cree's bridesmaids- just staring at it, judging and wondering where it had come from. She could feel her stomach clenching and baby writhing uncomfortably, and it wasn't helping with her current moral dilemma battling in her head.

"Thanks…" She mumbled, though she couldn't understand why everyone had the urge to exclaim how massive she was getting every time they saw her. Her hands cuddling her stomach seemed to soothe her baby, who was sitting pretty heavily today on her bladder. She hoped that it wouldn't cause too much mishap for Cree's wedding. It was six months today…about four months after that first meeting with the doctor…telling her she was two months pregnant…first meeting with Cree, telling _her _she was two months pregnant…first meeting with Dingo...

"So how's it all going?" Leyla asked her, her eyes wide. "You know, with the baby. Have you found out the sex yet?"

"Oh, yeah." Abby suddenly smiled, the thought of just a regular conversation about the baby excited her, rather than a dramatic sob story involving the subject of the baby's father. "It's a boy, and the doctor says he's healthy and everything, no dramas or troubles yet-"

"And the father?" Shana asked, her deep brown eyes sparkling mischievously. Abby rounded on her, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It's not something I want to discuss…" she mumbled stiffly, her eyes turning back to her stomach, covered by the thick fluffy spa dressing gown.

"It's not something you should worry about." Leyla assured her, smiling sweetly. "You look gorgeous, and all you need to concentrate on for today is the same as what we all have to concentrate on- not falling over."

Abby grinned, stealing a glance at herself in the mirror. Her hair was almost done, and her face was now clear of any moisturizing or cleansing gunk, and she had to admit that even she looked presentable, her skin was giving off a vibrant pregnant glow and she loved her dress- a deep violet bubble dress that shaped her curves beautifully. She'd stand out against the rest of the bridesmaids- who were in a lighter lavender, but looked great next to Cree, who had some deep purple roses in her bouquet along with cream and crimson.

Abby sighed, flexing her pedicured toes- which she could only just see above her stomach.

_Today is going to be a looooong day…_

* * *

Dodge groaned, immediately yawning as he opened his eyes to the dreary staffroom before him, rolling his neck as he rose from his cramped slumber. He winced as he soon realised how much pain he was in. What a night's sleep. He looked over to Bandit, who was taking up the entire sofa and was fast asleep on his stomach, his mouth opening and drooling and his arm hanging over the side of the couch as he whimpered and groaned in his sleep.

"_Please no…" _He mumbled, before giving a quick snore and rolling over. Dodge rolled his eyes, getting to his feet and running his hands through his ruffled hair. He couldn't help but give a small smile to Bandit, who looked so insignificant and innocent spread out across the sofa, whimpering and sniffling like a puppy. It took him back to when they used to bond, when times were a bit darker…but somehow they saw the light…

He shuffled into the main workshop as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, which was digging into his thigh. A dark frown suddenly worked into his face as he noticed the ten missed calls he had missed all with the name Cherry. His heart thudded against his chest, thumping his ribcage as he expected the worst. Just as his fingers were quickly dialing her number he heard a knock echo through the shop and he turned to pull open the door, not even bothering to check who was behind it.

Fanny glared at him as she stepped in without a word, slamming the door behind her. Dodge stiffened as he saw a look on her face he had never seen before- a deep mistrust and anger burned in those narrowed fiery eyes of hers, and Dodge fought back a whimper as she leaned forward threateningly.

"Cher-"

"What-" Fanny snarled, fighting her very best to keep her growl stable as she fought back hurt, girlish tears. "Is _this?"_

She flicked the picture at him, and it Frisbee-ed straight into his chest, Dodge grabbing at it pathetically and flipping it over, his face immediately paling.

_Shit._

"Cherry." Dodge groaned, his throat tightening. "I told you I've been in trouble with the-"

"You didn't tell me…" Fanny snarled darkly, her eyes narrowing. "What's on the back."

Dodge's eyes lowered, a flash of anger and pain darkening those baby blue irises. His lips seemed to twitch and he was dangerously still, an opposing figure against Fanny's trembling form- feeling both fury and hurt pumping through her system at an alarming rate. Dodge heaved a sad sigh, his eyes widening at her as he realised his mind was blank- he could come up with no believable explanation, and Fanny's eyes were welling with tears. He'd never seen her cry before...barely anyone had.

"You don't believe what that says…do you?" He croaked, chewing on his bottom lip sheepishly.

"Why would someone write that?" Fanny spat, her hair falling into her face as tears sprang to her eyes. She flipped the Polaroid around, growling at him. "It says 'Suspicion of Murder' What the hell is that supposed to mean, huh? You were involved in a murder?" She watched him closely, especially noting the way his fingers trembled and his eyes looked to the floor, too ashamed to look her in the eye. She scoffed loudly, shaking her head. The despair seemed to spread within her, and now her whole body drooped with the weight of it all, unsure if she'd be able to cope. "It's true, isn't it?"

"Cherry-" Dodge started, reaching for her desperately. "Just lemme explain-"

"Forget it." She snarled, heading for the door. "Don't touch me."

"But-" Dodge's eyes widened hopefully, his numb feet stumbling across the cold floor to chase her. "Baby wait! Let me explain, I'll tell you everything, it's not what it seems-"

"It's too late; I had to hear it from someone else!" Fanny snarled, not trusting herself to turn around and look into those baby blue eyes. "Just forget it! Forget about me and just go! You've done enough!"

"You can't just say this is it! You can't just go!" Dodge asked incredulously, stopping in his tracks. Everything was happening way too fast. He longed to run after her, but the redhead looked furious, unlikely to ever forgive him or even look at him the same way again. He felt his heart was truly tearing at the sight of her retreating back, the sound of her sniffling and crying as he knew he'd let her down, he wanted to do nothing more than run after her and take her in his arms, kiss her and make everything better, but he knew deep down this was it…he'd done it, and his past had truly destroyed the one relationship he thought would be everlasting. "Cherry…" He whispered, even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

He couldn't bear the pain to hold her back and see her yell at him again, that lost and betrayed look in her eyes. He vainly wished back to last night, where he wished he just told her everything and be done with it. But her walking away, everything that had happened before in his life didn't matter, the sight of her defeated figure walking further away from him was enough to make him cry, and soon the tears began to fall, as did he, sitting in a defeated heap on the ground, feeling as though a part of him had just drifted from his own body, all warmth and heat gone.

Fanny rounded the corner and leaned against the wall, crumpled and crushed. She buried her flushed face in her hands, sobbing wetly into the sleeves of her jacket. She couldn't believe he was gone, he let her walk away. She gripped the stupid photo in her hand, the picture now packed down into a torn ball of paper, almost nothing in her fist. She sniveled and cried, unable to hold back the furious flood of tears flowing down her face. She never felt so empty and alone, but nothing could overpower her more than the feeling of complete sadness she felt at Dodge not being with her, right next to her with his arms wrapped around her stubbornly. He'd let her go…just like that. He let her walk away, and that stung more than ever, it weighed her down and seemed to drag her to the depths of heartbreak she thought she never could feel.

"He obviously didn't love me." She spat hatefully, her voice croaking with emotion. She wiped furiously at her tears, sniffling and sighing as she struggled to compose herself, quickly sprinting from the scene.

She had to get ready.

* * *

Maurice jolted awake, his head feeling as though it had been split open and his eyelids practically screaming in protest as he looked around the room wildly, into the sly smirk of one of his groomsmen, Chad, who was holding an empty champagne bucket guiltily- the contents of the melted ice now all over Maurice and now soaking into the sheets.

"WHAT THE?" He snarled at him, immediately jumping out of bed. Upon realising he was only clad in boxers, he grabbed the sheet too and wrapped it around his body, blushing and growling furiously. Chad snickered at him, his tongue between his teeth as he wordlessly nodded to who was sharing the king size hotel bed _with _Maurice. Asleep and hogging the white duvet, none other than Bonny, fast asleep and clutching the pillow. She stirred as she felt the water hit her bare shoulders, but otherwise remained sleeping. Maurice froze in total alarm, his stomach seeming to droop to his groin and his mouth suddenly going dry. He turned to Chad in alarm, flashes of fuzzy memories from last night entering his mind.

"Wha-"

Chad shrugged unhelpfully, his baby blue eyes sparkling mischeviously. He looked like he was virtually saying- _You tell me, buddy. _

Maurice slapped a hand to his forehead, groaning. _This cannot be happening, this cannot be happening._

_Nude girl. Stripper._

_In bed._

_On wedding day._

_Not good._

_Not happening!_

"Just…get everyone ready-" he grumbled, shooing him out. Chad snickered, happily complying as he bounced out of the room, towards the other rooms where the rest of the grooms party were staying.

"Okay…" He grinned lowly. "But we only have about four hours 'til the ceremony…"

Maurice slammed the door, immediately falling against it and shoving his entire fist in his mouth, his breaths coming in quick, rapid pants. _Not happening…not happening! _

He heard a light groan and turned to see the slim figure of Bonny leaning against the wall, running a hand through her chopped brown hair. Even Maurice had to admit she was very attractive- her makeup still flawless and her tanned skin naturally glowing. She gave him a small smile, and he could tell she was sharing the same headache.

"Relax." She murmured softly, her eyes wide. "We didn't do anything, I just sleep naked."

Maurice seemed to freeze all over again, the blood immediately stopping in his veins as he blinked at her, his heart thumping against his chest. "W-wh-"

"You were so out of it." She grinned teasingly. "And I knew you were the groom to be, I would never sink that low. So you can relax, your bed was simply the comfiest."

Maurice let out a big sigh of relief, his heart seeming to rise back into its normal position and he seemed to lift, pushing himself off the door and a wide grin flashing across his face.

"Oh thank- not that I'm…ecstatic abou- I mean…you're very attractive, but-"

Bonny simply rolled her eyes, her smile gleaming in the morning light of the room. "Yeah yeah, you're getting married, hon, you gotta stop thinking about things like that." She picked up the abandoned champagne bottle and took a small sip, turning to him again. "So I take it you're already running late?"

Maurice gave her a smirk, feeling sheepish as he realised he was still clad in his boxers. "Uh…yeah."

Bonny snickered, still warmed by the buzz of the champagne. "I'll let you have the first shower then."

"Thanks." Maurice grinned, still giddy with relief. He stumbled into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Bonny immediately heard the shower run as she sat on the bed, looking around half heartedly for her clothes. She gathered them in a pile, sighing to herself, gazing at the bathroom door.

_Ignorance is bliss…_she couldn't help but think.

* * *

"Cheer up, Kooks!" Rachel grinned widely as Kuki looked up, sighing to herself as she gazed at both of them in the mirror. Rachel was sitting behind her on the couch, doing her hair for the wedding, as Kuki sat cross-legged on the floor, the two of them comfortably sitting in their living room with Rachel's full length mirror in front of them- next to the TV, of course, which was playing reruns of _Sabrina: the Teenage Witch. _The pretty oriental girl shared a giggle or a smile every now and then, but otherwise all Rachel seemed to notice was how glum her friend looked, her wide purple eyes always downcast or glassy, her pouty glossy lips turned downwards into a sad pout. "You look beautiful…"

Kuki smiled at that, even she had to admit Rachel's handiwork made her look stunning. She had waved her hair evenly and slicked some product into it that really brought out its natural shine, making it silky and smooth. To top it off she'd pulled it into an elegant half-updo that looked elegant as well as casual, as well as framed Kuki's face beautifully. Her long raven locks waved down to her elbows and Rachel was just adding the finishing touches to the top half, coating it with hairspray as she slipped in a pearl studded barrette, clipping it to the side of her head.

"Thanks to you." She grinned happily. "Thanks, Rachel." But even Rachel noticed in the split second Kuki looked down the joyfulness was gone, replaced instead with a look of anxiety and confusion. Rachel sighed, turning off her curling iron and instead bringing out her hair straighter, flailing it in front of Kuki's nose with a sly smirk.

"Now your turn- you can do me!"

Kuki's eyes widened. "but, I can't do it as well as you-"

"Kooks…" Rachel scoffed, rolling her hazel eyes. "Come on, it's not that hard, I only want it straight for today." She twirled her shoulder length golden hair casually, pursing her lips as she looked in the mirror thoughtfully. "Not much to do with my hair unfortunately."

"But I-"

"No arguments!" Rachel grinned, getting to her feet and motioning Kuki into her position on the couch. "Come on, while you hold it and get it to heat up I'll heat some popcorn up."

Kuki gave her a grateful smile, hair straightner in hand, as Rachel skipped off, grabbing a bag of microwave popcorn from the cupboard and throwing it into their microwave. Just as she slammed the door shut on the appliance, their front door opened and a bumbling Fanny stumbled through the door, her eyes a telltale red and her cheeks still stained with tears. Rachel's eyes widened, immediately approaching her with caution.

"Fan!" She gaped. "What's wrong? It didn't go well? Tell-"

"He didn't come after me." Fanny sniffled, a frozen figure leaning against the door. Her hair was a mess, tangled and stringy around her face as her shoulders hunched, still slightly trembling from the weight of it all. "I-I confronted him and walked off…and he didn't c-come after me…"

"He-" Rachel frowned at the girl before her, a friend she had known to be so strong and independent, now a bumbling, lost little mess choking up with sobs over a boy. She brought her into a supportive hug, patting her shoulder delicately. A frown graced her face as Fanny returned the hug, sinking into the warmth and support her roommate seemed to give. "But, Fan…did you talk to him? Like, actually ask him-"

"N-not really…" Fanny sniffed, her eyes wide. "I just…lost it and couldn't stop crying, I had to walk off, I thought he'd follow me and explain, but he-he didn't and-" She broke, coughing and spluttering as she burst into more tears. "He must not have l-l-loved me!"

Rachel sighed to herself, shaking her head slightly as she realised how much Fanny was hurting. The microwave behind her beeped and Rachel reached over to pull the warm, steaming bag of popcorn out, holding some up to Fanny's nose with a friendly smile in place. "Popcorn and venting session? _Sabrina's _on…"

Fanny looked up at her, a wet smile appearing on her face. Rachel gave her friend a quick hug, grinning at her. "Come on, I left the straightner on…"

* * *

"Okay…one hour until the ceremony…"

Cree patted her hair nervously as Abby helped her adjust her veil. Abby bit her lip as she was seeing just how anxious her sister was getting- shaking so much it was getting hard to clip the long piece of white material into her perfected hair. Abby truly felt close to tears- her sister looked so beautiful, something she had been dreaming of for so long, it was hard for the sisters to see it a reality. They were standing side by side in front of a full length mirror, the spare room of the suite. Both felt tears fog their vision, bt refused to let them fall, fearing their pristine eye makeup.

"Ohmagod….Abby…" Cree breathed, her chest rising and falling rapidly with nerves as she turned to her sister, gripping her shoulder. "I don't know if I can do this…"

"Don't be stupid Cree." Abby murmured to her, her deep chocolate eyes looking up into her sister's matching ones. "Of course you can do this, you're my sister, you can do anything." She gave her sister a wide smile, fighting back the tears itching to escape. "If you can put up with me, I mean-"

Cree gave a sniff, and Abby immediately reached for a tissue, handing it to her. Cree took it delicately as a knock came at the white oak door, their mother appearing. She stared at the girls with awe, her face breaking out into a smile as she saw how beautiful they looked…especially Cree, her slim figure highlighted with a long designer strapless gown, and the fact Abby looked so much more mature, her hair in soft curls flowing down to her stain violet dress, their bouquets resting on the bed, that pretty much brought their mother to tears.

"Oh Cree, Abby…" She whispered, embracing them both. "You both look so beautiful…"

"Thanks, Mom." Abby whispered back, unable to raise her voice. Cree merely sniffed, breaking the soft silence that filled the room. The three women looked at each other, smiling as they knew the time had come. Abby bit her lip as both her and her mother reached down to carry her train, the three leaving for the door in lightheaded pride. Abby couldn't help but watch her sister's back with slight sadness, wondering if she'll ever be in the same position…if she'll ever be the bride… the blushing, beautiful bride everyone dotes on and respects, loves and is happy for…Abby, with a baby…with Dingo…

"This will be you one day, Abby…" her mother whispered to her, flashing her a smile. Abby jumped slightly as her baby gave her a quick kick, slightly winding her. She returned the grin, sighing as she held back the emotional, happy tears. It was every girl's dream, and now she was leading her sister to her own.

"I hope so…"

* * *

Dodge sat at the kitchen table, blinking away the tears that scratched at his eyes. _What's wrong with me? I never cry… _He gulped, his throat constricting painfully as he thought back to what had happened just moments before…the hurt look in those eyes, the tears that were swimming beneath that pain…he couldn't bear it, he hated the thought of seeing his Cherry so upset, he never knew it would hurt so much.

"Hey Dodgem." Jake yawned casually, strutting passed in his regular morning routine for tea. "Fuck I had the worst night ever, I couldn't get to sleep, and when I did I had the weirdest dreams. I tell 'ya, that's the last time I ever mix sherbet, cookie dough and Mountain Dew before bed. That stuff gives you the most effed up-" He stopped, turning around in one quick, swift motion, his eyes slowly narrowing as he stiffened, sensing something wrong in the air. With his face still straight he retraced his steps, walking backwards the same way he came in and giving the slackened figure of Dodge an immediate knowing look.

Dodge swallowed again, finding it harder to talk. "Hey, Jake. That's good."

"The fuck?" Jake scoffed, his eyebrows rising. "You look totally emo-fied. I've never seen you so depressed. You're outta ya field, Dodge- this is usually a Dingo or Bandit reacti-"

"Yeah, Jake." Dodge grumbled, his voice low and defeated. It broke Jake's heart hearing his boy sound like that…it took a lot to drag Dodge down…after he'd been through so much. "Yeah…I'm feelin' pretty emo right now…"

Jake wasted no time in pulling out a chair and shifting it over to sit beside him, leaning over with interest, ready to listen. Dodge heaved a sigh, one side of his mouth pulling upward into a defeated half smile before turning to him, his voice broken and ready to crack.

"Cherry…found out…"

Jake raised his eyebrows. "About…?"

"Me." Dodge scoffed, a pained smile on his face. "My past- the gang, the…" He squeezed his eyes closed, wincing as he said it. "The…the murder…"

"Oh." Jake drew back, suddenly solemn and deadly serious. He swallowed, trying his best to work up what to say. "Oh…Dodge-"

"Yeah." Dodge grumbled, the feelings bubbling deep within his chest. His hand formed a fist, his teeth digging into his lower lip dangerously. _"Fuck." _

Before Jake could open his mouth to offer any feelings of support, another curse of "FUCK!" Echoed through the apartment, and Dingo stormed into the room, his eyes narrowed.

"Not NOW, Dingo!" Jake snapped before Dingo could begin his rant. "Dodge is having a bitchfit for once, show some fucking courtesy!"

Dingo looked miffed, but managed to keep it hidden as he threw his best friend a look of concern, Dodge giving Jake his infamous 'death glare.'

"What?" Jake smirked. "I'm still half drunk from last night, as well as half hung-over, you gonna get any sense talked into you it's going to be from him." He jabbed a finger into Dingo's direction, a frown gracing his face. "And it… _pains _me to say that-"

"I'm going to the wedding!" Dingo snarled with determination. He could keep it in no longer. "I'ma claim my baby and my girl as mine if it's the last thing I do!"

"Dingo…" Dodge started, and Dingo immediately groaned, already bracing himself for the sensible words of Dodge. Dodge stood, his usually peaceful blue eyes narrowed. "Lemme get dressed, I'm coming with you."

A mischievous, gleeful smirk radiated over Dingo's face, and Jake immediately smelt trouble as Dodge sprinted out of the room, grabbing a jacket and immediately heading for the door. Jake quickly tagged along, a beer still clutched in his hand.

Half baked or not, he didn't trust that smirk of Dingo's.

* * *

TBC..

Ps- Children of Bodem's "Oops I Did It Again" Is like the greatest cover ever :P I love it, and I think it suits Bandit well. Also if people weren't aware, Bandit was a heroin addict, that's why everyone refers to him being skinny and all as a reflection of the mess he was back then, and addicts usually cover their wrists and arms, and to hide the marks of the needle they shoot up in the webbings of their toes or fingers, so that's what he was doing.

Let me know what you think!

x!


	21. Chapter 21: A Night to Forget pt 2

_I know! I feel awful :( In my defence, it's crunch time right now for exams, so I've been super busy, basically pushing my nose so deep into my textbooks there are dents *sigh*. Believe it or not, I've almost reached the end of my schooling life :| Oh god...Uni next year. *EEP!* Went to an open day today...I was quite scared. Hehe. So...I will try and update, and I guarantee writing is my study bludge, but I can't guarantee montly updates as per usual because my HSC is so soon... XS but I only have 10 days of school left...eek..._

_Anyways- I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY! THhe big, big secrets are coming up soon..._

* * *

A light murmur of excited chatter echoed around the opening archway of the church, where a thick, solid barrier of stone formed an elegant awning over the driveway, framed with roses of all colours. Relatives and friends littered the stone pavers, patting at their hair and smoothing out their suits and dresses. Everyone was especially dolled up for the occasion, their smiles radiating as they gazed up into the clear afternoon sky. A perfect day…

For a seemingly perfect wedding.

Amongst the clan of family members, Fanny stood out (she believed) like a sore thumb. She was grumbling, fighting to appear happy as she stood to the side, hugging her forearms as she shifted her feet uncomfortably. Rachel quickly noted all of the hopeful eyes gazing at her from afar, gathering her own gaggle of admirers from the male patrons of the wedding. Fanny didn't seem to notice, all she seemed to notice was how painful her satin stilettos were, and how stupid she looked in her dress, which her mother picked out due to her hatred of shopping.

"Would you stop fussing?" Rachel snickered at her, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. Fanny snarled, feeling bitter. Rachel of course looked gorgeous; her naturally tanned and athletic body was perfectly highlighted by her yellow sundress that fanned out at her knees, giving her tall figure much more grace as she teamed it with black peeptoes. "You look great."

Fanny rolled her eyes and shifted her body, folding her arms across her dress. It was beautiful, Fanny had to admit, just not her style… a strapless short dress that poofed out and ended at the knees, satin in texture and a pale shell pink, one she thought would look pasty against her pale skin, but actually set it off nicely. Her hair was in a fancy updo, courtesy of Rachel, and it looked elegant enough, but she would never admit that it pulled and pinched at her scalp, excruciating to a girl that usually wore a loose ponytail.

"You resemble a princess." Nigel grinned at her encouragingly after a subtle nudge from Rachel. He himself looked smart in his own suit, his arm around Rachel comfortably. "Trust me, you look nice."

Fanny raised her eyebrows at him, looking away as she nibbled on her lip, subtly scraping off her lipgloss. She couldn't help but watch the couple beside her, as Rachel snuggled into Nigel's arm he tightened his grip around her. The two looked so cute together, even Fanny could see that, and she found herself pining for her own beau to keep her company…keep her warm. She growled to herself quietly.

_If I'm such a princess, where the Hell's my prince? _She thought to herself bitterly.

Hoagie sidled up to the trio, running a hand through his already scuffed brown hair, straightening his sky blue tie as he went.

"Hey gang." He grinned, nodding towards Fanny especially. "How's it all going?"

"Oh, all fine." Nigel sighed. "I'll be glad when this is over."

Rachel gave him a slight frown, and he shrugged his shoulders moodily. "Hey, I don't see you wearing a tie…"

The quartet looked over at the arrival of Kuki and Wally, who walked together hand in hand. Kuki managed a graceful smile as she clung to her boyfriend's strong hand, feeling elated at the thought of him being with her and the two being seen together, but her eyes still looked sad and downcast as she maneuvered herself over to where the crowds were gathered outside the church. Her porcelain coloured skin glistened in the light sun, her styled ebony hair shone healthily and she had smartly chosen a bright grass green dress, its ruffles showing off her slim legs perfectly. Wally had simply beamed upon seeing her, and this was the only thought that seemed to keep her smiling as she attempted to hide the nervous knots that were still tight in her stomach.

"You look gorgeous!" Rachel squealed, skipping over and hugging her. She gave a proud grin to Wally too, nudging him and smirking as she led them back to the rest of the group. "You scrub up nice too, Wally."

"Gee, thanks Rach." Wally snickered, running a hand through his brushed hair, which quickly turned scruffy at the movement. Kuki grinned. She liked it better that way.

Hoagie was watching Fanny out of the corner of his eye, hating the fact he couldn't seem to stop. She looked so pretty, even he had to admit, clutching at her bag and looking out of place amongst all of the people around her. Her cute ginger curls framed her made up face perfectly, her dress hugged her figure elegantly, but her childish freckles still stood out against her creamy complexion. Anybody who knew her would simply just think her as attractive, but the fact he knew her fiery personality and regular tomboy attitude, it made her just seem a whole lot sexier.

"What time is the ceremony?" Nigel's smart tone cut into his thoughts as he suddenly looked up in alarm, his figure straightening.

"Half an hour!" The group looked over as Patton appeared, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt as he gave his friends a radiating smile. He looked tired, but otherwise thrilled at an invite. Fanny quickly noted his face looked paler than usual, and he looked a bit sick… "I just heard from the guys, they've just arrived."

Their gazes switched to the door, where Maurice and a couple of other guys hung around the wide archway. They all seemed to be wearing matching tuxes and looked thrilled at all the attention they were receiving. Except Maurice, who looked nervous enough and kept straightening his lilac coloured tie. Mr. Lincoln was beside him, and seemed oblivious to the poor boy's nerves and was chattering away about a childhood memory.

"He looks nervous." Rachel _aww_-ed.

"I'd be too, if I were marrying Cree." Hoagie scoffed. Rachel quickly slapped him playfully across the arm, still starry eyed at the entire affair.

"How's it going, Fan?" Patton silkily murmured to her, sidling up to her side and giving her a strong look through deep, thoughtful dark eyes. Fanny looked up from her shoes, tilting her head thoughtfully. Everybody else had tactfully ignored the fact she had been distant, but those friendly, familiar eyes she suddenly gazed into saw right through her forbidding glare and knew something was up. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah…" She grumbled, blowing at the pieces of hair hanging in her face. "Boy drama- you probably don't want to hear it."

"Oh…" Patton put a hand to her shoulder, and Fanny stiffened at the contact. "I always want to hear what's up, Darl."

Fanny frowned at the sudden empathy, as well as the nickname, but a grateful smile graced her face. "Wow…thanks, Pat."

Patton grinned proudly, but didn't get a chance to say anything for the entire crowd's attention had turned towards the elegant car heading up the driveway, polished to a sun-glistening shine and mooting smoothly through the clumps of guests and parking smoothly in front of the doorway.

"Ooo it's the bridal party car!" Rachel squealed with excitement. She grabbed her camera out of Nigel's own coat pocket and flicked it on, beaming happily. "We get to see Abby!"

Kuki suddenly stiffened as her eyes fell on the formal car as the door opened and the bridesmaids stepped out one by one, dressed in long flowing lilac gowns. Giggling and posing they grouped together, smiles plastered on their faces. Kuki's wide, violet eyes immediately looked down upon seeing a familiar pair of slim, tanned legs unfold out of the car- pedicured toes, soft skin and designer shoes, a hand reached out to help her to her rise as she seemed to glide out of the car, a warm smile lighting the entire scene. Louder squeals were heard as hugs were given and pictures were taken, that natural smile never leaving her features. Kuki the knot in her stomach pull tighter as she saw the cute baby bump protruding out of the silky material of Abby's dress, her hand on it protectively and everyone cooing over it lovingly. Her hand grew numb within Wally's, and suddenly she didn't feel so protected anymore, staring into Abby's calm, proud expression as everyone doted over her…

She couldn't help but feel she was fighting a losing battle.

"Kooks?" Wally frowned, a troubled expression crossing his face. "You alright?'

"Um…yeah…" Kuki choked out, her eyes straining to look into his face. Hollie's words once again seemed to sneak within her consciousness, and she wondered whether or not she should say anything…whether it was any of her concern…the way Abby had reacted…sometimes she wondered if there was more behind those warm chocolate eyes and that reassuring, cool attitude.

Maybe she was hiding something.

Kuki looked into Wally's face, squeezing his hand. "Um…Wally? After this I need to ask you something…it's no big deal, just don't let me forget…"

"Sure Kooks…" Wally smiled at her sweetly, and Kuki felt herself immediately swell with joy at his familiar, warm grin. He cupped her cheek and gave her a sweet kiss on her cheek. His hand slipped down to her soft hand, giving it another assuring squeeze. "C'mon, let's go see Abby."

Kuki bit down on her bottom lip, but otherwise allowed herself to be led along to see what felt like her mortal enemy.

* * *

Jake watched the two boys run around the living room vigorously, purely fuelled by the adrenaline pumping through their veins at the thought of causing so much drama, the childish dream of crashing a big time rich dream wedding quickly turning into reality with one rash decision. Jake's eyes widened as Dingo quickly grew more determined, his eyes darkening at the thought of finally confronting his girl. Dodge even showed the same signs…always a clear warning to Jake, who held a beer firmly in his hand as he surveyed them with interest.

"You know guys, this really isn't necessary. We're all adults here, and the way I see it-"

"Shut up and get in the car if you're coming!" Dingo shouted across the living room, pointing angrily at the open front door. Jake blinked slowly, rolling his eyes almost boredly before dragging his feet to the door, swinging his arms whimsically with a beer in his hand. Dingo watched him go angrily, too fired up to realize how drunk Jake was quickly becoming. Dodge skidded out of his room, running a hand through his hair nervously. He'd thrown on a pair of black jeans and, not being able to find anything else, grabbed the first jacket he could find. Dingo's eyes widened, cocking an eyebrow suspiciously as he eyed his flustered friend.

"Isn't that-"

"Yeah, yeah!" Dodge grumbled moodily, tucking in the laces of his sneakers. "Let's go already!"

Dingo shrugged, not even bothering to ask why Dodge was getting so 'dressed up' for, they were, after all, heading to a wedding they weren't even invited to. He vaulted over the couch and grabbed his keys on the counter, Dodge tugging at his shaggy brown hair nervously as he slammed the door.

* * *

"Come on, Maurice!" Shane squealed to him, grinning widely as he ushered them all in. "Get inside for photos, Cree will be here any minute!"

Maurice's eyes widened as he stumbled backwards up the stairs, his throat tightening in complete nervousness. "R-right…" Was all he could stammer. "Yeah…"

A chuckle was heard as Cree's own brother Ben reached his side, giving Maurice a sly smirk. "Rough night at the bachelor party, Maurice?"

Chad snickered from his other side, his tongue between his teeth. "Oh, you have no idea!"

"Shutup…" Maurice groaned as he was pushed into the church doors, followed by crowds of people as they made their way after him, chatting excitedly while some shed some tears of joy. It was all a very dramatic affair.

* * *

"Abs!" Rachel beamed as she snapped a picture of her friend before skipping over to her, embracing her while taking a quick look at her growing bump. "You look great!"

"Thanks, we just got photos done." Abby said breathlessly as she was released, giving the group in front of her a wide smile. Her cheeks were flushed from the excitement, and her hair was in loose ringlets that fell to her elbows, the silk royal purple dress she was wearing shaping her curvy figure perfectly, capturing just a glimpse of her baby bump as the dress bunched around the very top of her thighs. She gripped a bouquet of white roses, which she switched to her other hand as she embraced Rachel back, looking grateful at her excitement, which she could easily match. "So I don't have to worry too much about messing myself up, now."

"Aw, don't say that." Nigel smirked, giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek. "You look great."

Hoagie simply stared at her, amazed. She was glowing, and he wasn't sure if it was just the pregnancy, but she looked so different- so mature and sweet, standing straight proud and tall, flowers in one hand and the other gently rested on her belly, she looked at peace…to the naked eye.

Fanny watched her closely from the side, next to Hoagie. She could see herself that her old friend looked beautiful- her natural looks really shining with the use of cosmetics and hair products as well as a great designer- but behind those chocolate brown eyes of hers- usually so deep and playful, compassionate and cool…they looked restless, and seemed to dart around nervously, avoiding gazes such as Kuki's. Fanny frowned.

She looked…nervous.

_Like she's hiding something. _

Fanny shook this out of her head. She felt awful at second guessing her friend about something as so serious and precious as a pregnancy. Why would Abby be so nervous anyway? She looked over to Kuki, who seemed to possess a small smile but nothing else, avoiding eye contact and gripping Wally as though he was a life preserver. Wally seemed to be at ease, his hands in his pockets but a natural smile on his face. It seemed as though he was putting on a brave face being beside both girls in his life.

_He was always so loyal like that… _Fanny mused, easily being carried away by her thoughts.

"We're about to go in." Patton pointed out, nodding towards the entrance where already droves of relatives were heading, dabbing at pre-ceremonial tears. Rachel beamed, looking thrilled. Fanny simply shook her head at her. Sometimes she thought Rachel was a little _too much _of a romantic.

"Ooo let's go! Get a good seat!" Rachel gripped her beau's arm and was already half way up the stairs, waving to Abby and wishing her good luck. Abby watched them go with slight apprehension as Nigel gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. She knew it was stupid to feel so scared, but she couldn't help but think she would somehow stuff up as her sisters maid of honour. Fanny gave her a quick hug before she and Patton followed suit, and Hoagie approached the now nervous Abby, his eyes softening as he watched her closely.

"You look really beautiful, Abby…" He murmured to her, causing Abby to freeze. He gave her a grin as he quickly turned, his cheeks a dull pink. The look in his eyes was what made Abby tense up the most…the admirable, loving look in his eyes…Abby was almost scared Hoagie saw right through her. She didn't have much time to fret, as the next person to approach her was Wally, Kuki keeping somewhat of a distance.

"You look great, Abs." Wally offered shyly, grinning.

"Thanks." She smiled sweetly, her eyes travelling over to Kuki, who looked up at the wrong time and their eyes met awkwardly, provoking a quick statement from Kuki to avoid too much awkwardness.

"Yeah…" She blurted out, trying to smile. "You look really pretty, Abby."

"Oh…thanks…"

"How's…he going?" She asked, pointing to her stomach. Abby stilled, putting a protective hand against her squirming stomach.

"He's…fine." She mumbled, her eyes downcast. She could feel her baby kicking against her, and it gave her the impression her six month old fetus was trying to get her to laugh, or smile. Wally frowned, suddenly alarmed.

"Him?"

"Yeah…" Abby murmured awkwardly, those brown eyes looking up innocently. "It's a boy."

"I…oh…" Wally froze, unsure of what to say. He was suddenly aware that all eyes were on him…specifically the trio itself…judging and waiting…the knocked up ex and the new girlfriend…the new father, he was immediately intimidated for the fact he was surrounded by Abby's family and they were judging him. Kuki gripped his hand closely, but he still felt helpless in a sea of judgment and foreign emotions… he was still trying to grasp the fact that the new bulge in Abby's stomach was _his…_his own life form…a _baby. _But it still seemed so hard, trying to understand becoming a father…

"Yeah…" Abby finished, nodding. She could see the emotional struggle behind those eyes, and the small smile on her face told Wally she understood, and quickly pulled him from his misery. "Only a few more months to go…" She bit her lip, looking quickly over her shoulder at the expectant looks from the other bridesmaids, who were tapping their heels and beckoning her over. It was now or never. She knew she _had _to do this…it was the only thing that calmed the hatred and fear within her, and allowed her to go to sleep at nights.

She had to tell Wally.

"Listen." She said, suddenly strong. Wally's deep emerald eyes looked down at her with sudden vigilance, expectant at what she had to say. Again the guilt clawed at her, and the thought made her want to crawl into a ball. The tears scratched at her eyes, but she willed them away.

"I have to tell you something…" She sighed, her familiar, deep warm brown eyes gazing into his own intent gaze. "After…after the wedding. I need to tell you something, it's really important…it's about the baby…"

Wally, shocked by her words, couldn't help but quickly look over to his own girlfriend, who had said that to him only this morning. Their eyes met, but Kuki looked away quickly, unable to take the questioning look in his eyes.

"But…" His eyes widened fearfully at the fear in Abby's voice. "Can you just tell me now?"

"_Abigail!" _A shrill voice called, and Shana beckoned her over. "Come on! Cree will be here any second!"

"I have to go…" Abby mumbled, not even needing to turn around. Her eyes looked up to give Wally an apologetic, pathetic look; enough to make Wally's heart droop with sudden worry and fear. He'd never seen her look so upset. "I'm really sorry; we'll talk after the ceremony."

With a quick hug she walked away, her head held high so the wind would brush away any tears sparking in her eyes too early.

* * *

Mushi had been dangerously quiet since Trent had basically dragged her out of the club, only shooting Trent fierce, angry looks and keeping her arms tightly folded across her chest and talking to him only when she had to through her tightly pursed lips. Trent lashed back the only way he could think of- equally silent but extremely pouty, slamming doors and throwing things around with more force to show how aggravated he was to her. Trent, always the one to be impatient, had realised in the morning that this had gotten him nowhere, and Mushi was much more stubborn than he was.

"_Moosh." _He eventually snarled at her, his eyes narrowed as he knew he had caved. Mushi hardly looked up, her eyes still glued to the TV as they played morning cartoons. He stomped over in front of her, blocking her view. '"Moosh!"

Her deep blue eyes darted to him dangerously, narrowed into slits as she held the remote in her hand tightly. She didn't answer.

"Just…" Trent snarled again to himself, looking away as he recognised how stupid he sounded. He turned back to her, still going strong. "You can't ignore me forever."

"Actually…" Mushi growled in return, rising to her feet. Her eyes darkened as she looked up towards him, glowering and daring him to say something. "I can, and I will. You refuse to answer my questions, so I'm not going to answer yours…" She twisted her lips, and quickly added, "I'm not your plaything."

Trent's eyes widened, but straight away narrowed with immediate suspicion. "Where the fuck...Did _that _come from?" He snarled at her again, looming over her.

"I'm not stupid." Mushi spat, looking fierce. "Aren't you the one who said I _belong _to you?"

"I never-" Trent pursed his lips, seething. "Fuck Mushi- I thought chicks _liked _that sort of thing-"

Mushi gaped, her eyes wide. "Like WHO!" She demanded, her voice rising to a harsh trill. "Like _Bambi?"_

Mushi felt the urge to scream as Trent suddenly lashed out, slamming his fist into the refrigerator and his teeth gritted as he bit through the pain, his entire anger concentrated on that single punch. His body was tense and heated with anger and pain. He _hated _that name.

"Don't fucking mention that fucking name!" Trent hollered through gritted teeth, clenched so much his skull throbbed. "I MEAN IT! IT MEANS _NOTHING_!"

Mushi simply gaped with alarm as Trent stomped off in a blind rage, his body trembling with the amount of fury flowing through his system. All that was running through his mind was old memories. Typical. Bambi would never leave his memory for some stupid reason. _Love _couldn't have been it. Fuck Love. It was never love. It was all lies. He should just forget it. He wished he would.

He slammed his door, panting as he squeezed his eyes closed, sorting out each furious thought that was working its way back into his consciousness.

…

"_Please! Look at me, It's ME! It's BAMBI! YOU gave me that nickname, you can't just leave! Please! You know I feel…you can't leave me alone-"_

Trent shook away the begging, the feeling of a bruised, bloodied hand on his as such pale, frail limbs gripped his own. _I couldn't save a life…_

_Fucking feelings…_

_Fucking love…_

"_Trent baby…I love you so much…more than you know…" _Bambi's voice wormed its way back. _"P-please…I need you…you can't do this…I'm SCARED Trent-"_

Trent's closed fist hit the wall once more, the harsh plaster cutting into his skin as he sank into his bed, tears scratching at his eyes.

* * *

Rachel led the way up the steps and into the church, grinning widely at the decorations that adorned the walls and aisle. Red and white roses, purple sashes…it was all very intricate and classy. Hoagie, Patton and Nigel followed her, not really caring. Fanny slowly made her way in, following the crowds dully with her beautiful shoes dragging across the ground.

Kuki and Wally followed after her, reaching the foyer. Seeing a quick opportunity, Wally gripped Kuki's arm and pulled her aside, his deep green eyes gazing lovingly into hers.

"Kooks..." he mumbled, breathless from nerves. "Just…quickly I want to give you something…"

Kuki's heart leapt and thudded harshly within her chest, the warmth drained from her face at the look of total seriousness on her boyfriend's face. He reached into his suit pocket with fumbling fingers, and her eyes widened as her stomach twisted with sudden alert. He pulled out a tiny box quickly, opening it and showing it to her. The two were so close, she could almost hear the sound of his fearful, rapid heartbeat. He showed the box to her, and her eyes widened as she saw, on a bed of soft navy silk, a heart encrusted with what looked like diamonds, hanging from a thin, delicate silver chain.

"I…When I saw it I was reminded of you…" Wally mumbled, his cheeks flushing a light pink. "I just…was reminded over how sweet you are…and how caring… I just…am so thankful you'd stick by me…even through…through everything that's happened with…with Abby and everything…"

Kuki was speechless, simply gaping. Her violet eyes brimmed with overwhelmed tears as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's broad shoulders, completely speechless. Wally, grinning stupidly, embraced her back.

* * *

The whispers were slowly becoming quieter as the grand church filled quickly with the audience. Family members quickly filled the front rows while friends humbly took the middle and back rows, bunching together as to not to appear alone. Rachel gripped Nigel's hand warmly as she eyed the decorations, unable to take her eyes off them. Even Nigel couldn't resist gaping at all the work (and probably money) Cree had spent in making her ceremony one of perfection.

Maurice already took his place at the altar, the priest gently thumbing through his notes, looking calm and peaceful. It was a complete paradox to the now shaking Maurice, who seemed to have trouble breathing clearly.

"Calm down!" Ben remarked, his eyes wide. He seemed amazed at the boy's nervousness- he had always seen Maurice in such an admirable light for being so cool, level headed and in control. By now he was practically hyperventilating.

"_What if she says no? She's had time to think, it may be too much- what if I stuff up? What if something goes wrong-"_

"You're completely _fine." _Chad snapped at him smartly, his eyebrows raised in a sarcastic way as he straightened his suit. "You look great, everything's gone to plan…none of us are _too _hungover…" At this, he looked especially at Best Man Ryan, a cocky smirk on his face. Ryan gave a slightly sick snarl back. Ben suddenly glared, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"You went on your bachelor party _last night?" _He asked incredulously.

"We invited you!" Chad put in as the group formed an orderly line, their positions instructed by Cree months ago. Ben rolled his eyes, smirking, but nevertheless kept silent- something Maurice valued deeply, he had enough to worry about.

_

* * *

_

Abby and the rest of the bridesmaids waited anxiously by the front steps, already hearing the smooth motor of Cree's chosen car rumble softly up the driveway, parking neatly in front of them looking spectacular. The driver quickly opened the door and Abby saw her father step out, his face already showing signs of promising sobs as he held his older daughter's hand and led her out of the limo.

A pair of white satin high heels appeared, followed by the flowing, crystal white material of Cree's dress. She stepped out, a wide smile on her face as she stood in the driveway, looking completely comfortable at being treated so royally.

"Oh my god, Cree!" The girls seemed to squeal, some tearing up already as they reached for the emergency tissues concealed in their dresses. "You look _so _beautiful!"

Abby sighed, a smile on her face as she realised how right they were. Cree did look magnificent… her white dress fell elegantly around her tanned, slim figure, a sweetheart strapless neckline shaping her collarbone and neck perfectly, her sleek thick hair pulled into an elegant bun on top of her head, adorned with a long lacy veil that was propped up so everyone could see her wide, excited grin.

"Thank you…" Was all she seemed to whisper, probably too overwhelmed with the thought of finally walking in to say her vows. Her father clutched at her arm and led her up the stairs, Cree holding her bouquet elegantly as the bridesmaids rushed to her train. Cree's eyes suddenly fell on Abby, flashing her a big, sisterly smile. Abby felt her spirits suddenly rise. Cree looked…_proud _of her.

* * *

The music began to play at the gang dutifully stood with everyone else. Rachel held Nigel's hand close, still grinning at the lovey-dovey atmosphere of the day. Nigel smirked at her- she was always such a romantic. Wally kept his arm around Kuki's slim waist, still beaming at the glistening heart now dangling around her neck, setting off her dress beautifully. Kuki too, looked much happier as she played with her new piece of jewelry, feeling much more at ease with Wally's muscular arm around her. Fanny tried to shake off the sadness that seemed to dwell within her as she looked around at the happy couples surrounding her. Usually she would have dismissed it, but now that she'd had something like that…it was hard to escape…_If Dodge was here, he'd be holding my hand like that… _She wouldn't help but wistfully think, her sad eyes tearing away from Nigel and Rachel and instead into the back of the person in front of her. Patton watched her closely, frowning as he noted the lost, desperate look in her eyes. He'd never seen her like that before…Hoagie tore his gaze from Fanny's own depressed figure to look at the bridesmaids, who were starting to appear.

They trailed one after the other, each with their own humble distance from each other, after the flower girl- a cute second cousin from the family with high pigtails and a sweet smile. Abby was the last to appear, and she drew more eyes than all with her shorter dress, which showed her growing baby bump. She could feel the warmth rise to her cheeks as she knew all eyes were on her, but she stood straight and tall as she shakily made her way down the aisle, gripping her flowers tightly as she felt her baby kick. She felt her heart thump rapidly against her chest as she gazed at Maurice at the altar, who looked nervous but was smiling encouragingly all the same. Briefly, she wondered to her own wedding…if she ever had one…

She could imagine Dingo grinning down at her, his emerald eyes deep and intense, his smirk intoxicating, his hand gripping hers sweetly…

She shook this out of her head and instead concentrated on smiling, making her way up the stairs carefully to take her position. She felt her stomach twinge slightly as she realised her baby was kicking again, rolling around restlessly as he always seemed to too. She bit her lip, a hand going to its familiar place on her stomach as the bridal theme began.

* * *

The priest spoke softly, and Abby felt her own heart warm as she gazed at her sister and her husband-to-be's happy smiles, gripping each other's hands as they professed their undying love to one another. Abby could hear the bridesmaids beside her sniff with promising tears, and she could feel her own emotions welling up within her as she watched the romantic scene, just thrilled enough that her sister had finally found happiness and love…and her dream wedding had, so far, gone off without any hitches.

"_You may now kiss the bride…"_

With matching golden bands hugging at their fingers, Abby heaved an emotional sigh as Cree and Maurice kissed, a polite applause filling the hall as everyone around them seemed to coo and sigh at the romantic scene. Gripping each other's hands, the new wife and husband made their way down the aisle, on the way to the reception. Abby and Ryan met together and followed them, family and friends cheering and clapping. Abby grinned as she passed her friends and she gave them a little wave, they grinned and cheered back. Her spirits lifted as she was carried away with the festivities, and for that small second she forgot about all her worries and stresses that surrounded her…she was simply her sister's Maid of Honour.

* * *

"Jake…" Dodge growled at him from the passenger seat. "You do realise you are- straight up- drinking and driving?"

Jake drove around a corner with ease, one hand resting easily on the steering wheel and the other hand gripping a beer. He smirked, shooting Dodge one of his winning grins, which was a tad lopsided.

"Hey, don't worry Dodgem! I'm all good, I can take-"

"The US has harsher drink driving laws than Australia, you know!" Dodge hissed, about to launch into a healthy lecture, but Dingo quickly interrupted, pounding away at his phone.

"She's not answering, She never answers her fucking phone, I swear-"

"Of course she wouldn't answer!" Jake scoffed. "She's the maid of honour at her sister's wedding! You really think she'll have her phone on her?"

"Shutup!" Dingo snapped, looking venomous. He looked as though he hadn't slept for days- dark shadows under his eyes giving him a haunting, forbidding look as he glared at his father. "You don't get the fact this girl is having my child, how am I supposed to just sit around and do nothing while she waltzes around and lies about me? She can't just shove me in the corner-"

"I have news for you- she can." Jake snapped back smartly. "You ain't the preggo one here, buddy."

"SHUTUP!"

"Yelling won't help!" Dodge snarled in return. "Now let's think about this…does anybody really know where were going?"

Dingo blinked back, his eyes wide. Jake turned, tilting his head in confusion.

"To…the wedding?"

"And where would that be?" Dodge asked, raising his eyebrows.

There was a silence, in which the three clueless guys glared at each other. Jake slammed on the brakes.

* * *

Bandit shuffled back to the apartment, digging his key into the door and opening it with apprehension. His deep ocean blue eyes darted around the so called home suspiciously, closing it behind him and leaning against it cautiously. The silence seemed to engulf him, and that alone seemed to be the scariest thing. He didn't want to call out, but at the same time he wished for some kind of recognition.

Nervously he stumbled through the hallway, staring at his shoes. As he slowly moved along he looked up to see Trent watching him from his own doorway, his grey eyes narrowed and fierce. Bandit gulped nervously, the lump in his throat seeming to grow as he struggled to find the right words.

"Trent-"

He winced as he noticed his friend especially glaring at his hands, where black woolen fingerless gloves hid most of his pale skin, exposing only half of his thin fingers. Bandit immediately clenched his hands into defensive fists as he realised Trent was judging him- knowing what he'd done just by seeing what he was hiding. Trent gave a knowing '_I thought so' _scoff, turning a slamming his door and leaving Bandit trembling in the hallway, alone.

* * *

The reception hall was beautifully decorated with many scattered circular tables filling the room, draped in a clean while tablecloth and a large vase of roses, crimson and pink petals covering some of the floor and the chairs. Abby sat beside her sister at the bridal table and waved to her friends subtly as everyone sat down for the first course, chatting and laughing about how wonderful the ceremony was.

Cree groaned once the dinner was cleared, and Abby turned to her in slight alarm. Cree gave her a scathing look.

"I purposely separated Kuki and Wally on the place settings." She growled slightly, nodding over to her friend's table. Abby looked over to see Wally and Kuki sitting together, their chairs pressed together and Wally with his arm around his girlfriend's slim shoulders, his jacket hanging off the back of his chair. Abby shook her head, sighing as she turned to her sister.

"Cree it's no big deal, they're together, of course-"

"Oh really." Cree growled. "Even after you're pregnant with his baby?"

Abby sighed, rolling her eyes as the familiar feeling of guilt crept up on her. "I'm telling him tonight."

Cree choked on her wine, immediately turning to Abby with her lined, made up eyes wide. Abby jumped back in alarm at the look of horror on her sister's face.

"Not on my wedding day!" Cree hissed at her.

"No, Cree!" Abby scoffed. "After the wedding, of course! God!" She put a few fingers to her temple, closing her eyes. "I don't want any drama on your day…"

Cree took a few calming breaths, closing her eyes as well. "You know…" She muttered to Abby quietly. "You don't have to do this-"

"I do." Abby sighed. "I can't keep lying to everyone."

Sarah caught her attention as she pointed out a hot relative of Maurice's and Abby quickly faked interest, giggling and laughing along with her. She looked very happy and cheery to the rest of her friends, who were quick to notice and make discussion.

"Aw, Abby looks so pretty." Rachel grinned, squeezing Nigel's hand as the two sat close together at the table; Nigel's other arm around the back of her chair. "For my wedding I'd like that colour-"

"She does look nice…" Hoagie mumbled his eyes still on her. Wally shot him a slightly confused look, his nose wrinkling with that same protective look in his eye he always gave when someone was talking about Abby. It wasn't as though he and Abby were an item anymore, but he still felt a duty of care towards her…especially since he found out…at this thought, he winced at thinking it… the _pregnancy… _

"These centerpieces are so cute!" Rachel grinned, looking specifically over at Kuki. "Don't you think Kooks?"

Kuki gave her friend a grin, nodding in agreement, but still Rachel's eyes flashed with suspicion. She was bound to think that Kuki would share the same enthusiasm as her in cooing over Cree's taste in wedding decorations, but still her friend carried the same apprehensive, out of place look that just wasn't natural with her. Rachel sighed, giving up as she sipped at her drink. She looked over at Fanny, who was still looking as though she was forced at gunpoint to be here.

"Cheer up, Fan!" She grumbled, giving her friend's hand a squeeze. "It'll be fine, you can talk to him afterwards-"

"Talk to _who?" _Hoagie suddenly piped up, tearing his gaze from Abby and instead focusing on Fanny. The redhead threw Rachel a scathing look, but before she could reply Patton spoke from beside her.

"Boyfriend issues."

Hoagie nodded, not really wanting to get into it, but Fanny's eyes flickered to him, a slightly defensive glare within those usually calm dark eyes.

"How'd you know that?" She mumbled, cocking an eyebrow. "I never told you…"

"I…could guess." Patton quickly muttered, shrugging his shoulders. He smirked, putting a hand to her arm. "I can read you, Fan, we've been together for how long?"

Fanny sighed, nodding as a small smile appeared on her face. "True, true."

But she couldn't shake it…the feeling something wasn't right. The way Patton was looking at her, his words '_together', _the fact he still didn't take his hand off her arm…usually she wouldn't have cared, but now it just felt wrong…a weird feeling that it wasn't right…she thought of Dodge, and the look he would give her if he knew Patton was sitting so close to her…

She shook this off. But she wasn't supposed to care…right?

* * *

"Bandit…"

Bandit jumped in alarm as he felt a tap on his shoulder, the tiny voice only registering with him once he pulled out the earphones of his iPod and looked up into a pair of familiar blue eyes that were hovering above him. He looked away sheepishly, debating on whether or not to ignore her.

"Bandit…" Mushi said again, stronger. She frowned, sitting beside him and giving him a determined glare. Bandit gave in, realising he couldn't escape. "I know you're mad at me…"

"I'm not." Bandit mumbled, suddenly feeling awkward at the sad look on Mushi's face. He felt guilty, but still wasn't sure why.

"Well…I would be…" Mushi mumbled back, suddenly feeling sheepish. "Well, I mean…" She looked up, eyes wide. "I feel bad, Trent's now mad at you-"

"It's not the first time." Bandit assured her kindly, but he still looked bitter. "Me and Trent have always gotten into fights…"

Mushi's frown deepened, scooting closer to the boy. "I thought you guys were best friends…"

"We are…at least…" He paled, biting his lip. "I _think _we still are…"

Bandit gulped at that. He'd never seen Trent so mad at him before, he truly thought he'd done it- _Trent honestly thinks I'm about to do whatever I can to steal his girlfriend._ He sighed, unable to hold back the tumbling sadness that overwhelmed him. He didn't want to lose Trent as a friend…there was a time when that was all he could turn to…

"I just hate to think that…" Mushi looked down with him, both of their eyes to the floor. "That I got in between you guys…you seemed to have such a good friendship…"

"You didn't…" Bandit lied easily.

"And you're so nice to me…"

Bandit looked up, his eyes widening with sudden confusion as he turned to the young girl beside him, who was now so much closer. Those eyes- a perplexing shade of blue mixed with violet, were gazing up at him sweetly, a twinkling admiration and desire behind those beautiful irises. Bandit's heart suddenly froze with sudden alarm, his mind wiping blank and his bottom lip drooping.

"Wh-"

His breath was caught sharply within his throat as Mushi's soft lips suddenly met his chapped ones, his eyes widening and hers closing. With her dainty face pushed against his, her soft hands closing around his shoulders, he felt his back hit the couch arm behind him as all he could do was inhale a deep breath through his nose, completely alarmed. He heard the couch creak as she leaned in closer, her body against his, skin on skin, lips on lips-

He felt warmth and heat in his fingers as he seemed to jolt back to a sudden harsh reality and in another second he had shoved his open palms into her chest, pushing her off and jumping to his feet, his eyes wide and lips trembling. Mushi opened her eyes, frowning in shock as she was so rudely pushed away from something that seemed so right and…magical.

Bandit looked far from right; he was looking down at her with shock and alarm, shaking as he stumbled backward from the scene, his mind racing for something to say.

"I…gotta go…" he mumbled weakly, guilty tears warming his eyes as he ran for the door, slamming it behind him. Mushi could faintly hear his shoes scampering up the hallway as she lay on the couch, not having moved from Bandit's rough rejection. The thick silence seemed to overwhelm her, her chest tightened from the sudden confusion and all she could feel was a dull pain of promising heartbreak.

* * *

"Hollie…"

Bonny spoke in a hushed voice, as if her best friend was on her death bed. It seemed so, for when Bonny entered their shared bedroom she was automatically brought into a deep silence, shocked by the dark light and the sight of her friend hunched over by the bed, shivering and clutching at a worn, faded picture. Hollie scarcely looked up, just stared at the paper in her hands. Bonny swallowed the lump in her throat as she recognised what it was, and her heart sank as she realised something was seriously wrong. She dropped her bag and

"Hollie…what's going on?" She murmured, her arm snaking around her shoulders. Hollie turned to her, her eyes bloodshot and her cheeks tearstained. Her eyes were wide and lost, and the old photograph in her hand hung from her fingers weakly. Bonny tugged it out of her grip, giving it a long, sad look.

It was a picture from an ultrasound, showing a tiny almost non-existent blob that once existed within her friends stomach. Her baby…the beginning of a life, growing old enough to form a foreign shape of a baby and nothing else before it was tragically taken from her. The picture was only taken a few years ago, but it had been held and clenched so much that it had faded and worn as though it was decades old.

"Aw…" Bonny sighed, making herself comfortable. "What's up, Doll?"

Hollie shook her head, unable to speak. All her tears had dried out, she just held the look of deep despair, enough to yank at Bonny's heartstrings and give her the feeling of throwing up.

"You need to stop with the past, Holls." Bonny mumbled, holding out the picture. "Little Imogen…I know it's hard but you have to let her go…it's not your fault she died…the miscarriage was never your fault-"

"Of course it was!" Hollie spat, her face buried in her arms. "I cheated on Dingo, I was the one who didn't use protection and got knocked up, was stupid enough to think I could bring a little girl into my stupid world! If Dingo was the father…maybe…" She looked up, her eyes welling with tears. "But…Imogen…She would have never had a good life…And now…" Her eyes widened. "I still can't escape, Bon…" Her throat constricted into a choke as her voice became a whisper. "But…I can never escape him."

"You have!" Bonny tried to smile. "Dingo doesn't know, neither does Trent, it all blew over and he's in jail, now-"

"But he's not, Bon!" Hollie broke down into dry cries, fumbling around for her phone. "Listen-"

She dialed her voicemail again, her shaking fingers stumbling across the buttons and handing it over to her friend. There was silence as Bonnie listened, open mouthed, to the forbidding message that was causing her friend so much pain and fear. As she heard the dial tone, Bonny looked deep into her friend's eyes…one of the few times she had seen her look so weak and pathetic.

"_Oh my god…" Bonny whispered, her eyes wide as she dropped the lollypop she was eating. It smashed to the sidewalk, but she didn't appear to notice. The eighteen year old Bonnie was too preoccupied with gazing at the large, painful looking bruise above her friend's left eye. "Go to the cops! It's against his probation…"_

"_I can't, you know that." Holly whimpered, pouting. "Then Dingo will find out, and he'll dump me for sure once he knows who I've been fooling around with…"_

"_So?" Bonnie scoffed, disbelieving. "He can't treat you like that! Besides, Dingo's cheated on you before.."_

"_It's not the same!" Holly snarled moodily. "I just…I can't just leave him…I…" She looked away, the loose strands of red hair falling into her face. "I need him, Bon…I'm pregnant."_

_Bonny blinked in alarm, her eyes widening. Hollie blinked expectantly, her bruised eyes filling with tears. _

"_Say something."_

"_I don't know what to say…" Bonny mumbled truthfully. She bit her lip. "Is…whose is it?"_

_Holly sighed. Everyone knew she and Dingo were officially a couple…but only few people knew about her secret relationship…and she was positive the growing fetus in her stomach wasn't her boyfriend's. _

"_It's…" She sniffed, wincing as she wrinkled her brow, the pain of her bruises aching in protest. "Jayden...Atwood's."_

* * *

The sound of a fine silver spoon clinking gently against a crystal glass seemed to soften the silence as the chatter subsided, everyone's attention turning to the bride's table as Mr. Lincoln stood off to the side, grinning at his two girls and his new son-in-law with pride. Cree beamed back, her eyes sparkling.

"Attention everyone…I just want to say a few words to commemorate this day…You know, with the love, and the marriage and the ceremony and the flowers and-"

"_Dad…" _Cree mumbled, her smile faltering.

"Oh…right…Well…" He raised his glass, grinning widely. "Well I just wanted to say how perfect today was, for everyone, and I hope you all had a lovely time in celebrating my little girl's marriage to Maurice, and welcome to the family, Maurice…" Everyone cheered and clapped, and Cree and Maurice grinned at each other as everyone raised a toast to them.

"And may you give me some wonderful grandchildren!"

"DAD!" Cree groaned, but it was drowned out by the supportive cheers and laughs, especially by Abby who was snickering as she sipped at her sparkling grape juice. Her eyes suddenly widened, her throat constricting as she almost choked on her drink, as she realised all eyes were once again on her, anxious and eager for the time when the Maid of Honour made her honorary speech to the bride. She put down her glass, her heart freezing within her chest as she tensed, faintly rising to her feet as the spotlight was on her. Faintly, in the table to the corner, she could see her friends watching her expectantly, Rachel's camera flashing. She bit her lip, completely stumped.

Then, her baby kicked her- and the life seemed to flow back. She gripped at her glass and turned to her sister, and the words seemed to flow.

"Cree…" She sighed, grinning. "Words can't express…how lucky I am…To have a sister like you…" She began, and her hand fell onto her stomach again as she gazed at her sister, her eyes sparkling with admiration and love. She blushed, hating the fact she sounded so _mushy. _But she continued, knowing the time was now where she had to voice how much she loved her sister…who, now a married woman, had now changed so much.

"And…I know over the years, we haven't really seen eye to eye…" She sighed again, taking another breath. "But now…I'm just thankful I know we're closer than we've ever been…I can tell you anything, you know?" She smirked as she realised her sister had let out a little sniff, and the bridesmaids behind her were tearing up as well. It egged her on. "And I know that will never change, now that you're a married woman, you'll always be my sister." She grinned. "I still remember you and Maurice as kids, us playing together, I always knew back then you had the biggest crush on him…and I am sorry I told him to get back at you for stealing my favourite hat…" at this, Cree let out a little giggle along with everyone else.

"But…I can see you're happy…" Abby grinned. "And Maurice, I could think of nobody better to be a husband to my sister…the same, I could think nobody could stand her…" She winked, Maurice winking in return. "I know you two will be so happy together, and I love you both…" She snickered as a tear fell down her cheek, and she sniffed pathetically. "Congratulations…"

She sat down as everyone clapped for her, and Cree wrapped her arms around her, hugging and whispering thank-yous.

"Today is just so perfect…" She whispered to her. Abby hugged back, only able to nod.

The lights began to dim as the music began to play, and soon Cree practically dragged Maurice out onto the dancefloor for their dance, holding each other close as everyone looked on, the flashes from the cameras lighting up the smiles on their faces. Soon everyone joined in once the couple had shared a few dances together, and the floor was quickly filling up to make a party out of the night, the champagne quickly going to guests' heads as more was ordered.

"Come on, Nigel!" Rachel giggled, yanking her boyfriend out of his chair and heading to the busy dancefloor. "Let's go dance!"

Nigel groaned in protest, but Rachel had already led him into a prime spot amongst the dancing crowds, her high heels left behind on her chair. Smirking, Wally held his hand out to Kuki, who immediately blushed and took it, and the two left the table as well. Patton sneakily looked over to Fanny, who was looking glum and unapproachable at the very edge of the table- pushed against a wall. He thought better of it. Hoagie, however, left the pair and made his way over to Abby, who was sitting by herself at the bridal table, a hand on her stomach and swaying gently to the music. She was trying to ignore the dull pain of a promising migraine, and instead looked up in surprise to see Hoagie making his way over to her.

Beads of sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead as he winced, feeling as though he was back in Junior high…where he had to work up the courage just to ask his friend to dance the Macarena with him.

"Hey Abs…" he blurted out, unable to take his eyes off her perfect, made up face staring innocently back at him with that friendly smile, her wavy natural brown curls framing her face cutely. "You ah…you wanna um…" he ran a hand through his hair, cursing himself for being so nervous. "Wanna go…dance?"

Abby sighed. Her head ached and she could think of nothing more she wanted to do than rush home and curl up on the couch with a funny movie and hot chocolate, but she rose all the same, grinning. She should enjoy the festivities, she guessed…

"Sure, Hoags." She smirked. "Glad you asked…"

Hoagie's stomach stiffened with sudden nerves and jolted with a sudden boost of self esteem as her hand found his and together they made their way to the floor, Abby gently letting go as she swayed gently from side to side to the music. Hoagie followed her, now a furious battle raging in his mind about whether or not to pull her closer.

Soon a few slow songs began to slip into the playlist, and couples were pairing up to dance, people laughing and giggling as they swayed to the beat. Abby's chocolate eyes met Hoagie's own wide ones, and he shuffled forward to pull her into a friendly embrace. Abby accepted, thinking nothing more of it than a dance. She put her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as her head swam uncomfortably with thoughts. She felt dizzy, the lights around her blurring. She decided it was safe to keep her eyes closed, her stomach suddenly gurgling with discomfort.

Little did anyone at this wedding know, that catastrophe was just around the corner- just parking the car.

* * *

Dodge had quickly worked out where the wedding was, but now he was steadily starting to regret it as he followed his two close friends across the parking lot, shuffling his feet nervously. He was beginning to feel more and more stupid, and it was starting to rain.

He loved the rain.

"_Oh weddings, I_ love_ weddings! Drinks all around!"_

Dingo gave his father a scathing look as Jake quickly skipped ahead quite tipsily, giving off a very unintentional impression of the notorious Captain Jack Sparrow with his whimsical swagger. Both Dodge and Dingo were well aware Jake was now heading towards the total blind stage of drunkenness. They headed for the hall, Dodge blinking away at the light mist of rain hitting his face. As Jake led the way up the stairs, Dodge only grew more and more self conscious- clad in his brother's own leather jacket- it seemed to suffocate him, morph him into someone else. Jake jumped through the foyer, his eyes bloodshot and his fingers wiggling with glee as he looked around for more booze. He quickly spotted a waiter nearest to the door, the poor guy clutching a tray of drinks in his arms and holding it as if it was the only protection against this half drunk Aussie.

"Excuse me…" Jake grinned gleefully, swaggering over. "Is that Rum?"

"Uh…" The waiter's eyes darted in his head. "No-"

Jake pouted. "Alas, why is the rum… always gone?"

"Dad!" Dingo hissed, finally snapping and grabbing the back of his jacket, yanking him back towards the corner. "Can you just…stand _still _for a second?-"

"Why?" Jake cackled cockily, his eyebrows rising. "Worried I'll _embarrass _you-"

"No!" Dingo snapped, his fury still ripe and pumping harshly as he stared at the doors to the function room. "Just…stay here, okay? I don't want to make too big of a scene-"

"Yeah…" Jake scoffed, rolling his eyes. "As if…"

Dodge wasted no time in hurrying forward, throwing open the doors of the room and shoving his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. He shook the damp locks of chestnut hair out of his eyes as he scanned the large reception hall- which was adorned in fussy roses and decorations that heavily resembled an expensive wedding. He scanned the people scattered around the room, specifically those that crowded the dancefloor. Nobody seemed to notice the newcomer, his tanned figure clad only in his black, jeans and leather jacket, a simple grey shirt underneath. He looked moody, his dark eyes glaring around for his girl. His glance quickly found the corner and he stomped over, his muscles tightening in warning as she saw her…sitting beside Patton.

* * *

Bandit felt tears scratch at his eyes again as he saw the time on the microwave... It had been such a short time but it felt like centuries since Trent had even spoken to him…now the only source of communication he had received since getting back to the apartment was a cold, knowing glare.

His weakened, skinny figure slumped against the counter as he gently sank to the cold tiled floor, landing in a heap in the kitchen and cuddling his covered hands in his lap, his knees tucked under his chin as he felt the tears scrape down his dry cheeks. He was still feeling tiny jitters and shakes every now and then, the cold air of the apartment seemed to seep into his skin. He suddenly blinked as he caught sight of his reflection from the stainless steel dishwasher.

The pale skin, the loss of muscle and fat…the fact that his pale, almost translucent skin clung to his bones unattractively as he shook from head to toe…his wide faded ocean blue eyes wet with pathetic tears…his crumpled figure… it made him look vulnerable again.

Like he used to be.

He closed his eyes and buried his face into his knees, sniffling into the denim as he remembered.

...

"_Don't call me that!" Bandit mumbled, curling into a ball as he shifted against the front seat. He remained still, gazing out of the window to avoid looking into the driver's eyes. "Only a few people can call me that, I never said you could-"_

"_Who said I couldn't?" The harsh voice snarled at him from the driver's seat. His hands gripped the steering wheel harshly, but the car wasn't in motion- instead they were alone in the darkness of early morning at some random carpark…and that fact made Bandit nervous. "You're a fucking idiot Bandit, you have to remember I make the rules here, not you-"_

"_What RULES?" Bandit growled at him, but still avoided eye contact. "You think this is like…a game or something? I don't have to-"_

_His growl was caught in a squeak as a hand grabbed him, yanking him over to the other side of the car by a strong grip around the hood of his jacket. He winced as he was forced to look into those bottomless, almost black, deep brown eyes. _

"_What?" He snarled darkly, tightening his fingertips so the scratched into Bandit's neck. Bandit groaned, trying to yank himself out of his grip weakly, but he felt so tired and somewhat fuzzy all his efforts were barely felt. "What the FUCK did you just say to me!"_

"_P-please let me go…" Bandit began to whimper, pushing against his hard chest. "Please, just-"_

_His voice rose to a yelp, like a little dog's foot being trodden on as the driver gripped him harshly with another hand, holding him tightly in his grip. Bandit fought against the restraint, tears escaping his eyes. _

"_You don't have a choice here Bandit! You wanna leave? FUCKING GO! But you're NOTHING without me!" _

_Bandit shook weakly as the loud and foreboding voice snarled into his ear so fiercely, rattling Bandit's heart as his ribcage shook with the force of the hands. He was so tiny, whimpering and sniveling pathetically, it made him cringe to see just how stupid and pathetic he'd become. He again tried to push away, but he was met with a sharp punch to the eye, making him yelp and sob in alarm, crashing back into the passenger side door as he broke down into pained sobs, clutching at his throbbing skull. _

"_You see, Bandit?" The voice whispered to him, now sounding totally empathetic to the crying teenager. "You see what you make me do?"_

* * *

Fanny sat in the corner table of the reception hall, trying to stay as far away from the happy dancing couples as possible, hating the fact she was once again all by herself. She swayed slightly, recognizing the music playing as One Republic's 'Secrets'. She sighed, looking at away miserably. It was just making everything worse.

_I need another story  
Something to get off my chest  
My life gets kind of boring  
Need something that i can confess_

She tapped her heels shyly to the music, her lidded eyes watching the busy dancefloor casually. She couldn't help it…she had to try appear careless, but she knew deep in her heart she was pining for Dodge. She wished she could be in his arms again, and she hated herself for thinking such lovey-dovey thoughts about a guy…but at the same time she couldn't help it. Seeing all the happy couples around her, it warmed her heart to know that she had something like that- an attachment, a boy who loved her…she just knew it, she didn't have to prove anything.

_Till all my sleeves are stained red  
From all the truth that I've said  
Come by it honestly I swear  
Thought you saw me wink, no, I've been on the brink, so_

She sighed, her chin in her hand. She knew Dodge loved her.

"You look like you've got something on your mind, Fan."

She looked over as Patton sat down beside her, leaning towards her with a sly, knowing grin. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up and his hair lay messily around his face, his dark eyes gazing at her intently. She looked away, suddenly feeling sadder than ever, even around her best friend.

Tell me what you want to hear  
_Something that'll like those ears  
Sick of all the insincere  
So I'm gonna give all my secrets away_

Amazing, what a boy can do to a girl.

Rachel and Nigel made their way back over to the table, Rachel still laughing and clutching to her boyfriend as the two sat opposite Patton and Fanny, still giving each other sly smirks. A grin crossed Fanny's face as she noticed how happy the two looked, before she turned back to Patton, struggling to keep the smile up.

"It's nothing, Pat." She mumbled offhandedly, folding her arms and leaning on the table. She tried to give her best reassuring smile, but it appeared strained. "Really, I'm good."

_This time  
Don't need another perfect lie  
Don't care if critics never jump in line  
I'm Gonna give all my secrets away_

"Fanny…" Patton rolled his eyes, smirking. "How long have we been friends for? I know when you're upset, and whether or not it's a fierce upset and when you're about to cry. Right now.." He raised his eyebrows. "Someone's got to you big, Fan…" He frowned suspiciously, leaning over. "It's not the boyfriend…is it?"

Fanny sighed; amazed at the fact Patton could read her so well. Was she becoming that easy to read? She hoped not.

_My God, amazing how we got this far  
It's like were chasing all those stars  
Who's driving shiny big black cars_

"It's nothing, Pat." She eventually mumbled, sighing to herself. She was sick of feeling so glum and sorry for herself, she wanted to go home…She couldn't be here anymore. She cupped her chin in her hand, watching the way Cree and Maurice laughed and giggled as they playfully danced together, how happy Kuki looked as she placed her head against Wally's chest, the two moving to the music so peacefully…the way Hoagie held Abby against him so closely…

_And everyday I see the news  
All the problems we could solve  
And when a situation rises  
Just write it into an album  
Singing straight to cold?  
I don't really like my flow, no, so_

"Fanny…" And again, she felt his soft hand on her skin. She looked over, her eyes half lidded as he gazed at her, his eyes deep and meaningful. . "Are you sure you're okay?"

Fanny opened her mouth to speak, but was startled by Rachel, who had reached across the table and tugged at her arm, her mouth open and gaping like an airbourne fish.

"_Fan-" _She hissed, blinking in alarm. "Is that-"

Fanny's eyes snapped to the direction in which her friend was so shockingly gaping at, and immediately her own bottom lip dropped.

Dodge was striding over to their table, his icy blue eyes sparkling and focused on her. They were so intent Fanny immediately felt her cheeks burn, her heart beginning to beat so fast she could almost taste it in her throat. His hair was damp and clutching to his forehead, his muscles were outlined by the sexy leather jacket he was wearing…he looked fierce, and determined, as he headed to his girl, easily crossing the wedding as though he was the guest of honour. As the music began to play, he marched closer towards her, as if in slow motion. Fanny froze, not knowing what to do.

_Tell me what you want to hear  
Something that'll like those ears  
Sick of all the insincere  
So I'm gonna give all my secrets away  
This time  
Don't need another perfect lie  
Don't care if critics never jump in line  
I'm Gonna give all my secrets away…_

Her heart lifted at seeing him, and it pounded longingly with every step he took, but she was caught- he was about to confront her…she didn't want that…she wanted it but she didn't…she needed to see him, but she didn't want to talk to him… what…he'd…

_Got no reason  
Got no shame  
Got no family  
I can blame  
Just don't let me disappear  
I'mma tell you everything_

_He came back… _She couldn't help but gush to herself. She had completely been swept away, and she'd sat up a little straighter, completely oblivious to the murderous look in Patton's eyes as Dodge reached their table, surveying all of them with obvious power. He held a calloused hand out to her, which she took, hypnotised by those icy blue eyes she loved so much. And all he did was growl, a low, passionate rumble that shook her heart and silenced the whole table.

"Nobody puts Cherry in a corner."

And she was swept off her feet, pulled from her chair with ease and led along to the dancefloor, Dodge's hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her into a close dance, the two melding together as if their hearts were one, their faces burying in each other's necks, Fanny knew he didn't have to say anything. She smiled into his damp skin, her finger digging into his shoulders as she sighed, feeling as though all breath had left her body.

_Tell me what you want to hear  
Something that'll like those ears  
Sick of all the insincere  
So I'm gonna give all my secrets away_

"I'll tell you everything…" He began to mumble quickly in her ear, holding her close so she couldn't escape again. "Anything you wanna know I'll tell you, I'll-"

"Dodge." Fanny mumbled back, snickering. She raised her head, her wide, innocent eyes sparkling up into his wide, worried ones. "Shutup and kiss me."

_This time  
Don't need another perfect lie  
Don't care if critics never jump in line  
I'm Gonna give all my secrets away…_

* * *

Dingo snarled as he crossed the plush carpet, ignoring the self-righteous stares that seemed to follow him. He hated feeling this way…like he didn't belong; he _obviously _wasn't supposed to be here. It was the thing he envied about Dodge- well, one of the things- that Dodge could fit into any situation, act calm, cool, and collected…like Abby.

Not Dingo- Dingo was an obvious hothead, and even he was well aware of that.

He quickly ditched Jake and made his way curtly over to the mass of dancing wedding guests, who under the dimmed disco lights were tightly mashed together as they danced to a particularly romantic number. He froze, his heart suddenly swelling as he found the familiar curvy tanned figure- dressed up in a beautiful small dress that highlighted her legs. His heart suddenly pounded harshly against his ribs as another body seemed to mash into hers, hiding her bump from view as unfamiliar hands gripped around her body… abody that belonged to _him_. He growled, his hands forming dangerous wfists.

* * *

Hoagie gazed into Abby's deep chocolate eyes, which were still downcast and slightly dazed, flashes of confusion and what looked like apprehension crossing them. He couldn't help it, he ran a hand over her bare forearm. He loved the feel of her soft tanned skin. Her eyes flickered upward, those long curved lashes of hers batting innocently. He felt his throat quiver as he struggled to find the words.

"How's…you and Wally?"

"We're fine…" Abby mumbled over the music. Hoagie bit his lip.

"And…and the baby?"

"He's fine too…" Abby muttered, and a genuine smile crossed her face. "Kicking all the time…"

"Cute…" Hoagie nodded, unsure of what else to say.

Abby looked away, feeling slightly awkward. She knew that made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. Suddenly she wished she had stayed home, maybe cuddling up to her stomach, a bowl of popcorn balanced on her stomach while watching a movie…maybe with Dingo beside her, her safe and sound in his arms...

Hoagie couldn't help it, even though she was virtually branded with another man's…burden…she was still beautiful to him, her eyes looking all sad like that, her warm body pressed against his…the light flashing across her face as she gazed into his face, her arms around his neck…it was too much for him, the pull was too strong, her lips too plump and only too welcoming. He leaned forward…

And he kissed her.

And from across the hall, a pair of deep emerald eyes, from behind a curtain of thick raven black hair, narrowed as his blood began to boil furiously with unspeakable anger.

* * *

Allie and Derek had mostly stayed out of the main stream of celebrations, but both were now really getting into the atmosphere of the wedding. They knew they, like many of the other parents around them, were only invited to really keep the rest of the adults at the wedding company, but they were enjoying the free drinks all the same. Derek was finally warming into the atmosphere, talking to Mr. Lincoln and his old boss about old times in the office and when the kids were younger, and Allie was happily joining in, grinning as Derek kept a firm arm around her, the two reconciled.

It wasn't long, however, until Jake noticed, and was only too happy to stumble over and join in on their own conversation. Derek felt his own beer crawl back up his throat at as a knowing, drunken jeer sent him into large scale shock.

"_BRO! Did NOT expect to see you here!"_

Derek's eyes widened in alarm as he rounded on Jake, who grinned back lazily. For a second, Derek was sure the breath within him had been completely stolen by the shock of seeing his little brother standing in front of him, a glass of drink in his hand. Jake's dark eyes glistened at him knowingly, and Derek knew then he was in big, _big _trouble.

"Jake…" Derek growled, trying to keep his voice calm as he resisted the urge to smash his fist into Jake's nose. "What are you _doing _here?"

"I'ma…I'ma just h-having a good time…" Jake giggled, sipping at his drink. He waved his hand busily, as if trying to remember something. "I…I came for…for something…"

"You're freakin' _smashed." _Derek snarled at him, grabbing his arm and leading him towards the door. "What the fuck you think you're doing here, I have no idea, but-"

"But- Derek-Wait!" Jake whined, digging his heels into the plush carpet. "I came to settle this- ya know- whole situation down, I only ha-had a little but…" His eyes glazed over as he frowned, suddenly confused. "Well…you know what I mean…"

Derek rolled his eyes. _"No." _He grumbled truthfully. "You can't turn up to a freakin' wedding you're not invited to, and you're fucking-"

"Jake…"

Derek groaned as his wife suddenly appeared, and instead of annoyed, she looked concerned. "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

Jake snickered, looking suddenly cocky. "No…I had to tell you something…" He frowned again, looking sulky. "But I've forgotten what it is…"

"He's not _nothing _to tell you!" Derek hissed, wary of all the eyes suddenly staring in their direction. "He's fucking pissed, coming to annoy me _again! _Why else would he be at a fucking wedding of someone he doesn't even know-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Jake snarled. "I do know this…person…well…maybe.." He shook his head, turning to Allie drunkenly and clicking his fingers, as though trying to remember something. "I had to tell you…something…" His frown deepened, and he tilted his head with confusion. "Uh…"

They heard screaming and a sudden crash, and all three of them turned towards the dancefloor, where a clear fight had broken out started by a muscular figure with shaggy raven hair, who was shouting at an unfortunate figure on the floor. Allie's heart sank, her mouth falling open.

"Oh yeah!" Came Jake's somewhat surprised scoff. "That was it!"

* * *

Abby blinked in alarm, her head fuzzy and aching with sudden strain and pain. Hoagie's lips mashed sloppily against her closed ones, but still she remained still, too shocked to do anything. Her hands lightly pushed against his shoulders, pushing him off, but she was too weak to do anything except stay still, trying to process everything that was happening around her as her best friend, with whom she'd never before felt a romantic connection with, kissed her passionately.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that familiar pair of furious, narrowed emerald green eyes- flashing with resentment. Her heart skipped a beat, and she found enough strength to push away, tears already surfacing as Hoagie was suddenly on the floor, and Dingo's screams and yells echoed in her mind as she began to sob.

Everything began to crash around her.

* * *

In a blind rage, Dingo stormed across the dancefloor, furiously pushing anybody who got in his way quickly out of his path. He was showing no mercy, his eyes were narrowed and his muscles clenched as he stomped through the well dressed crowd to the centre, where his target was already well within his firing range. Abby scarcely had time to open her eyes before she gasped, Hoagie fiercely dragged from Abby's lips and sent straight to the floor with one single throw from Dingo, who had grabbed the back of his jacket and now proceeded to smash him in the face with a closed fist.

"GET THE FUCK OFF HER!"

"DINGO!" Abby screamed automatically, grabbing his arm. "NO!"

Hoagie blinked in total alarm as he looked into the blind anger that was clear on Dingo's face. His eyes were narrowed and blazing with pure malevolence as he fought against Abby's weak grip to cause as much damage as possible. Hoagie quickly managed to scramble to his feet, his mind working furiously.

"_Someone call the police!" _A wedding party member called randomly in the background. Abby was crying furiously, passionate tears flooding down her face as she whimpered. Everything was happening so fast…her head was spinning out of control…all Dingo could feel was hot anger, his entire body shaking with emotion as the image kept flashing through his head…

"I'll fucking KILL YOU!" He yelled, looking as if he was ready to make the statement ring true as he aimed for another attack. Dodge quickly tore away from Fanny with a curse, having completely forgotten about Dingo's disastrous planning to cause a scene.

"D!" He yanked him back, Abby still weakly clutching the other arm. "Calm the fuck down-"

"He fucking kissed her, I'll fucking-"

Wedding party members were shocked, backing away from the scene with alarm. Others were rushing to help, getting Hoagie to his feet and ready to defend if need be. Jake suddenly appeared, seeming to have sobered up at the sight of the scene. Allie wasn't too far behind.

"What the Hell's your problem?" Hoagie immediately fired up, looking as if he was ready to take Dingo on if need be. His light brown eyes narrowed dangerously, his head tilting in demanding confusion. "What's it your business if-"

"Just back off, D-" Dodge hissed at him, attempting to pull him from the scene. "Just let it go, for fuck's sakes let's get out of here-"

Fanny was watching not far away, studying Abby, Dingo and then her boyfriend. Her gaze switched from them, a calculating look in her dark eyes. She was jolted forward as Wally ran onto the scene, his eyes wide with shock.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" He immediately scoffed disbelievingly, his eyes narrowing with promising challenge. Kuki appeared behind him, her eyes wide with fright. Abby cried louder, everything becoming a blur as tears continued to wash off the remainder of makeup painted onto her face.

"Stay out of it!" Dodge snarled at the blonde. "Just-"

"I'm defending what's MINE!" Dingo snarled at him, thrashing around. "THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING!"

"Dingo…" Allie growled at him, a motherly look in her eyes. "Don't-"

But before she could say anymore Dingo had snapped, immediately smashing his fist into Wally's face without a second thought. Blind hatred and rage continued to swell as he bit through the obvious pain of skin on skin. His boiling blood suddenly turned to ice as a pair of cold dark hazel eyes met his, as Derek looked into the face of his nephew for the first time in twenty years. Dingo's breath seemed to catch as he was caught up in a sudden urge to run and he froze, his eyes widening. As Wally seemed to fall back from the blow Derek instinctively fought back, pushing Dingo roughly back into Dodge. Dodge yelped with pain, and soon did Derek as Jake automatically smashed a beer bottle into the back of his head.

"Asshole!" Jake screamed, jumping on him and continuing to deliver blows. "You ever lay a hand on him again, I swear to God-"

"JAKE!" Allie yelled, fighting for him to get off. "STOP!-"

Wally had regained his footing in a daze, but Dingo was still shell-shocked from the face-to-face encounter. Wallabee easily saw an opportunity and took it, defensively hitting him back. Dingo hissed through the new pain that easily jolted him back into reality and threw himself onto his younger brother, hitting and cursing at him for all the pain he felt for Abby, his father, everything the little blonde beneath had caused him.

"_Son-of-a-BITCH!" _He snarled through gritted teeth, landing each harsh word with a painful hit.

"Dingo!" Dodge yelled, grabbing the back of Dingo's shirt. "Get off him!"

"Jake! Derek!" Allie screamed, still trying to rip the two apart. "WOULD YOU-"

"_Dingo…" _Abby mumbled, blinking slowly. The pain in her head had subsided with, for a moment, pure bliss as the flurry of violence and fighting before her slowly began to fade, and she seemed to slip away.

"Abby!" Fanny squeaked, rushing passed Dodge and dragging him with her. "Dodge-"

She got to her just in time, slipping under her as she caught her friend in her arms, sending them both sailing to the floor in what seemed like slow motion. Abby went limp in Fanny's arms as cushioned her fall onto the hard dancefloor, Dodge looking over in time to see that she had fainted. He gaped, his eyes widening.

"Abs!" He seemed to drop Dingo, skidding over to them on his knees as Fanny got her breath back, gripping the seemingly lifeless Abby in her arms. The crowd gasped and their attention drew back to the fallen Maid of Honour, whose eyes were now closed and her body lifeless against Fanny's. Dodge bit his lip, his frightened icy blue eyes looking into Fanny's. Dingo looked over, his emerald eyes widening at the sight of his girl, and he dropped everything to crawl towards her, the breath in his lungs fading away as he saw her, looking so motionless… Dodge looked over at his friend gravely. He'd never seen Dingo look so horrified. He gulped.

"I think she needs an ambulance."

Dingo winced as he was suddenly dragged from behind, being pulled from the scene along with his father, Derek and Wally. Dingo's eyes widened in alarm as he thrashed against the restraint, his mind blank with worry as he looked back at Abby, unconscious. Relatives crowded around her, blocking his girl from view.

"Wait, wait what the fuck- no, she's-"

"Shutup." A voice snarled, and Dingo bit his lip as he realised a cop was holding onto his arm.

_Shit._

"I'd keep silent, if I were you." The policeman growled at him. "You're under arrest."

* * *

**;) **Hope you guys liked! Let me know what you think! I hope you all liked the D_irty Dancing _and _Pirates of the Carribean _influence ;)

My lovely, lovely, lovely, **lovely, **reviewers_ ;)_

tmcala: _Welcome aboard my Aussie Drama Train! :D Hehe glad you like it, I hope you continue to let me know what you think, I loooove my feedback! ;) And hehe…*Nervous laugh* Something MORE than Mushi between Trent and Bandit? Why…whatever would that be? :P _

Jessi Hearts: _Naw! *Blushes* thank you! I feel so honoured :D like I said I looove my feedback, so I hope you can get through my giant wave of words that are my chapters and let me know what you think ;) I too miss the 90s life *Sigh* One day they will invent that time machine…_

: _Hehe :D I'm glad you like my story, and your brother does too :D Love your feedback, hope you enjoy (:_

Lexi: _Hehe I always love your detailed reviews :D To answer your question nope…Kuki doesn't know Mushi's in town and (hint) won't know until one of the climaxes of the story which means…GASP…more drama ;) Haven't really gone into detail as to why Mushi ran away from home…but that will come :P Thank you for your lovely reviews :)_

JustWriting7: _Hehe :D Thank you! I love your reviews, so filled with energy I catch the hyperness! I hope you liked the update :P_

simi838: _Oooo Bambi…Bambi's identity is so hard to keep a secret… *hyperventilates* Its difficult, I tell you…Nobody's guessed yet…but I thought I left enough clues :P Hehe, I hope you liked the update my lil' Aussie buddy :D_

Apples Go Boom: _Thank you! :D I'm glad you liked the update, hope you like this one just as much :P Much more drama coming, believe it or not! Let me know what you think, I love your feedback (:_

Invince01: _Why thank you! :P Though I can only imagine I would come close to winning an award like… 'most drama' or 'biggest amount of Australian OC's' :P Hope you liked the update! _

All-is-Fair-In-Love: _Phew, I'm glad I'm not the only one a bit iffy about the whole Hoagie/Abby thing, I should really give it a go…but I'm beginning to like bad girl Abby :P Naw poor Abby, I hope I don't pile too much hate on her…I don't mean it, honest! :P Hope you like the update _

OmgLolWtfHaha: _Aw thanks, I always love to hear my OC's are appreciated and not boring :P Yeah that song immediately made me think of Abby and Dingo…they have to be one of my favourite couples…if I'm not being too greedy :D_

numbuh310alltheway: _*Squeals!* *Bows* *Blushes* *Bows again* *Accepts flowers* *Does a little dance* *falls over* Ahem…yes that's my fantasy over :P THANK YOU! I hope you liked the chapter, and I hope it remains one of your favourites! :D Let me know what you think (:_

NinjaxTurtles: _*Sigh* Yes, my love of Disney will never die (: I'm glad I can put a little bit of that into Bandit, but I have to admit I just love dancing to show tunes, I can't help but put them in :P Ah yes…Dramadramadrama…and much more to come! :D *Rubs hands greedily* Hope your love continues to grow…let me know what you think! ;)_

Laurie43: _Naw, thank you as always for your lovely, kind reviews :) I remember you were the one who got me onto this story again, and now look at me…I can't stop! :D THANK YOU! Glad you like it…please let me know how I go ! I love your feedback :)_

Suicide King and One Eyed Jack: _Yesh, my stories are a little OD with drama, but that's how I like it! :P The last thing I want to be is boring ;) Wow, I admire that! You're much more disciplined than me in the art of reading :D Hope this chapter was worth it, Let me know what you think! :P_

sugarandsalt: _Aw, I'm glad you like it! :D THANK YOU! Hope the update was worth the wait, let me know what you think, I love the feedback :P_

itsaDoggyDogworld: _Yay! Good to hear from you again (: I'm glad you liked it! To answer your question Mushi is about sixteen, I don't know if I've mentioned it straight yet but that's what I plotted her to be :) hehe, I hope you like the song, everytime I hear it I'm reminded of my OC romances __ahh *sigh* lovely :D Let me know what you think :P and THANK YOU! So kind, as always :D_

SwAlLoWiNg DaNtE: _Yeah I love my little Bando, he's definitely one of my favourites I have to say…but then again I love all my OC's :D Glad you like the story! Hope you like the update :D_

laughyytaffy: _Aw thank you! :D I try with Abby, I really do…I don't want her to be hated but I love to bring her out of her shell too __Sorry for the wait! Anyways let me know what you think, I love to hear your feedback :D :D :D_

1000GreenSun: _Ah! ;) I hope you liked MORE secrets revealed! Hopefully I pulled it off…was a bit nervous about the BIIIIIIIG secret coming out! :\ hehe hope you liked it! x_

**You guys are all too good to me! :D :D :D**


	22. Chapter 22: Secrets Revealed

_A/N: Dear readers, my muse of Disney movies has saved me yet again, please excuse if there's too much Disneyness, as Mulan, Homewood Bound, Cinderella, Lion King (one and two), Toy Story (one and two), Oliver and Company, and many other classics were the only reason this chapter exists, as they kept me going and kept my fingers to the keys! _

_Much love, Walt. _

_And as always, thankyou for my lovely reviewers :) you're the only ones that kept me going through my immense physical and moral struggle (exams or working on story...hmm...) to finish this chapter off :) I shall reply to you separately, this is kinda rushed, I do apologise :( it hurts me to not publish my reviewers every chapter...I'll make it up to you._

_Enjoy :)_

* * *

"_Well…"_ A somewhat cheery voice echoed up the dreary, dark hallway of the County Jail holding cell floor. "This is awkward."

Even the junior desk clerk had to smirk behind his magazine at the joking, sarcastic and definitely inebriated sniggers of the inhabitant behind him, who was definitely the loudest one of the bunch held up for casuing a public disturbance.

Three pairs of angry, fierce glares were aimed at the direction of the voice, and Jake held in another snicker as he looked to the floor, the obvious already having been said. The desk clerk turned in his chair to the four occupants behind him, his expression morphing into one of seriousness as he glared at the man sincerely.

"You know…" he muttered. "You have the right to remain silent."

Jake sneered from behind the bars, leaning against them with casualness. It was obvious a holding cell wasn't foreign to him.

"I choose to waive that right." He challenged back, his defiant, Australian tone echoing up the halls louder. The clerk sighed, rolling his eyes and turning back to his magazine.

"I mean, what's the point?" Jake went on, oblivious to the angry glares he was receiving from his fellow inmates. "I'm already held up for disorderly conduct in public, what could I possibly do to make it more disorderly?" His large, dark brown eyes blinked lazily at the clerk, who was determined to keep his face hidden behind the magazine, feigning unconcern. "Yoohoo! _Oi!_ I'm talking to you!"

"_Jake…"_ A dangerous voice snarled from the other cell. "SHUT. _UP!"_

Jake pouted, turning around and instead looking across the hall where his own son glared at him from behind closed bars, daring him to say anything.

"What?" Jake suddenly smirked. "Worried I'll _embarrass _you?"

Dingo simply glared, twitching with unspeakable anger and humiliation. He couldn't fathom still how he'd made it into this situation, and all he could do was wait and hope he'd soon get out of it. He pined for Abby, he pined for freedom and he pined for knowing what was going on. He could feel his father's eyes on him, and he knew he couldn't get into a worse situation.

Here he was…sharing a cell block with his own dad, his half brother, and his stepfather-slash-uncle.

Dingo groaned, his head in his hands.

The police had quickly snarled to all four of them that they had been brought up for causing a public disturbance and violence, which was fair enough as they were the only ones fighting and they, of their own accord, had started the entire thing. Dingo gnawed into his lip, wanting desperately to claw his way through the solid cement floor beneath him. He wanted Abby- the image of her limp body being hoisted towards waiting doctors still was hanging fresh in his mind, and he could hardly imagine the pain he would feel if anything happened to her or his baby and he wasn't there…and _he_ was the cause of it all. He buried his face deeper into his hands, groaning in despair as Jake's voice still cut through his thoughts.

_"So…"_ Jake started conversationally, turning to frozen cell mate. "Been here before?"

Wallabee looked up at him fearfully, his wide, shocked emerald green eyes a complete paradox to his uncles calm, curious brown ones. He trembled against the harsh cement wall, filled with both anger and fear. He couldn't help but glare at Dingo across the hall- as he'd tried to tell the arresting officers _he _was completely innocent in all of this, _Dingo _was the one to blame.

Derek gave his brother a filthy look, trying hard not to appear familiar with the prison system. Too much was going on, and he didn't trust himself to say anything that would make his own son second guess him. He settled on giving his little brother one of his fiercest glares.

"Is anyone going to tell me what the _crud _is going on?" Wallabee suddenly snarled through gritted teeth, his emerald eyes narrowed. "Why the HELL are we here?"

"_You've been told." _The guard grumbled without even looking up. "Public disturbance. You can get out in 72 hours or on bail."

"_72 HOURS?" _Wallabee repeated, his mouth falling open. "But…" he pointed to Dingo through the bars, absolutely livid. "BUT HE-"

"Hey!" Jake suddenly smirked, looking cheerful. "We got a pretty good deal."

Wallabee stopped, unable to speak anymore. He gritted his teeth in anger and his hands clenched in frustration. He was sick of this- being stuck in some filthy jail cell with virtually no reason for being here…having no idea what was going on with Kuki or Abby or any of his friends, Abby could have lost the baby for all he knew… and it wasn't even his fault…

"And who the HELL are YOU?" He suddenly cracked, whirling around to Jake, his eyes livid. Jake startled, his eyes wide.

"_Woah." _He snickered. "Well-"

"_Wal." _Derek suddenly snarled, and Wally turned to see his father had turned his fierce glare to him. He gave a short shake of his head, and Wally knew it was obviously forbidden territory.

"Well…" Jake grinned happily, ignoring his brother completely. "I'm your uncle, for a start!"

Derek groaned, leaning against the bars of the cell in irritation.

_Can this night get any worse?_

"What?" Wally frowned, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "But I thought…"

He was caught mid sentence as he looked at the stranger beside him, and it was obvious Jake had similarities to all three of the males- the same muscular figure, the same shape of face, strong jaw, unruly hair, the same defiant, cocky voice with a strong Aussie accent

"_His_ younger brother." Jake smirked, tilting his head to Derek in a smug way. "Surprised you haven't heard of me, I am the black sheep of the family…" He paused, his smirk growing wider. "…Literally…" he chuckled, blowing a piece of raven hair from his eyes. It was clear he was still slightly intoxicated. Wally watched him with slight awe, amazed at this new piece of information.

"H…how come…" He looked to his dad, his eyes wide. "But I've never-"

"He doesn't talk about me much." Jake mumbled, cocking an eyebrow. "Don't you, Derek?"

Derek looked over, his eyes murderous.

"He's a _wittle _angry at me…" Jake whispered, snickering at his nephew. Wally frowned, immediately suspicious, at his uncle, then at his father.

"Wha…Dad…" Wally growled, glaring at his father from across the hallway. "What's going on?"

"Little Family Feud…" Jake giggled, swaying slightly from side to side. Dingo gave him a furious look, knowing the conversation would lead right to his parentage. Sure…_Jake _probably thought it was a _great_ conversation…Dingo's real parentage and the controversy surrounding his birth, but with Dingo it was a touchy subject he only allowed certain people to talk about, and Jake was pushing the boundaries. He quickly glared at his younger half brother, and was suddenly fearful Wally would find out…

"Shutup Dad!" Dingo snapped, his teeth gritted in frustration. "JUST SHUTUP! He doesn't need to-"

"_Dad?" _Wally repeated incredulously, looking from Dingo to Jake. Dingo stilled, his eyes widening.

_"Shit…"_ He mumbled, his anger now directed at himself. He looked away from the scene, feeling three pairs of eyes on him.

"You're…" Wally frowned, confused. His brain seemed to be ticking at a hundred miles an hour and he looked from his father to his uncle, his frown only deepening. It seemed hard for him to comprehend what web he was tangled up in…but the family's story was quickly unfolding, and he noticed his own father wince at the thought of his son finally knowing the truth he'd been hiding for so long. But instead Wally gazed at Dingo, his eyes wide. "You're not my brother?"

* * *

Rachel gripped Fanny's hand tightly in one hand, Nigel's in the other. Her face had paled considerably and her usually vibrant hazel eyes were wide with anxiety and shock. She, as well as the people around her, could hardly believe they were here yet again…in a lonesome hospital hallway worried for one of their friends who could be in a critical condition. Worst of all was there was really two…Abby and her unborn baby. Mixed with the tensions of fear and worry was the confusion of what had really happened that night…what had occurred so fast that had quickly turned into a full on brawl right in the middle of a wedding. The blonde sighed, her brain straining with increasing worried thoughts. She didn't even know where to begin.

_When DID life become so complicated? _She couldn't help but wonder.

Fanny gripped her friend's hand tightly as she kept her eyes on the door, but secretly clutched at her boyfriend's hand on the other side. Her thoughts were still brewing about the entire escapade between Dingo and Abby- the way they had looked at each other, that fearful look in Abby's deep brown eyes and the protective glare lodged in Dingo's…the way Abby had said Dingo's name when she fainted, hwo she almost reached out to him only.

Her dark eyes looked down, a calculating frown forming in her face. She couldn't help it. Something was up, even though she felt she shouldn't even consider it.

Nigel was pining for Abby, his hard stomach attempting nervous somersaults as he processed his guilt. He was the first to know, and he felt shameful that he didn't tell the gang sooner. He was supposed to be the leader, he was supposed to watch out for her…yet he allowed _this _to happen. He squeezed Rachel's hand, her soft skin offering the only comfort to him. Yet he couldn't look at her, all he could think about was Abby's pale face, and her limp figure crumpling onto the dancefloor. He hoped she, and her baby, would be okay.

Dodge bit his lip, knowing deep down he should be feeling the biggest guilt of all. He knew Dingo was responsible for this, his best friend. He too knew it was wrong of Abby to lie and keep such a big secret, which is what pushed Dingo to the edge…yet he couldn't excuse his friend this time, despite the fact he was worried for Dingo most of all. Watching him getting pulled away by that cop was enough to send Dodge over the edge, but being with Abby was what Dingo would want, and Dodge knew he should stick by her to make sure she, and Dingo's baby, were okay. He was worried for her most of all…if anything happened to her because of this stupid, mindless drama, Dodge doubted he would know what to do. He simply sighed, a small tremor in the deep silence of the quartet as they waited dutifully outside in the waiting room.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

For the two travelers arriving into LA from Australia, it had been a _very _long night, and they were positive it would soon be longer. The muscular figures easily pushed their way through the crowds at the terminal, both of them too irritated and infuriated to bother with the welfare of anyone else. Quickly finding a bathroom they stomped into it, grateful that it was empty.

The first, a tall, brawny Australian with dark, piercing grey eyes, immediately found the mirror and frowned at it, leaning over the sinks to ruffle his auburn hair, which had been dyed an array of blondes, browns and blacks in a variety of streaks- so much so there was no telling what colour his hair had been naturally. The longest of the locks reached the collar of his shirt, and the top was splayed out in a carefully placed mess. He growled at his reflection, his tired eyes narrowed as he ran a hand across his forehead, sweeping his fringe out of his eyes and across his face. An eyebrow ring glinted maliciously. He fingered it skeptically, wondering whether or not at 23 if he was too old for it.

The second joined him at the mirror. Both were the same height, but he was definitely the more muscular one of the pair…but not by much. He was slightly tanned, and had built up a hard layer of extra muscle while being away. His eyes were a dark, almost dull brown, and could easily be mistaken for black. His shaggy brown hair fell around his face, annoyingly flat, and he ran a hand through it, growling at his reflection. Even though it was much colder in the US than it was back home, he still wore just a plain white tee, his burly physique portrayed nicely against the material. Many tattoos also joined the mix, his upper arm adorned with an array of ink patterns and a star on his lower arm, along with some names across his wrists and even some initials behind his ear.

They were mellow for now, but both knew they were here for a job, and it had to be done.

"Did you call her?" The second growled, turning to his friend with his brow furrowed. The first rolled his eyes, smirking.

"Course I did bro, just before we landed." He fiddled with his eyebrow ring once more before adding, "I couldn't resist."

The second scoffed at his best friend's behaviour, and pulled out a cell phone from the back pocket of his jeans, which he turned on. His friend watched with interest, mashing his lips together as he hesitated.

"I still don't know why you call Bambi." He blurted out, cocking an eyebrow. "Just to…you know…give a little threat, like I did Holly…makes it much more interesting…"

He growled as he glared at the screen, his fist tightening as he heard _that name. _

"I want my visit to be a surprise." He muttered stiffly, trying to remain calm as he imagined strangling his former lover. "I didn't spend a year in prison to give a heads up as to when I'll be arriving."

"True…" The first sighed, growling to himself. His friend was right, he probably shouldn't be ringing his target to warn them of their arrival, but he couldn't contain himself when it came to his ex-girlfriend Holly. She was a fighter, but at the same time he knew she was as dumb as anything and would panic and freak, probably staying put just so she could bask in the drama. But Bambi…Bambi would run, and he knew it.

"Jayden…" The second one suddenly mumbled. "You still got those passports?"

"Yep." Jayden muttered, pulling them out of his pocket. "You ready to meet these fuckers or what?"

"Whatever." He scoffed at his friend, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "As long as it gets me to them I don't give a fuck what they're doing or how much they pay."

"Though you gotta admit…" Jayden smirked. "The pay's pretty fucking fine."

The second snickered. "Course, it always is."

"To think you get paid for seeing your ex and kicking some ass…" Jayden mumbled. "You think you'll keep Bambi alive this time Dread?"

Dread tilted his head curiously, almost giving off the image of an innocent figure. But his dark eyes still gleamed maliciously, his father's eyes. He gazed at his reflection once more before turning to Jayden, ready to finally meet their contacts and fill their role as the bounty hunters they said they'd be. Dread knew deep down he could never kill Bambi…many people he could, but Bambi he truly loved…

But Bambi was the sole reason for him being locked up…

Bambi_ did_ betray him…

"Who knows…" Dread growled, giving a lopsided smirk. "Guess I won't know until I actually get the chance..."

Snickering, the two old friends walked out of the bathroom to security.

* * *

"_I dunno, Dread…" Little Dodge whimpered, shaking as he followed his older brother's footsteps through the store, his tiny eight year old figure almost lost within the big group of teenagers. Dread strayed fiercely ahead, his dull brown eyes scanning the joint expertly. Every now and then his well trained hand would shoot out and grab something on the shelf, shoving it either in a friend's bag or in his pocket. Dodge was less casual about the entire thing; his wide blue eyes sparkled nervously as his bottom lip trembled with fear. He jogged to keep up with the pack, his tiny whines causing Dread to turn. "Dad said if you get caught again-"_

"_Shutup, Dodge!" Dread snarled at him, reaching down and grabbing the hood of his jacket, dragging him along. His high pitched cries could draw unnecessary attention to the group. "Just calm the fuck down and walk, that so fuckin' hard?" He growled at his brother though clenched teeth, steering him down another aisle. Dodge pouted uncomfortably, knowing his own schoolbag on his back was getting heavier and heavier by the minute. He glared up at Dread knowingly. Even his childlike, trusting mind could tell his older brother was using him….again. _

"_You said you'd take me to school!" Dodge whined at him, not loud enough to draw attention but loud enough for Dread to turn to him again. Dodge wrestled from his grip, folding his arms across his chest and giving his brother a fierce, brave look. "You said you would! I wanna go to school!" _

_Dread rounded on him, his anger rising. His little brother was miniature, only reaching about his elbow at full height. He was a cute kid too, most unfortunately. His deep brown hair was long and shaggy thanks to a shortage of haircuts, and he had inherited his mother's wide icy blue eyes, striking but yet beautiful to look at. Even at his fiercest he still carried that lost little baby look with hose wide, puppy dog eyes, the same look he gave everyone, no matter how angry he tried to look. His hand-me-down school uniform merely emphasised his little pathetic look he had going on. Dread snarled at him, those big innocent eyes beginning to annoy him. _

"_I'm taking you to school!" Dread hissed at him dangerously, his eyes narrowing. His friends exchanged snickers. Dread grabbed him again, dragging him along as they made their way across the store. "Just shut up already!"_

"_It's past nine! School's started!" Dodge protested, his own icy blue eyes narrowing at his brother. Dread turned to him, a fierce snarl in place._

"_Since when can you tell time?" He sneered mockingly. Dodge glared back, not falling for it._

"_I'm almost eight! I can tell time if I want!" He grabbed onto the nearest shelf, tired of his brother pushing him around. He attempted to give him the angriest look he could, but his fingers were trembling in a telltale way. He was scared, he hated when his brother did things like this, and he wished he could simply close his eyes and it would go away. He gripped the shelf and planted his feet defiantly on the linoleum floor, his eyes narrowing at his brother. "Take me to school."_

_Dread snarled at him, recognizing his brother's fierce glare. "Dodge…" he warned. "You get out of here with me, I'll take you to-"_

"_NO!" Dodge yelled loudly. "I WANNA GO NOW!"_

_Dread reached out with one strong hand and grabbed his little brother by the collar of his shirt, dragging him forward and smacking him across the head._

"_SHUT. UP__!" He growled at him. Dodge began to whimper again, all confidence lost at the one sign of ferocity. He didn't speak out again the whole time, even when he could feel more and more items being loaded into his bag. _

"_Pick anything, Dodge." Dread snarled at him finally, his eyes narrowing at his brother's strong sense of sulking. Maybe a little bit of guilt had hit him, maybe he wanted to cheer his brother up…or bring him down to his level. He guided his little brother along. "Seriously, just grab it…feel free…"_

_Dodge shook his head glumly, keep his head low. His mother's words rang in his head. _

_He felt a strong wash of relief as they made it to the checkouts finally, the group only placing a few cheap items on the counter. The manager approached them as they paid, his eyes especially on the well known customer before him. _

"_You." He snarled at the group, pointing out especially Dread, the clear leader. His eyes scanned the group closely, his sharp eyes missing the smaller figure among them. Dodge trembled nervously, feeling his face grow hot with guilt. Dread simply glared back, folding his arms and cocking his eyebrow._

"_I thought you were warned never to come back here."_

"_Pat us down then." Dread challenged, snarling. "Check us."_

_The rest of the guys smirked teasingly. All of them were merely clad in jeans and hoodies, but all looked innocent enough. Dread's crew were well known around the area for being nothing but a gang of fierce thugs- Dread the leader. Jayden, Trent's brother, was among them, and was one of the most notorious for his criminal activities. As they all seemed to be processed Dodge backed away carefully, not wanting to be seen with them. His tiny sneakers shuffled along the floor inconspicuously, those big blue eyes looking down at the floor as he went. He wished he was at school…the only place where he didn't put up with this stuff-_

"_Oi."_

_Dodge jolted in complete alarm as he was pulled back by his jacket, suddenly looking up into the red face of the already furious store manager. Dodge immediately shook with fear, his stomach dropping in shock and his bottom lip dropping as the older man loomed over him threateningly, gripping him tightly._

"_You've stolen something!"_

"_N-n-no…" Dodge choked out, stuttering out any words that came into his mind. His knees felt like they were about to give way as he realised just what a confrontation he was in. He felt a flood of tears spring to his eyes as the fear overwhelmed him. He began to cry, weakening in the stranger's grip. "I-I didn't- Lemme go, I didn't do any'fing lemme go…" He stumbled backwards, attempting anything to escape the scene. Blind with tears, he fell to the floor embarrassingly, now sobbing. Dread, flanked by Jayden and another mate, quickly stormed over, Dread possessing a fierce, protective look._

"_Who the fuck do you think you are, picking on my little brother?" He snarled at him angrily, yanking Dodge to his feet and pushing him from the scene. "Leave him the fuck alone he wouldn't fuckin' steal any shit from you-"_

_Dodge whimpered and sobbed, blindly following the guys as they lead him away from the confrontation. He knew in his heart he probably looked like a stupid, whiny little girl, but he couldn't help it…he was so scared… He used to want to be like his brother, but not after this…not after a taste of what it was like…_

"_Ya alright, Dodgem!" Jayden snickered at him, his dark grey eyes gazing down at him almost admirably. "you got away with it! You got a charm, mate! We should take you out more often if you can get away with shit that easily-"_

_Dodge bawled at the top of his lungs, collapsing onto the ground and refusing to budge._

"_I wa-wanna g-g-go HOME!"_

* * *

Hoagie winced as the gloved hands gripped at his face, his skin prickling at the unfamiliar touch. The doctor peered at him from behind his glasses, a suspicious, careful glare present in his eyes as he looked over the wound with suspicion.

"I'm fine." Hoagie muttered with annoyance, already over the entire episode. He glanced over at the bloodied tissues by him, and knew Dingo had caused a fair amount of damage with just one hit, and he already felt stupid enough. "Seriously it's fine."

"It could be infected…" He said silkily, dabbing on some antiseptic cream. "You took a nasty hit there-"

"Yeah, yeah." Hoagie snarled, shaking him off and wrinkling his nose. "But it's fine, it's alright, it's not even that deep-"

He raised his eyebrows but seem to sigh in defeat, snapping on a bandage and pulling off his gloves. "Keep it dry…" He mumbled. "And ring if you feel dizzy, you could be quite concussed and it could be dangerous-"

"Yeah, Yeah." Hoagie mumbled, already making a move off the examination table and planting his feet firmly on the floor, his shoulders squared defensively. "I'm fine, it's just a cut, after all-"

The doctor simply sighed, issuing him with some papers and showing him the door. Hoagie walked fast, his cheeks burning. He had no idea where his friends were- where they took Abby or where they took Wallabee. He had half a mind to search for them, but knowing he had no cell phone and could only feel a few measly coins in his pocket, he thought it best to call his mother- know she of all people would pick up- and head back to his dorm. He grumbled miserably as he counted out the quarters, leaning against the payphone and sliding them in, hearing the dial tone mumble in his ear.

He had a lot to think about, anyway.

* * *

Cree sighed, her head in her hands as she struggled to keep her breathing steady and calm. Tinkling music met her ears and whispers and chatter surrounded her. She still couldn't believe this was her day…the day she had been wanting and waiting for, many years..wasted in thinking about this one day…

And in the end, it didn't matter.

She reached up and scratched her head, damaging her perfect hair but releasing her tension headache all the same. She sighed, and as she raised her head she realised everyone was looking at her, worried- their eyes wide and their bodies at a safe distance. Abby was right…she'd been a right Bridezilla…frightening and getting everyone to be perfect for her day…and what did it matter? Her baby sister was in hospital…the family wasn't together…

This one day being perfect…it wasn't worth it.

"Cree…" her mother's voice reached her ears, and she realized that her own mother even sounded fearful at being the first to talk to her. The bride had been dangerously quiet since the police had left and the ambulance sirens faded, but so far nobody had seen a temper tantrum or a crying session…they just knew she was ready to blow her top, and Mrs. Lincoln kept a rather safe distance. "Cree honey…that was your dad…Abby's going to be okay…are you alright, Dear?"

Cree sighed, rising to her feet and looking around at her guests. Her face was calm, and now her breathing had returned to normal. Her new husband stood beside her, looking concerned and ready to console if necessary. Then, to everyone's immediate shock, she smiled.

"If my sister's okay…" She mumbled, her voice light and breezy. "Then of course I'm alright." She looked around, thinking of how much money she had spent on the festivities…as long as Abby was fine, she couldn't leave her special day like this… it was just too special for her. Her smile grew, and the atmosphere of the Hall seemed to relax as she lightly gripped Maurice's hand, turning to her mother. "Now what happened to the music? I want some more dancing before we have some of that cake."

* * *

Doctor Jenkins sighed as she hung up the phone, knowing her colleague would be pleased to hear his daughter was now alright. As she pocketed the device she approached the two couples squeezed onto one bench in the waiting room, and she smiled as four pairs of eyes looked up suddenly, wide and apprehensive.

"Abby's fine." She assured them. "She's stabilizing, and I'm positive that the baby will be just fine. Just a case of dehydration with added stress. You need to make sure she has at least a couple of glasses of water a day, especially when she's pregnant." She gave them a smile. "I'll sign the papers for release in a couple of hours once she wakes up, right now she needs rest."

The friends sighed in relief and murmured grateful thank-yous as the doctor left, leaving the quartet free to visit their friend. Dodge was apprehensive especially, but Nigel looked especially concerned, already rising to see her.

"Are you coming?" He asked them over his shoulder, cocking an eyebrow.

"Course!" Rachel sighed, a relieved smile gracing her face. "Thank God the baby's okay…someone should call Wallabee…"

"I will." Fanny promised, rising to her feet as well and dragging Dodge with her. "You guys go in first, give us a sec…"

Rachel and Nigel made their way up the hall to Abby's room, and Dodge waited awkwardly until they were out of sight to turn to his girlfriend, who was already shooting him a knowing look.

"You know not to call, right?" He asked her, his eyebrow raised knowingly.

Fanny sighed, the two exchanging matching glances.

"Yeah. You know where he is, don't you?"

"Only one place they're going." Dodge mumbled with the hint of a smirk.

Fanny rolled her eyes, sighing to herself. She suddenly felt exhausted, leaning her head against Dodge's chest and closing her eyes. Dodge put his arm around her. He was hesitant on visiting Abby, he knew he was the last thing Abby wanted to see after what Nigel and Rachel were about to tell her, and Fanny wasn't in the mood for any more drama for the night. Dodge leaned down and kissed the top of her hair, his own eyes closing. Abby was ok, that was enough for him.

"Wanna get out of here?" He mumbled.

Fanny nodded slightly, still snuggling against Dodge's leather jacket.

"Yes please."

* * *

Dingo growled, twisting his lips. It was amazing to him that he felt almost a little…guilty. He leaned back against the cell wall behind him roughly, glaring at the pair of eyes that watched him innocently. He folded his arms across his chest tightly; keeping his glare strong as he looked up into his younger brother's confused face.

"Half brother." He mumbled, so quietly barely anyone could hear. Wallabee looked back to Jake, his eyes wide.

"But how…"

"You have the same mother." Jake muttered casually, his voice softening but still possessing that lighthearted tone. "Just…" He looked away sheepishly. "Just different dads…that's why you didn't really know him."

Wally was silent, turning to his father after a minute. His thoughts were in a whirl, he didn't know what to think or say. Suddenly his family wasn't so straight forward and simple, he felt uncomfortable and embarrassed to even be within the same room as the people around him. Derek glared back defensively, still staring daggers at Jake.

"How does that work?" Wallabee mumbled, but everyone could already tell he had the answer.

"Your Mom cheated on me." Derek snapped quickly, anxious to get it over with. He folded his own arms, leaning against the wall of the cell angrily as he stared at the floor. But Jake quickly fired up, his eyes narrowing.

"Only after you cheated on her!" He growled back. Wallabee stared at Jake.

"What do you mean?" He whipped around to face his father, his golden hair hanging in his face. "What does he mean?"

"Nothing!" Derek yelled angrily across the hall at his brother. "It's ancient history! Can't you just forget it?"

"Oh yeah…" Jake snarled dangerously, his voice dangerously low. "You tried to forget, didn't ya? Thought it would be easy getting rid of _your _mistake." His eyes burned brightly, and Dingo watched with apprehension. "Thought it would be easy just sending _my _kid away, despite the fact he was only two-"

"_Dad-" _Dingo growled with embarrassment.

"_-_But you wouldn't let anything get in the way of _your _perfect family." Jake spat hatefully, his eyes narrowed. "You kicked Dingo out before he could even pronounce three syllable words. Heck, you attacked him before he could fight back, before he could even fend for himself!"

Wally's eyes widened, but before he could speak Derek fought back.

"It was an accident!" He snapped, but Jake could see he looked sheepish about it, his eyes were downcast and he looked extremely guilty. "I was young and stupid, I never meant to hurt anyone-"

"Yeah well _ya did." _Dingo snapped into his mumblings. Everyone turned to him, but his eyes were only on Derek. His deep emerald irises gleamed resentfully at the man, and his jaw was stiff, yet he was trembling slightly. Jake could recognise all the signs- Dingo still felt fear for Derek, but fury was quickly overpowering it. Dingo glared at Derek hatefully, snarling as viciously as possible- "And I'll _never _forget that."

Derek swallowed, quickly overwhelmed with guilt. He hated the fact something he had let go of so long ago was back to haunt him, and now his own son was gazing at him from across the hallway as though he saw him in a completely different light. Wally, who had always looked up to his dad- seeing him as a mild, sensible role model all through his life…had no idea this conflict had occurred so early on in his life. To see Dingo, his own brother, look at his father with such hatred and yet fear, he knew he wouldn't look at his father the same..

"And you…" He looked at Jake with suspicion, his eyes narrowed. Even though he was the youngest person in the room, he had obvious power, and Jake suddenly looked nervous as Wallabee gave him a fierce glare. "And you were…with my mom? When she was with my dad? You…Your own _brother?" _He muttered incredulously.

"In my defence…" Jake mumbled sheepishly. "I didn't know they were engaged-"

"They were _ENGAGED?"_ Wallabee spluttered.

"Well…I didn't know she was taken- period!" Jake mumbled defensively. He suddenly smiled, his eyes glazing over. "Interesting story, really-"

"I don't want to hear it." Wally snapped, his voice filled with tension. There was an awkward silence between the four family members, where Wally was left to fume in his own anger. He was suddenly overcome with sudden emotion- the thought that his family had lied to him this entire time…Dingo could have told him at any stage…his dad could have mentioned something, his mother…the one girl he thought he trust no matter what…didn't even say anything-

He kicked at the ground angrily. He didn't even want to look at any of them. He suddenly hated his family and wished for escape. _Of all the times to be locked up in a holding cell… _He found himself wishing, and wanting, the one person he knew could tame him no matter how angry he was…

The door of the holding cell suddenly opened, and all Wally seemed to notice was a kind, beautiful porcelain face peeking through the bars at him, her violet eyes wide with concern and care, her raven hair hanging around her shoulders, and she was still dressed in that soft green dress he loved so much- his silver chain dangling around her neck.

His prayers had been answered.

"You've been bailed out." The guard growled at the occupants of the cell gruffly. "You're free to go."

"Score!" Jake sang, grinning. "By who?"

Kuki smirked sheepishly. "It wasn't my doing…"

and Allie stomped out of the main foyer, giving them all a stern, motherly look.

"You can thank me later…" She muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "Actually…for now…" She rolled her eyes to her husband, her eyebrows rising. "You can thank his credit card."

* * *

"That was Fan…" Rachel mumbled, glancing at the screen of her phone. "Her and Dodge are heading back home, they're pretty tired and just wanted to know if Abby was ok…"

Nigel nodded, his eyes switching back to his still friend, still lying in the bed. She was paler than usual, and her face was peaceful. Drips and tubes were attached to her arms as she was rehydrating, gradually beginning to move against the stiff mattress. Rachel's eyes widened, taking a seat beside her boyfriend.

A shiver of relief went through the pair as they saw their friend begin to stir in her hospital bed, her eyes twitching and her lips crinkling as she groaned, mumbling something as she began to open her eyes- her irises dark and glassy as she looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. Her heart pounded hard against her ribcage as she remembered what had happened, and before she could jump up in alarm Nigel reached out to her, his hand against her shoulder.

"Just relax, Abby…" he murmured to her, his voice gentle but stern. "The doctor says you're too stressed…any drama and you could harm the baby."

Abby's eyes widened, her lips opening with shock as she took it all in, her hands falling to her swollen stomach. "Is he-"

"He's fine." Rachel soothed, smiling at her sweetly. Abby immediately calmed, taking it as a good sign her baby was fine and none of her friends seemed mad at her…except-

"What happened?" She managed to slur, her hand going to her throbbing head. She jumped again at seeing her silver bangle dangling from her wrist, and immediately she remembered Cree. She gasped. "Oh my god-"

"Its fine, Abby." Rachel said to her. "Cree's fine, the wedding will go on. Everyone was just really worried about you-"

"I'm fine now…" Abby mumbled, her cheeks burning as the pair of eyes watched her closely. She gently sat up, her hands resting on her stomach as she looked at her friends worriedly- watching and judging, trying to work out how much they knew. "Um…how's-"

"Hoagie's gonna be okay, just a cut." Nigel said quickly, looking down at the bedspread. "And…well-"

"Wally was taken by police…" Rachel said delicately, biting down on her lip. "The cops responded to a disturbance call and were in the area…they took the other guys too and it looked like Mr. Beatles was taken as well…they were all fighting…"

Abby's eyes widened with shock, and she could feel her heart pulsating in her ears. She couldn't believe how much drama she had caused, and she couldn't imagine what everyone thought of her now…if they knew, if Dingo told anyone…what he would say…what Wallabee would say…

"But don't stress, Abs!" Rachel squeaked quickly. "For the baby the doctor said-"

"It's all my fault!" Abby suddenly broke, tears sparking in her eyes as she stared at her friends pathetically. "I caused all this! Me and my stupid mistake! I can't believe this is happening, I've ruined everyone's lives and caused so much drama and stress, now the _cops _have gotten involved-"

"Its okay, Abby!" Nigel told her strongly, wrapping her into a comforting hug. Abby sobbed into his chest, his words soothing her as he spoke sternly, in a voice she knew she could trust. "It'll be fine, everything will blow over…"

"No it won't!" Abby blubbered. "Everyone will hate me for what I've done, I'll have nobody-"

"You'll have your friends, you'll have me!" He assured her. "And you'll have your family, but mostly importantly Abs…" he gave her a kind look, his dark eyes gazing into her own deeply. "You'll have your baby, and that's what matters the most."

There was a stiff silence, and Abby sniffed stupidly, cuddling up to her blankets as Nigel rubbed her back soothingly. She knew what he said was true…and she knew she should stay strong for her baby, her baby's _life _depended on it- after all. But still she felt horrible. She couldn't imagine what Wally thought of her now, and she had no idea what was to come. It was growing closer…the moment where she had to reveal the truth.

"What…what is going on?" Rachel asked quietly, her own eyes wide. Abby sighed, turning to Nigel as Nigel turned to her. They exchanged glances, and Abby relaxed back into the pillows behind her, suddenly feeling so weak and pathetic.

"You tell her…" Abby mumbled, her hands on her stomach. "I don't know if I can…"

* * *

"Okay…"

Dodge gulped as he looked over to his girl sitting smartly on the edge of his bed, her legs folded and her eyes sharp, staring deeply into his. He wrapped the towel around himself tighter as he sighed, feeling stupid at hoping she would have forgotten his little promise. He turned his back on her as he nibbled nervously at his bottom lip, shuffling through his drawers looking for something to wear.

"So…yeah…" He began awkwardly. "What did you…um…specifically wanna know?"

Fanny scoffed, tilting her head to the side as she cocked an eyebrow. She was so apprehensive yet excited about the whole thing she didn't care if Dodge was naked and dripping wet or not. She wanted info and she wanted it _now. _Then all of her fears would be shoved aside and she could finally go back to being happy again.

"This whole murder thing, for a start!" Fanny blurted out, her eyes wide.

"That whole…murder…thing was pretty much the reason we came here." Dodge said carefully, turning to look at her over his shoulder. "It's a long story-"

"I got time." Fanny replied stiffly, her arms folding as she gave him a stubborn glare. "Besides, you promised-"

"Yeah, I know, Baby…" Dodge mumbled, running a hand through his wet hair and turning back to his clothes. Fanny gave a small smile, even though she knew he couldn't see it. His endearing term brought warmth to her…the fact he spoke to her so kindly and sweetly, like he really did appreciate and love her. The fact he was so scared and nervous too, it made her seem all the more cherished as a girlfriend.

He found a shirt and pulled it over his head, grabbing a pair of pants from the floor and tripping over to pull them on. Fanny looked away, not wanting to be distracted. She felt the mattress dip as Dodge sat beside her, still drying his hair and avoiding her gaze with those wide icy blue eyes. Fanny swallowed, her own throat constricting with apprehension.

"Well?"

Dodge looked up, looking solemn. "I can't tell the whole story." He blurted out. "It'll be unfair to my friends that were involved…some private secrets are in there and I can't betray my friends like that…some of it isn't my story to tell…" He bit his lip, pondering for a second. "I won't use names…okay?"

Fanny nodded. "Understandable…agreed." She narrowed her eyes. "I just want to know _your_ story."

Dodge gave her a joking smirk. "You gotta know others to know mine. We work as a team here."

"Right." Fanny smirked, but her face softened as she nibbled her lips, her eyes widening. "So…"

Dodge groaned, falling back onto the bed with his hands tucked behind his head. He took a deep breath, clearing his throat and swallowing before speaking. Fanny followed, laying down beside him and waiting for him to speak.

"Well…" Dodge groaned. "Of course I've always been in shit with the law…we all have. I mean my Dad had the cops kickin' down the door twice a month or so for the crap he did…drugs, domestic violence, all that stuff…so that's all old news to me."

He rolled over to his side, giving her a long look as he propped his head up. "But once I hit sixteen…I got my own rep, with Dread's help…" He fiddled with a loose thread as he took a deep breath, launching in. "See…my friend…let's call…them…um…" He rolled his eyes. "Bambi. That was who they were known as anyway."

"Bambi?" Fanny's grin grew. "Cute. Sweet."

Dodge smirked, nodding. "Yeah…Bambi was pretty sweet…got into a lot of trouble, though. Always the innocent one, you know? The outsider…anyway…Bambi kinda…" He sighed. "Fell in love, with someone who…well, they never should have been together, but the idiot fell in love anyway." Dodge pursed his lips thinking. "Never believed in love 'til I met you, Cherry."

Fanny blushed, opening her mouth to speak, but Dodge continued.

"Yeah well…Bambi fell for Trent, believe it or not." Dodge scowled. "Trent loved Bambi too…but he'd never admit it…Bambi was pushed away, Trent told everyone, Bambi was suddenly outed and betrayed, fell in with a new crowd…new friends….still kept me and Dingo close, but other friends too…" Dodge smirked. "Had a friend named Belle, right? That wasn't her real name, it was just one from Beauty and The Beast." He rolled his eyes.

"How _Disney." _Fanny remarked, her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah." Dodge smirked, his eyes half lidded as he reminisced. "Kinda ironic, Belle and Bambi had anything but fairytale lives, Bambi fell in with the wrong crowd…" His eyes flashed with sudden darkness, and Fanny was alarmed to see the quick hatred that flashed across his face. "My own fucking brother."

Fanny's eyes widened. "Your-"

"My brother." Dodge snarled venomously. "Dread- fucking prick promised Bambi a life he knew he could never give…fucking messed Bambi up big time, I remember going over there whenever they had a fight…blood would be everywhere, Bambi would be hysterical, unconscious, screaming or locked in the bathroom or some shit…I never…" He shook his head, his face paling and muscles tensing. "So many visits to the hospital but no charges were ever pressed…Bambi was so weak like that, you know? Always believing Dread would change, that they were in love…poor Bambi…had nobody else to go to…Only had me, really, I kept saying 'leave him', but Bambi was hooked by then…on so many drugs, the attention, Dread basically had a prisoner, not a partner… the cops by then said to leave, but Bambi-" He shook his head, groaning. "Always the weak one…everyone wanted a piece, and Dread offered protection…my friend turned into just a regular victim." He stopped, now looking thoroughly depressed at the memories.

"That's so sad…" Fanny mumbled, now troubled by the story. "But…what about the murder…did…" Fanny's eyes widened. "Dread _killed _Bambi…didn't he?" Her throat had restricted, it felt as though she had just swallowed a brick, causing her chest to tighten. It was such a tragic story, magnified by the sadness in Dodge's tone.

"Oh…no…" Dodge shook his head rapidly, burying his head into his arms, his head tilted to look into her face. "No Bambi's alright…still alive, at least…mostly repressed all of it, living a somewhat _normal _life…" At this, he rolled his eyes. "Jittery though, never been the same…but no, Dread would hurt Bambi, but he would never kill. I'm pretty sure my brother is in love…his own twisted way of it…probably from hanging out with my dad too much." He scowled. "But he was always so jealous, you know? Never let Bambi out of the house…both got addicted to drugs just so they could be together…Bambi eventually had enough, and ran off back to Belle, probably the only friend who understood…anyway Belle, she…" Dodge sighed. "She got involved, pissed Dread off really bad and…Dread was always on the hard stuff….she caught him at the wrong time and he hunted her down…" Dodge ran a hand through his hair, a pained expression on his face. "Bambi called me and I brought the whole gang up there…but it was too late…" Dread squeezed his eyes closed, opening them again with a sigh. "Dread shot her…point blank…execution style. Bambi and…all of us saw it, Belle dead…"

Fanny gaped, speechless. She could almost see it- a poor girl kneeling in the dirt, the poor figure known only by name of Bambi watching on pleading and crying, maybe Dodge trying to talk some sense into him, and the gun going off, splatters of blood and-

"Bambi was distraught of course…I mean Belle…" he shook his head, choking up as he continued. "They were best friends…the guilt was too much…we told the police but when we were under suspicion it was too much and we just wanted to leave…" He blinked up at her, his eyes wide. "But we were there…all of us were under for different offences…we couldn't have been that reliable witnesses…despite all four of us seeing it…" he shook his head. "Nothing was ever the same, Dread swore he'd kill me if I told anyone, but I knew I couldn't see him as my brother anymore…not after that…after Bambi…or Belle…"

There was silence, and he twisted his lips, thinking.

"Her name was Emma…" he mumbled. "Emma Jenson…ordinary enough name…but she did look like Belle from that movie…" He snickered sadly, looking down. "We were there…at her funeral…"

Fanny sniffed, and realised stupidly she'd been crying.

"You…you didn't do anything wrong-"

"I didn't protect her." Dodge sighed. "I should have."

"But Bambi…" Fanny asked, her eyes wide. "Is she okay? Is she back home? All good?"

Dodge ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he looked towards the ceiling, his stomach twisting as her words hit him hard. Bambi….a word that was now foreign to him. It was hard to talk about…like it was a dream…back then it never happened…

"Fan…" He sighed to her, his eyes wide. "What if I told you Bambi wasn't… a girl?"

Fanny felt her mouth run dry at the pain in Dodge's voice, and something in his eyes made her freeze with sudden alert.

"Wha-"

"And that the idiot himself…" Dodge muttered, rolling his eyes. "Was actually one of my best mates?"

* * *

_The two fifteen year olds, soon to turn sixteen, huddled under a random streetlight near the train station, awaiting the next train that would hopefully take them back home. They knew it was stupid to be out this early in the morning, but they longed adventure…and hated to be home in the first place. _

_One, dressed in black jeans with accidental rips in the knees, huddled closer to the taller one, his deep blue eyes wide and fearful. His black hair hung in his face, the dyed blonde tips framing his face cutely, squashed by the hood of his black and red zip up jacket. His bottom lip, pierced with two identical piercing forming snakebites, quivered in the slight cold. The other, standing stronger, rolled his eyes. _

"_Bandit, would you relax?" Trent scoffed. "It's fine, trust me, we'll be home before-"_

"_It's not that…" Bandit mumbled weakly, shivering and shifting closer to Trent's warmth. He blushed sheepishly. "You…you know I'm…" He bit his lip, still trembling. His wide, ocean blue eyes gazed up at Trent's grey ones. "You know I'm…scared…" he croaked out, and Trent immediately looked around at the station. It was silent and still, the darkness of early morning almost stifling. All that could be seen was a few traffic lights on the road and a rare car passing. Trent sighed, turning back to his shivering friend. _

"_Oh right…" Trent said airily. "I keep forgetting you're so scared of the dark." _

"_Shutup." Bandit whimpered, closing his eyes. Trent gazed at him, noticing his skinny figure, the way he trembled and shook in fear, he looked so innocent and dainty…he processed this. All the people he hung around tried to be so fierce and threatening, Bandit was never like that…always so innocent and sweet, finding the happy side of things. He was quiet and shy, and at that moment…on a Sunday morning at about 3AM, it took that time for Trent to really cherish their friendship. _

"_You know what, Bando…" Trent sniggered. "I'ma give you a nickname."_

_Bandit's eyes widened, his fears subsiding for excitement as he looked up at Trent eagerly. "Really?"_

"_Yeah." Trent snickered. "I give everyone nicknames, it's about time I give my bestie one."_

_Bandit felt his cheeks blush, and he mentally cursed himself for acting like such a lovestruck schoolgirl. "Oh…ok." He smiled. "What's my nickname?"_

_Trent smirked slyly. The secret love of Disney movies, those wide, innocent fearful eyes, scared of the dark, skinny, innocent, dainty…_

"_Bambi." He grinned, his tongue between his teeth. Bandit frowned, taking a couple of seconds to process this. He gaped, looking affronted._

"_Huh?" He whined. "But…but that's mean-"_

"_No it's not!" Trent chuckled. "Bambi's a good thing, you're cute…you know? All innocent, and you have those big eyes, and well-" He shook his head, not wanting to sound too sappy. "And you love Disney movies."_

_Bandit frowned, thinking about this. Honestly, he was overjoyed he'd get such a thoughtful nickname from his friend…in fact it warmed the very cockles of his heart to know Trent thought about him like that…even though he seemed to hate that sort of thing. Of course, he'd never…ever tell his best friend how much he really liked him…So he smiled, looking up at Trent with those wide, Bambi-like eyes, and Trent seemed speechless at how happy he seemed to be. All fear was gone. He shuffled closer innocently, grinning._

"_I like it."_

* * *

Fanny leaned against the railing of the apartment balcony casually, feeling the cool nighttime breeze whip through her hair and the light wind brush her face. Dodge stood beside her, his warm arm wrapped around her shoulders loosely, a cigarette in the other hand. Fanny gazed up at the night sky, her dark eyes gleaming with sudden excitement as she caught sight of the moon, almost a full one. It seemed to sit in the black sky perfectly, highlighting every glimmering star that dotted the sky. Looking up at that gleaming white orb made her forget almost every drama in her life as she imagined all those galaxies in space, swirling and glistening around that black abyss of sky.

"I love the moon…" She found herself muttering, and Dodge's own icy blue eyes joined hers in looking up. He frowned, but watched with interest as she went on. "I don't know…I've always felt connected to it…"

They fell into a silence, only broken by the traffic below them. Dodge flicked an ember, giving his girl a sly smirk.

"When I was younger, in the car, I remember the moon following me as I watched out the window." He scoffed at the innocent memory, bringing the stick up to his lips again. "I thought it was following the car just for me."

Fanny grinned, but still she couldn't take her eyes off it. It was hanging in the sky, above all the chaos and bedlam of the city below. She was amazed how it could be there for the entire time, just sitting in the sky watching above the world, only touched by few. Yet she still thought of it as closer than she thought, almost like she'd been there before, she'd seen it all before.

"When I was younger…" She mumbled. "I used to think you could travel to the moon anytime you wanted…like building a rocket was easy…" She smirked. "I didn't know what the fuss was about."

Dodge grinned at her smirk, but secretly wondered what that innocent feeling was. He hadn't experienced a lot of it as a kid, he was always shoved into a world where adults weren't perfect and he couldn't rely on anyone for anything. He never really had a chance to explore a world of protection and love, where kids were merely there to have innocent fun.

But he could remember a time where he too looked up at the stars and knew there was something else out there, he could remember wondering how something so big could still stay up in the sky, and he'd find himself thinking that he too would be able to do anything, that maybe the impossible was possible, and maybe the world wasn't the harsh hell hole his family had made it out to be. He nervously adjusted the wristband that covered his wrist, and he was wondering if this was suddenly the right time.

He felt a slight warmth and softness on his cold cheek, and he looked over to see Fanny had planted a gentle kiss against his cheek, and was now giving him a small smile, almost as though she could see passed those icy blue eyes and into the very depths of his own soul. He flicked his cancer stick away and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, her face burying into his chest.

"I love you, Cherry."

"I love you too, Dodge."

* * *

Fanny lay with her head on Dodge's chest, gently rising and falling with his deep breaths as they lay in bed together, Dodge's arm around her bare shoulders. She skidded her fingers across his hard stomach, and lower along his tattoo across his hips.

"Dodge…" She whispered, her lips scraping his skin.

"Mn?" He mumbled, his eyes glazing over sleepily.

"What's…" She bit her lip, her eyes rising to look into his face. "What's been going on between Dingo and my friend Abby?"

Dodge twisted his lips sheepishly. "They're together…have been for about seven months now."

Fanny looked down. She trusted Dodge's words, and she knew something was up at the wedding, when Dingo was so quick to come to Abby's defence and Abby was so quick to talk to him before she fainted. It was just a slight disappointment to her…Abby had become almost like a sister to her over the years…someone she could look up to and always go to for advice. To know Abby cheated on her own boyfriend with his brother was something that hit her surprisingly hard.

A frown worked into Dodge's face and he reached down to push a few strands out of her face. "Something up?"

"That's just…a little disappointed." Fanny said truthfully. "She's my friend and I never thought she'd cheat on her boyfriend…" She raised her head, looking into her face. "Does that mean the baby-"

Dodge shrugged, looking sad. "She says it has to be Dingo's…but I don't want to get involved, Baby, it's none of my business. I just know…" he gave a small smile. "I know Abby now, and we've become friends. She felt like she was distanced from her boyfriend already and her and Dingo was never meant to happen, they hooked up before they even knew about each other."

"But still!" Fanny suddenly growled. "She's being unfaithful and lying-"

"It's hard on her." Dodge explained. "You know, we can't understand what it's like…having a baby and all. You're supposed to be a mother, and you have to do what's right by yourself as a mother and shit…" He rolled his eyes. "I see Dingo upset because she won't reveal their relationship…but he knows it's for the best, and she knows what she's doing."

Fanny sighed. She knew it was out of her control…but she couldn't help but worry for both Wally and Abby…she'd grown up with them and hated to see anything come between the group's friendship.

"It's upsetting to see your friends make mistakes and make decisions you don't like, Bub." Dodge mumbled to her, a hand running through her hair. "But you can't control it."

"I know, I just can't help but feel betrayed _for _Wally." Fanny grumbled darkly, but placed her head back on Dodge's chest. He kissed the top of her head, sighing into her hair.

"I've never seen Dingo like this with a chick before…and even before she was pregnant I knew he had completely fallen for her…" He mumbled. "I thought he was being stupid because…" He looked sheepish, looking down at her thoughtfully. "I thought love was made up, you know? Just Hollywood stuff…now I know it's gotta be real…I would do anything for you, Cherry."

Fanny stiffened, hugging him closer. "I'd do anything for you too…"

Dodge grinned automatically, warmed at the feeling.

"That's why I know Dingo loves Abby, he'd do anything for her and Abby would do anything for him- she was willing to risk everything for him and they fight through everything just to be together…it's more than just devotion and responsibility…I can tell my best mate has totally fallen for this girl."

Fanny sighed, but a small smile crossed her face. "You can't fight love."

Dodge smirked. "That and fate, baby."

* * *

Trent shuffled into the kitchen, busily making a cup of tea to calm himself. He couldn't sleep, especially when Mushi refused to be beside him, instead choosing Hollie's bed over his. He snarled as he slammed the fridge, cradling the warm mug in his hands as he shuffled back to his room, turning off the light automatically.

He stiffened, almost spilling his tea as he heard a small whimper.

"Sorry." He quickly muttered, turning it back on. "I didn't know you were there…" He looked over to see Bandit hiding behind the couch. His hands curled into frightened fists as those wide, ocean blue eyes gazied at him pathetically. He was spread out on the rug, his bottom lip trembling and packets of Band-Aids surrounding him. Trent hadn't even realised he was there, and he looked away sheepishly, only to look back, frowning.

Bandit awkwardly looked down, retracting his closed in fist to look at the sticky mess he had made of the bandages. He'd never been good with Band-Aids, which wasn't good because he was the type to always get hurt. He had band-aids of all types…Disney, Pixar, Cartoon characters…but he never failed to mess up the simple operation of putting them on, and right now he was failing. He flicked off the ruined bandage and instead moved to another one, his shaking, nimble fingers prying at the packaging.

"You're an idiot." Trent spat, and Bandit winced as he lowered his head, attempting to listen to his iPod rather than Trent's condescending snarl. Trent walked over, putting his tea to the floor as he grabbed for his friend's hand. Bandit blinked, gaining the courage to look at him. He looked surprised at Trent's gentle touch and was still shaking from being engulfed in sudden darkness…Trent had almost forgotten how much of a scardey cat his best friend really was.

"Th-thanks…" Bandit mumbled, his cheeks warming.

"Yeah, well." Trent snarled, but his eyes were calm as he surveyed Bandit's hand. "You never could resist getting injured, could you?"

Bandit winced again, but Trent's eyes flicked to his, a kind look deep in those cold grey eyes. "Besides, I've done it for you before."

Bandit nodded, but still shrunk away as Trent seemed to glare at the little cuts all over his hands, from Bandit's mere clumsiness and stupidity, his dry skin and the shameful needle marks. He bit his lip as Trent scoffed at the selection of Band-aids Bandit had. As he gazed at the pathetic Bandit sitting on the floor, he could help but plunk down beside him and rip open a Shrek bandage, slapping it on a cut on Bandit's finger. His pale hands were littered with tiny wounds, and Trent sent to work covering them up in the bright, colourful bandages.

"Mushi kissed me." Bandit blurted out, his eyes wide. Trent didn't look up, but he seemed to grip his hand just a little more tightly as he wrapped a Dora the Explorer band-aid around his finger, reaching over for a Ben 10 one. Bandit swallowed, watching him expectantly. His bottom lip trembled.

"Thought she would." Trent spat out venomously.

"Y-you did?" Bandit blinked back, shocked. He bit his lip, swallowing nervously. "Wh…why?"

Trent let go of his friend's hand, crumpling the wastage in his hand as he glared at him, his steel grey eyes hard, but not too demanding.

"Nobody could ever resist you, Bandit." He muttered. "And even when you don't even try, you just come off as so innocent, strong and yet naive. You're a triple threat."

Bandit winced.

"Why am I a _triple_ threat?" He muttered, and he noticed his voice had lowered to a whisper. "You only said…"

Trent gave him a quick snarl, and Bandit silenced, his eyes widening at the daring look wedged deep in Trent's grey, silvery pupils. Bandit licked his lips, his teeth already gnawing on his chapped bottom lip. Trent found himself wondering once again why anyone would want to hurt such a pathetic figure like his best friend…sure he could be annoying, stupid, and sometimes downright infuriating, but Trent could never resist those wide, deep blue eyes…and no matter how strong Bandit had become over the years, he'd never lost that stupid puppy dog stare. As he blinked those wide deep cerulean eyes, shaded by a few strands of long black hair, Trent felt disgusted as he felt old feelings return, ones he thought were truly gone and never to be spoken of again.

"Shutup _Bambi_." Trent mumbled to him. "You know you're fucking adorable."

Bandit silenced, looking down at the floor as he savoured the feeling of Trent's hands on his…like old times. Trent still had his eyes on him, cold and harsh, as if daring him to say something, but Bandit stayed silent, unable to hide the twitching corners of his mouth that pulled into a small smile.

_

* * *

_

Hollie gazed helplessly at the computer screen, her body still with sudden anxiety and apprehension. She gaped, sighing in despair as she stared at the screen, her chin balanced on her hands. She was exhausted, and staring at that figure only made it worse.

Two grand…_two grand _to get back home…and she knew none of the guys would ever lend her money…and she could never tell them why she needed it. Jayden was always a secret, and that was her own fault. She bit her lip, willing the hopeless tears away as she hit print, wondering where in the world she'll be able to find that money. Sighing, she gathered her bag and headed to the library printer, pulling out her sheet and shoving it into her bag. She hated being amongst the snooty College kids, who always gave her a suspicious glare, but the college library was the only place she could ever look up tickets to get out of here…out of the path of her dreaded ex.

She stomped towards the door, desperate tears already sparking in her eyes at the thought of her stuck here…trapped in a foreign country as a sitting duck while Jayden hunted her down… She couldn't believe after all these years it would be so easy for him to catch up to her, while-

She stopped, her eyes widening, as she retraced her steps back towards the notice board beside the front door, where her eyes widened further at the large words- _GRAND. _

"Chance to win a grand…" She mumbled, reading off the notice. Her heart thudded with sudden excitement as she snatched the post off the board, reading it vigorously. It couldn't be true…a talent show…just her style…for just the money she needed! A sudden thought, desperate but possible, entered her mind, and she skipped off towards the dorms, the poster clutched tightly in her hand.

* * *

"Wally _stop-"_

"I'm not stopping!" Wally growled, but he held her hand delicately as he stomped down the sidewalk. his nose in the air. "I'm walking, I don't want to speak to them."

Kuki sighed to herself. No sooner had she accompanied Allie to the police station to bail out her boyfriend and the rest of his family members, Wally had grabbed her and stomped off, not issuing a word to his mother or anyone else. Allie had tried to call him back but he fiercely hadn't replied, only wanting Kuki and that was it. The Japanese girl followed her boyfriend, her eyes wide with concern. A faint thought entered her mind and she wondered whether he…_knew._

"_Wally…" _She murmured to him softly, reaching out and tugging him to a stop. "What's wrong?"

Wally gave in to her timid, sweet voice and he stopped, yet the flow of anger ebbing through his system was still going strong, and his emerald eyes glowed with anger and ferocity.

"My _fucking _family has been lying to me this whole time!" He snarled angrily, but weakened when he saw how she winced at the sudden curse. "…Sorry…" he mumbled guiltily, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But…they have been…and…" he grumbled under his breath, kicking at the loose dirt beneath his feet. "And I feel betrayed about that…you know?"

"You have a right to feel betrayed…" Kuki said soothingly, her soft hands going to his chest. Her sweet violet eyes gazed into his face, and Wally couldn't help but be calmed and warmed by her presence…as if her very scent seeped into his bloodstream and cooled his bursting, hot anger with one word. He looked down at her guiltily, suddenly shameful. "But calm down and talk…okay?"

"I don't really wanna talk…" He grumbled stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest. He felt childish but he couldn't help it…he felt so stung at his father's sudden revelation he couldn't help but want to crawl into bed and never come out. "I just…want to go home…" he sighed, Kuki gazing at him with worry. "And relax, you know?"

"Okay…" Kuki muttered, slightly hurt but understanding all the same. She pulled him into a hug, the two walking hand in hand into the University grounds, which was only a few blocks from the station. The two were silent, but Kuki understood. She could tell by how firm Wally was gripping her hand that Wally did take solace in her, but probably due to how many things were running through his mind he only wanted time to himself to think.

Wally pulled Kuki towards him, taking in her delicious scent. He hated to think he was so reliant on her, and he hated her to think he was such a crybaby in how he felt towards his family. He grumbled, hating himself for how he was acting. He knew he needed her, even if it was just cuddling her or sleeping beside her, yet he was fearful she'd find it annoying…or she'd get sick of him, like he did with Abby.

He froze, his eyes widening as they walked closely beside each other. _Wallabee Beatles…fearful of a girl? A girl's feelings?_

He sighed.

"I can take it from here…" He mumbled. Kuki nodded, understanding. Her violet eyes glimmered against the moonlight, and Wally pulled her into a hug, unable to resist how beautiful she looked. She'd come for him, she'd rescued him…to him, she was his savior.

"I love you, Kooks." He murmured into her ear, so softly she almost missed it.

Kuki cuddled him closer, loving the feeling of his muscular arms wrapped around her form.

"I love you too, Wally…" She whispered back. "Don't forget that."

_

* * *

_

It was late, and Sandy's anxious glances towards the clock on the dashboard were becoming more constant and fretful. He tapped the legs of his jeans apprehensively, nibbling at his bottom lip and running his hand through his hair. He felt great, finally having showered after what felt like months of being on the run, but now he was beginning to feel worried. Even his cousin beside him wasn't helping anything.

"Would you relax?" Steven scoffed, drumming on the steering wheel. "These guys are total professionals. We meet them once, give them the drill, the money, send them on their way, the job is done, we send the rest. The end. Done."

"I know…" sandy mumbled, slipping his hands beneath his legs. The leather of the SUV felt cool against his skin, and the tinted windows gave him a feeling of security, but still he felt naked.

_Total professionals…_

"I just want her back…" Sandy mumbled worriedly. "I hope she's alright…"

He sat up a little straighter as two hooded figures made their way out of the terminal. They looked tall and muscular, even though they had thick hoodies on and their heads were bowed against the crisp winds. They headed straight for the car, a determined and fierce stomp in their step. Steven tilted his head casually, a smile growing across his face.

"This must be them."

* * *

_Dread watched him closely, his head leaning against the open car window as he gazed at the sight through tinted aviator sunnies- coating his eyes from the harsh rays of sun that can prove deadly when one had a hangover. He couldn't let his mates know he was staring at the stray teenager…but he couldn't look away. _

_He looked so cute and pathetic, the scrawny black haired teenager sitting at the bench at the train station, his hood pulled up so his wild black shaggy hair was covered and his deep blue eyes were shadowed as he kept his head down, to the cassette player in his lap. He shuffled his feet against the wet ground, his converses twitching together nervously as he chewed on his bottom lip, probably biting away tears. Dread found himself loving how shy he was, how timid and cute he seemed to be…like a deer, the way you know they'll never come to you, and they'll shy at anything, but yet you still want one as a pet…you still want to pat it, keep it. He noticed he had snakebites, something he'd never noticed before, and little blonde tips at the ends of his raven hair. He couldn't help it… something so innocent and untouched, so vulnerable and pathetic, shy and sweet…He had to have it._

_He had to have Bandit Madden. _

_

* * *

_

Bandit stumbled out of the apartment building, a skip in his step as he listened to one of his favourites- the "Bad Romance" cover by Outline in Color. Usually Bandit cherished the wonderful work of Lady GaGa, one of his favourite artists, but he couldn't resist a good metal cover. It was especially special for him, as the song was one of the memorable tracks on a CD that he was given on his 19th birthday…

…

"_I…made you this…" Trent awkwardly shoved it into his friend's hands, and Bandit looked alarmed at the small package, wrapped clumsily in crinkled paper with way too much sticky tape, but with a cute bow on it all the same. Trent bit his lip, snarling at how stupid he felt. "I mean, your birthday's soon…and-"_

_But Bandit was already mauling at the paper, his cute ocean blue eyes wide with anticipation. He threw the paper away, and gazed at the small CD case in his hands. _

"_You always liked to be retro." Trent blurted out, already worried he wouldn't like it. "Like…I know you'd rather listen to a CD any day…and I know how we used to in primary school, so-"_

"_You made me a mixed CD?" Bandit asked, his expression unreadable. Trent gulped, his silvery eyes sheepish. _

"_Yeah…I-"_

_The rest of his words were lost, as Bandit had tackled him in a friendly hug, thanking him with little squeals of excitement. _

_He had his best friend back._

…

He shook his head, concentrating on the footpath beneath him instead of old memories. As he listened to the great lyrics, fantastic voice and great rhythm, he still couldn't get his spirits to lift. He felt guilty and horrible even though he knew he'd done nothing wrong…right?

_Mushi kissed me…_he told himself sternly. _I never lead her along…I only considered her a friend…I was only mad because she stole Trent…I never lead her away, I never planned to spite Trent…I only wanted him…maybe unintentionally I stole her away…but I never meant to…_

_Do I want Trent happy…or do I only want Trent happy if it's with me? _He pouted, suddenly feeling horrible and selfish. He kicked at the sidewalk, and suddenly he felt he needed so much more. If he couldn't get the right attention and love, he needed something more…

"Hey YOU!"

Bandit jumped, stumbling on his feet and landing with a sickening crash on the sidewalk. He whimpered, feeling immediate pain. He opened his eyes, whining as he was met with concrete.

_Smooth. _

"Are you okay?" A familiar, feminine voice reached his ears, and he turned his head to face expensive looking ballet flats. His eyes rolled upwards, and suddenly he wanted the cracked pavement to open and swallow him up.

Lizzie raised her eyebrows, smirking at the crumpled figure that gazed up at her, seeming to snarl at seeing her. He gathered his music player and pushed himself off the ground, wincing as he did so. Lizzie tilted her head with interest, noting that he looked surprisingly more skinny and scrawny as he did when they first met. He brushed the dirt off his black jeans and straightened his hoodie, giving her a quick glare before attempting to set off again.

"Wait!" Lizzie huffed, falling into line with his step. "I wanted to talk to you-"

"About what?" Bandit mumbled rubbing at his slightly grazed face. He avoided her gaze, not even knowing what went on between the two, but knowing it was anything but innocent. He felt ashamed and embarrassed, scarcely able to look into the stranger's face. "Look, I hope you don't think-"

Lizzie scoffed, waving away his explanation. It had taken a while for her to find him, she wasn't going to let it go this quickly. "Yeah yeah, I don't really care." She smirked, trying to catch his eye. "I don't expect anything from you, I just wanted to know if you were interested in a…_business proposition."_

Bandit stopped, frowning, as Lizzie rounded, the two standing face to face on the abandoned sidewalk. She gave him a cocky smile, he gave her a suspicious growl.

"A…what?" He snarled at her. He felt slightly sick. "Look, I'm not usually…_like…that…_I was just-"

"Oh _please." _Lizzie scoffed again, rolling her eyes. Bandit snarled at her, already hating her annoying voice. "Look…I know what you are…"

Bandit's eyes widened, suddenly trembling. He gave her wide eyed, pleading look. She didn't look like much to him… a regular nobody really- slightly tubby, wavy dull brown hair, freckled face and thick glasses. He wrinkled his nose at her, but he couldn't deny the knowing glare she was giving him. He was familiar with that glare…and it was usually followed with somebody taking advantage of him.

"Wh…what?" He whispered.

Lizzie looked at him up and down with judging eyes, her eyebrows rising cockily. "You don't look too healthy, you're skinny as, you're pale and jittery…" She smirked, and Bandit looked back at her like a deer caught in headlights. "I'm guessing heroin, right?"

Bandit growled at her, attempting to push passed. He felt tears spark in his eyes at the judging looks, and he felt sick at being so fucking predictable yet again. He hated that feeling, it took him back to the days where he felt weak and pathetic, so useless and stupid. He folded his arms, stomping off. Lizzie tugged him back, her hand gripping the back of his hoodie tightly.

"Wait…wait hear me out!" She cooed to him, still with that sly smirk in place. "Listen…I have a deal for you."

"I don't negotiate with _fat whores." _Bandit spat back at her, stung by the remarks. Lizzie snarled, looking affronted, but wouldn't let go.

"I have a whole stash, you just need to do this one favour…" She raised an eyebrow. "You look a little peaky…"

Bandit stopped, looking over his shoulder guiltily.

"Just this one favour…" She murmured softly. She gave him a sly glance behind her glasses. "And I'll leave you alone, you keep the stash, you never get to see me again."

Bandit growled at her, but his figure weakened as he slumped, his eyes looking down guiltily but his chapped lips pouting all the same. He looked defeated, and he was suddenly filled with guilt at what Trent would think, but he couldn't help it. He shuffled closer to her, his deep ocean blue eyes looking up to search her face curiously.

"What kind of favour?"

* * *

Kuki had scarcely made herself comfortable in her quiet dorm room before she heard a knock at the door. Only clad in her Rainbow Monkey PJ's, she shuffled over with a toothbrush in her mouth, positive it was one of her friends checking on her and filling her in on how her roommate was doing…or maybe even Wally coming back for another hug…

She was very wrong, and she jumped back in alarm, positive she was dreaming.

"You!" Hollie grumbled, swatting at the hair in her face. She looked agitated and still held the crumpled university poster in her hand, her hazel eyes wide at the Japanese girl. "It's taken me a while to find you, you know."

Kuki gaped, her throat prickling as she realised she had swallowed her toothpaste whole at the shock, the brush now dangling loosely in her hand.

"Y…you…" She blinked in alarm, totally taken aback at the sight of the redhead. "What are…what are you doing here?"

Hollie gave her a sheepish smirk, unraveling the poster and showing it off to Kuki with a flourish, her eyes shining hopefully.

"I have favour to ask of you…" Hollie said, feeling as though she should be on her knees. "And I can't leave until you say yes…." She looked at the floor, then back up again. "I won't say too much, but my lfie literally depends on it."

* * *

Hoagie pulled off his headphones as he heard the familiar stomping of his roommate, and soon the door flung open to reveal a furious Wallabee, a look of deep anger and confusion on his face, highlighted especially by the sharp, bloodied cut above his left eye. Hoagie winced at seeing it. It looked painful. Usually so approachable, Hoagie was alarmed to feel the deep hostility and foreboding his best friend seemed to be giving off as he sat on his bed, his emerald green eyes gleaming maliciously in the dark as his dirty blonde hair hung in his face.

"Woah…" Was all Hoagie seemed to mumble. He sat blankly at his desk, still going through the footage for the tape Rachel wanted. Going through all the old memories was the only thing that seemed to soothe his growing worries and anxieties- seeing Abby and his youthful faces, along with the rest of the gang, seemed to be comforting him more than anything else seemed to. "You…eh…you okay?"

"I'm fine." Wally growled, but his eyes softened as he looked over at his friend. "What about you? Dingo hit you pretty hard…"

"It was nothing." Hoagie quickly lied, tentatively touching the small bruise on his cheek. Truthfully, Dingo hadn't hit him _that _hard, but it still hurt…he was lucky it didn't leave a mark.

_How embarrassing would that be… _he thought to himself. He swirled around on his chair to rummage through the bag of old tapes he still had to go through to copy.

"How's the tape?" Wally asked, tugging off his shoes as he tried to make a conversation. Hoagie could tell he wanted to stay as far away from the topic of his brother and was trying to forget the catastrophe he had helped caused at Cree's wedding. He quickly picked up.

"Alright." He grinned. "Only about fifteen minutes though, and I bet Rach would like more, so I thought I'd go through these last few videos…" he gazed at it thoughtfully. "Lots of good pictures and everything…these are mostly us trying to work out how to use the camera, so lots of stuff where we didn't know the record button was on…"

Wally snickered, falling back onto his bed. He closed his eyes, suddenly aware of how warm and comfortable his mattress was…how relieved he felt to be back in it.

"Good times." He grinned to himself.

"Yeah…"

Hoagie picked up one of the last tapes, frowning. He'd picked up on it the last time he was going through them…but still hadn't really noticed until then. This tape was different…a different format…a different brand, perhaps… but it wasn't like the rest. He bit his lip, suddenly frowning as he rotated the tape in his hands, finally slipping it into the player, his curiosity getting the better of him. He hit rewind.

Wally ran a hand through his hair, sighing to herself.

"I don't get it, Hoagie." He suddenly groaned. Hoagie looked up, knowing when to listen and shut up. Wally groaned, rolling onto his side and narrowing his eyes as he vented. "My family's supposed to be my family, you know? You'd think of all people they would be honest with me."

"Sometimes they're the people who hurt you the most…" Hoagie put in, shrugging his shoulders. "Mate, no matter what happened I know your family, and I know they wouldn't purposely be out to hurt you-"

"But about my own family!" He growled, closing his eyes as he shuffled off the bed, sitting on the floor with his friend. "I didn't even know I had another brother 'til a couple of months ago, or a freakin' uncle! I never knew about any real family in Australia except _maybe _my grandma and grandpa, now I find out about this whole fucking affair with my own dad! Nobody tells me shit anymore…"

"Cheer up man." Hoagie assured, sighing to himself. "Listen, all families have their secrets…I'm sure it's not too big of a deal, they probably thought they were doing you a favour…"

"A favour…" Wally repeated, scoffing. He tugged at his blonde hair, groaning as he squeezed his eyes closed. "They lied to me, Hoags. My own family lied to me. I'm a fucking adult now, I'm not a kid-"

Hoagie smirked at him, his icy blue eyes twinkling. "You never stop being lied to, Wal."

"Yeah…" He groaned, giving him a half smile as he gave his friend a thankful look. "But, you know…just expected a little more…"

"We always expect more…" Hoagie mumbled, giving him a shy smirk. The video stopped, hinting at the beginning of the tape. Without hesitation, Hoagie reached down and pressed play.

* * *

Bandit leaned against the balcony of his apartment, gazing up at the night sky with a defeated sort of air. He couldn't believe it…when he walked into his home it was like nothing had changed. Mushi was there, with Trent, and they were laughing and talking to each other like he was nothing. Like he'd never happened…Mushi had never kissed him…He and Trent never had anything…

He snarled, his eyes suddenly darkening as he looked down at the sky before him. He was beginning to think he'd never fit in anywhere, nobody would ever appreciate him and he'd never do anything right. He was beginning to hate it, and nothing…not even his favourite Disney movies…could take away that reality.

"_Hey…"_

He didn't even turn around as he heard his familiar voice, instead he dug his hands deeper into his pockets and remained silent, secretly hoping he wouldn't cry. Trent walked up to stand beside him, and he couldn't help but feel a little sheepish as he saw the hurt look in his best friend's face.

_What are you feeling so guilty for? _His mind seemed to lecture him. _You didn't do anything wrong. HE was the one who was always being stupid- leading Mushi on and then playing it up to you so you would forget everything…just act like it never happened. You can't let him win that easily. YOU made a promise-_

Trent shook his head, sighing as his grey eyes glared into Bandit's face.

"Listen, Band." He mumbled to him. "You know nothing can happen between us. We promised-"

"_You_ promised." Bandit snarled at him, still looking away.

Trent fought back a wince. "No- to protect each other and our friends we _both _promised nothing would happen. We can't let it. You know…You know I like…care." He swallowed, now looking away. "But I really do care about Mushi, I can't let that go just yet. I still care about you, okay?"

"She doesn't _love _you." Bandit couldn't help but scoff. "If she's hitting on me then-"

"You can't deny you didn't lead her on Bandit." Trent talked over him, now looking fierce. "I saw the way you two were, I know almost subconsciously you were leading her to believe you were really ready to fight and care about her but you just wanted to lead her away…you always did that, Bandit."

Bandit didn't say anything, he didn't trust himself too. He could feel the tears bursting at his lids and his vision was misting. He felt his throat close up and his chest tighten with promising sobs, but still he remained still, trying to keep it under control.

_I won't lose it. I can't let him see me like that. Not again. _

But Trent could already see the pained look in Bandit's face, and he sighed as he realised he couldn't shake the guilty feeling that seemed to dwell within him.

"I'll…talk to you later, okay?"

Bandit didn't reply, but Trent knew he wouldn't.

* * *

"What's this one?" Wally mumbled, blinking up at the flickering screen curiosity though tired eyes. Hoagie turned to him, his eyebrows raised.

"Honestly…" He muttered, "I don't know, I found it and it looked different from the others…"

The screen stilled as the video began to play, and the static cleared and, to the boys' alarm, they saw a very clear picture of a close-up shot of something fuzzy and navy blue, and the voices they heard were not ones they immediately recognised.

"_Bandit, you're not even doing it right. Gimmie that thing!" _A strong voice was heard, growling at someone near. It sounded male, and relatively young. Hoagie was sure it sounded familiar…but no childhood friend he'd ever had. Hoagie stiffened at the name.

"_Hey-!"_

They heard a scuffle and the camera jolted as silence came, the camera still focused on the navy blue that was covering the camera lens.

"_You're not supposed to change the video until the video's used up, you moron-"_

"_Well I thought I'd be creative and add in a bit at a time, so the video would get distorted time frames, so it would be like-" _A hopeful, whiny voice was heard, and it sounded as though the second male voice was pouting. The stronger, annoyed voice came back, but it seemed as though his tone was laced with patience, an adopted voice he always used with his friend.

"_You're an idiot. Be like everyone else and do it chronologically! Now you've broken it. Gimmie it-"_

"_I have not broken it!" _The pout was heard again as the camera jolted, and it was moved out of its position to show it had been shoved into a deep, navy blue bedspread. _"Hey…it's on now!"_

"_Just gimmie the-" _

The camera moved, and Hoagie almost jumped in alarm when a pair of familiar icy blue eyes suddenly stared into the lens, and a young Dodge stared back at him, his eyes narrowed square at Hoagie's face. A joking sneer crossed his face, and those blue eyes looked across at whoever was holding the camera.

"Aw, Jesus, Band-" He sniggered, looking down at what looked like a pamphlet in his hands. "You turned it _on, _you idiot! Red light means recording!"

The camera jolted around to film another teenager- the lens focusing deep into his ocean blue eyes. His hair was relatively longer, and he looked skinnier, much paler, with matching snakebite piercings lodged into his plump bottom lip, but Hoagie could easily recognise a younger looking Bandit staring into the camera with confusion- a smile growing on his own face as he stared at his friend, flicking the camera back around to film Dodge again.

"_SEE Dodge? I know how to work this thing. You just need to have faith in me-"_

"Yeah, yeah…" Dodge grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Turn that thing off, Band, we have to talk you know…" His eyebrow rose knowingly as he gave his friend a serious look, suddenly grim. Bandit seemed to sigh as the picture suddenly turned back into static, and they were gone.

* * *

Bandit didn't move for a long time, he didn't trust himself too. Instead he stood and simply waiting for the overwhelming emotion to die down. An hour had passed before he could feel regular emotions again, and he trusted himself to open his eyes and not shed any tears. The second he did, however, he heard the door open again and a voice that made him want to crawl into a ball and never open his eyes again.

"_Bandit…" _Mushi muttered sweetly, sliding open the screen door to look at the boy with her eyes wide, her body shaking with apprehension. "Are you okay?"

He hated Mushi, and he hated Trent. He knew that seemed impossible, because he loved Trent with all his heart, and he knew now he'd never be able to let that love go. He looked up into the night sky, and knew then he hated himself too…for falling back into the habit, for falling back on doing things for it like a cheap common whore…

He looked back at her, a small smile in place.

"Yeah Mushi…" he mumbled. "I'm alright…"

Feeling it safe Mushi closed the door and made her way over to him. She still looked to the ground, embarrassed over what happened with him and especially his reaction to the whole thing. She felt slightly betrayed, having thought all the signs he had given her pointed to his interest in her. Yet he'd run out on her, and made her feel like a common whore and deceitful to her rightful boyfriend. She looked over to him curiously, her eyes wide with worry.

"I'm sorry for what happened…" She muttered. "I mean, I didn't know you didn't like me-"

Bandit resisted the urge to snarl. That cute, sweet little voice of hers was making him feel sick. It worried him how he could be so hateful to her so suddenly, but he couldn't help it. He hated the thought Trent _liked _that…he could never be her.

But he perked up at her hopeful cooing, so he relaxed his face and turned to meet her gaze, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"And…I-" She was stumped with those big blue eyes, and she looked down in embarrassment. "And I feel horrible…I'm sorry."

Bandit tilted his head, a sudden thought sparking his attention. He thought of how paranoid Trent was at Bandit stealing Mushi away…he thought of how he'd almost got there…without even trying… maybe subconsciously it was in his nature to steal his best friend's girl…then he knew Trent would be all his…and Bandit would be there to pick uip the pieces…

Make everything better…

"Mushi." He suddenly blurted out, his blue eyes wide and trusting. "I do like you…."

Mushi jumped, startled. Her eyes were wide as she gazed into Bandit's, and her prediction that the two boys had feelings of her were suddenly coming to light, and she felt strangely lifted.

"Wh…what?" She mumbled, her own naïve eyes wide and hopeful.

"Yeah…" Bandit grinned sheepishly very easily, looking away as though he felt a lot of pain. "Only…it's so hard…I don't want to hurt Trent, but yet I still like you…"

He turned back to her, and he knew she'd fallen for it. He tried to push the guilt away, knowing it was for the best. She was young and stupid…it wasn't his fault.

"Wow…Bandit…" Mushi mumbled, feeling sheepish. "I don't know what to say…"

He never knew how good of a liar he was.

* * *

"Hoagie!" Wally suddenly hissed, and Hoagie was knocked out of his thoughts. Wally's eyes were narrowed with suspicion and confusion as he frowned at the screen, and back at his friend. "What the Hell? This isn't our tape, where did you get this from-"

"I know these guys!" Hoagie mumbled back, awed. He looked back to the screen, where another picture seemed to be showing. "Just watch-"

"Mate…" Wally scolded, but Hoagie cut him off.

"It's Fan's boyfriend, the guys I worked with! Your brothers friends!" At this, Wally stiffened, suddenly attentive. Hoagie turned back eagerly, his eyes wide. "She must have picked it up by mistake…"

Judging by the date at the bottom of the screen, a year had passed since Bandit had reused the tape, and the Bandit staring back at them had gone through some changes. He'd taken his snakebites out, for one, and he was looking incredibly glum, filming himself from below as he gazed into the lens solemnly, a few cuts and bruises on his face.

"_Come on, Bandit…" _A voice was heard in the background. _"We have to get going…start packing!"_

"I just don't see why we have to go…" Bandit mumbled, sounding close to tears. "This is our home…why do we have to go?" He looked across at the voice, away from the camera. Hoagie and Wally watched intently.

"_It's not permanent…" _The familiar voice said back, and at this Bandit sighed. _"Besides, it's for the best, we have to get out-"_

"This is all my fault…" Bandit muttered, and Hoagie and Wally could quickly see tears forming in his deep ocean blue eyes, sparkling in the light from the ceiling.

"_It's not your fault…" _They heard the voice say. _"Now would you put that fucking thing away, stop filming your emo self and just pack?" _

Bandit gave one last sad pout at the camera before the scene was covered, shoved into an open suitcase before it was shut off again, the screen filled with static.

"Hoagie…" Wally whispered, unsure of why he was doing so. "I don't know if we should be watching this…"

"Why not?" Hoagie mumbled back. "It was here…we didn't know…"

But the static had cleared, and suddenly all they could see was rapid, passing blurred scenery. It only took a few seconds for them to register that the camera was filming passing scenery out of a car window, and the pumping music in the background was from the car radio. The camera suddenly moved to scan across a pair of jean-covered thighs to focus on what was beside them on the seat, and a sudden closeup of a sleeping Trent filled the lens, followed by a muffled chuckle.

Trent looked innocent, and that was what was funny to Hoagie as he found himself smirking as well. His lips were agape and a small trickle of drool escaped his lips as he leaned across the backseat, sprawling almost onto the other person as he snored quietly, twitching and frowning as he dreamed. A finger reached out and poked him, square on the cheek, and he suddenly jolted awake, his grey eyes opening tiredly and looking around in a daze.

"Hey Treeeent…" They could hear Bandit's voice chuckle. "You have a nice nap?"

Instead of replying, Trent smartly punched him, shaking the camera slightly as they heard a yelp.

"OW!" They heard Bandit whine.

"Shutup!" Dodge snapped from the front seat, and Bandit focused the camera onto him, sitting crosslegged on the passenger side with a huge pile of paper in front of him, filled with complicated lines and symbols. "I'm trying to figure out where the fuck we are."

He blew a few chestnut strands off his face as he glared at the camera lens.

"_Well DUH…"_ Trent's snarl came from the side of the screen. "We're driving on the wrong side of the road, of course we can't figure out where we are."

"Shutup!" came Dingo's dangerous snarl. "It should be just up here, I'm following the signs…"

"Why the fuck are we living near your goddamn brother in the first place?" Trent growled in annoyance. "I thought you said you hated him."

Dingo didn't answer, he replied by simply grabbing the map out of Dodge's grip.

"It's safer this way." Dodge mumbled back, turning to Trent with his eyebrows raised. "Do _you _want to risk being extradited back to Australia?"

Trent rolled his eyes in response, Bandit's camera lens focusing on him. Trent narrowed his grey eyes, holding up his middle finger to the camera.

"This must be when they came…" Wally's voice seemed to cut into the movie playing out in front of them. He seemed speechless, watching the way the four seemed to act- hesitant yet hurried, anxious and impatient…he couldn't deny it was suspicious…like they were running from something… the way they were talking, it sounded illegal…_extradited? _

The screen filled with static again, and instead it returned with a blurred vision of two heads. The two could quickly recognise Bandit, and sitting beside him was Dodge. The camera was facing down, and two seemed to be sitting on a floor, their backs pressed against the blank white wall behind them. They were giggling, and their glazed eyes were moving slowly. The source of their giddiness seemed wedged in between Dodge's fingers, a still smoking joint which he took a deep inhale of. Wally's eyes widened, and he turned to Hoagie in slight alarm.

"I knew they were druggos." Hoagie mumbled, frowning. "Bandit always seemed to be on something-"

"Why would they _film _it?" Wally scoffed, disgusted and shocked. "I mean, to do it is enough, but to-"

He was silenced by Dodge's dazed mumbles.

"I-Is it onnnn?" Dodge mumbled, looking like he was sitting on the floor with the camera pointed at his face. He held a half full bottle of clear liquid in a suspicious looking glass bottle as he gazed lopsidedly into the camera lens, his icy blue eyes twinkling mischievously as he snickered to himself, his eyes drooping lazily. Bandit appeared in the corner of the picture, looking giddy with excitement.

"Yaaaah." Bandit drawled, nibbling on his lip as he took his place beside Dodge, another drink in his hand. "I 'fink so."

Dodge giggled sweetly. "This is so like, fucked up!'

"I-I know…" Bandit mumbled back faintly as they snickered at each other, laughing and clutching each other. They both seemed to be laughing at nothing. Bandit suddenly shushed him, putting a finger to his lips. They turned to the camera, smirking. "For all the peeps back at home who are…like…suddenly wake up and are…like…" he rolled his eyes, looking faintly confused. "an' are like… where the fuck did they, like…GO?"

"We're in US of Aaaaa…." Bandit drawled lightly in a sweet voice, grinning and swaying as he blinked those innocent eyes up at the camera. He waved his hand, wriggling his fingers and making faces, resembling close to a rambunctious five year old…but really a severely inebriated Dodge. "HIIIII EVERYONE!"

"We-We've been h-here for a while though…" Bandit jumped in as both of their expressions morphed into serious expressions, Dodge nodding gravely while pursing his lips. Bandit snickered excitedly. "Dingo's even gotta girlfriend!"

"Sh-She's not a girlfriend." Dodge cut in drunkenly, hiccupping. "S-she's a friend."

"Riiiiight." Bandit giggled. "A friend."

"He's wif' her noooow." Dodge snickered, nodding and winking at the camera. "Hey! HEY JAKE! You-You'd like her."

"Dingo's gonna be so pissed if we send this back home." Bandit said tipsily, giggling to himself.

"Les' go see!" Dodge suddenly jumped up and his hand filled the camera screen, the show became very shaky.

"Dodge!" They heard Bandit whine and moan in the background. "Don't carry it like that! Dingo will kiiiiillll youuuuu…."

"We have to get sumfin' for Jake!" They heard Dodge giggle, the sound of running footsteps. Dodge's hand eventually uncovered the lens and they were silent except for a few incoherent whispers and giggling, silently making their way down a random hallway. They reached a door and automatically burst through it, Dodge obviously holding the camera drunkenly, but it centering in on a couple on a bed together…a couple that looked very familiar, locked in a passionate embrace- the girl panting, the boy kissing her-

"SURPRISE!"

Dingo and Abby jumped and squeaked in surprise as Dingo's two very drunk friends tumbled into the room, shouting and whooping. Abby fell to the floor, clutching a blanket around her and Dingo sat up in bed, a sheet bunched around him and a very, very angry expression on his face.

"GET THE FUCK OUT!"

"OOOOO-"

A pillow filled the screen as Dingo flung it at them, but not before the camera caught the expression of the familiar girl on the floor- her deep brown eyes wide, her cheeks flushed, her tanned body exposed…a very, _very _guilty look on her face.

It was Abby.

_

* * *

_

Aaaaaand if nobody knew what that last part was about...back track a couple of chapters and you'll see Bandit's video gradually get lost in Fanny's pile when she was staying over :)

_Oopsies!_

_Oh and... *guilty chuckle* hehe...yeah. That's who Bambi is! Congrats to those who already guessed! I'm proud of myself- I think I got the mystery good if you ask me...nobody mentioned Bambi's sex...not the people who knew her anyway...keehee...I think it's cute :) More flashbacks coming up of everyone's history... sorry if already it was unclear :)_

_Sorry for no review replies guys, I feel guilty enough as it is finishing the chapter :( exams soon! Bleh. But as soon as they're over…more updates for me :D_

_I for one am thrilled. (:_

_Let me know how I went!_


	23. Chapter 23: Keep Holding On

_HIIII GUYS! :D_

_Ok no more sob stories from me- because you know what? The only thing that'll make me smile is completely honest reviews from my readers (: feels like a long time since I've submitted a chapter and I need some honest opinions as to whether or not I've still got it :P I made a promise to myself to change (for the better) this year, and I sure hope it hasn't affected my writing skills or this story :P REVIEWS MAKE ME SMILE! (even if they're bad…well not too bad…but advice is good :D)_

_Words can't express how happy you guys made me with all your replies and messages…I felt so awful that I'd let you down and all I wanted was to write again and I hope this makes up for it…I LOVE ALL YOU GUYS SO SO SO MUCH! THANK YOU EVERYONE! I LOVE YOU ALL! (: I really mean that :#) Sappy thing I am…Anyway!_

_Warning: There is a death scene in this chapter…and I tried to make it gruesome :\ also- I'm back with a lotta mojo- so you can guess how long this is ;)_

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tmcala- lol! I am glad someone was onto me! I thought I was being a little too confusing (: thank you doll! I hope you like my update, and it was worth at least a little bit of the wait ;)thankyou! X!

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Hey Jessi- gah! *blushes* thankyousosomuch! :D It means a lot, really does, but I am far far from genius :D I can't even spell sometimes, but thankyou for your sweet words and your lurvely review, it means a lot (: let me know what you think of this chapter x

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Heather- Thank you for your lurvely review (: Hope you like the update sweet! x

OmgLolWtfHaha- Aw :( well thankyou for your supportive words hun, now I know how hard it can actually be…but I guess it is a time for growth, I'm just disappointed it got in the way of what I love doing best! Sigh! I hope you're feeling better too, if you ever need to I'm here to chat…most of the time I can't Shutup. (: I hope you like the update! Sorry about the wait x

The Korean Filipino- Thankyou so much, I appreciate it (: Really warmed my heart when I got so many supportive messages… I was expecting criticism for my slackness. Thankyou (: x

UnknownPen- thankyou for your kind words (: I hope you like the update x

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A cold breeze scattered a few fallen, dried leaves across the abandoned carpark as Sandy watched from afar the new inhabitants that seemed to mock him as they roamed across the cracked pavement, still clad in their casual thin jackets- the darker one with the sleeves rolled up, exposing a thick layer of muscle stained with decorative ink. He shuddered as he watched them, unable to feel a strong sense of foreboding creep up behind him. He took note of their eyes- slow, dark, untrusting irises watching the ground before the pairs' gazes met with each other, casting a knowing, triumphant look as they waved their lit cigarettes in the wind, ashes falling carelessly as their lips moved soundlessly.

"I don't trust them."

Ethan appeared from behind him, staring out at the sight his little cousin was staring at. He frowned, giving an irritated glare at the wide eyed teenager in front of him. It had only been a few minutes since they had driven the visitors from the airport to their meeting place, and already his little cousin was back to his own stubborn, headstrong opinions.

"Why?"

"Look at them…" Sandy mumbled, frowning as he turned to his cousin, his eyes pale eyes anxious. "Do they look trusting to you?"

Ethan rolled his eyes, scoffing slightly as he grabbed Sandy's jacket, dragging him back to the table where the rest of the guys sat.

"You're just saying that 'cause you know what they're here for."

Sandy frowned, but allowed himself to be dragged along nevertheless. He hated being treated like a child, but at the same time he knew when to accept defeat. His older cousins were clearly running this operation, and as long as it resulted in Mushi being rightfully returned to him he didn't care…but at the same time…

He looked suspiciously over his shoulder.

He had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

Kuki's wide violet eyes carefully watched over who she thought was her enemy as the redhead looked around curiously, her own lined eyes widening with interest at the dorm room she found herself in. She was still mentally kicking herself for stooping so low, but she would sooner hurl herself into oncoming traffic than ask any of the guys for help, and she knew without some kind of assistance she was doomed to face the wrath of a guy she never, ever wanted to lay eyes on again. So she stiffened, preparing for the worst as she turned to who had just let her in, a smile already in place. But Kuki was having nothing of it. The Japanese girl watched her carefully, and nodded to the couch beside her.

"You said you'd explain." She said curtly. "So explain."

Kuki startled slightly and dropped her firm demeanor at Hollie's sudden jump to her feet, her hands clamped together and her feet pacing across the carpet worriedly, twisting and turning her lips as she tried to think of what to say next. _Explain? Explain what had ruined her life and lead to her ultimate demise and what got her into this situation in the first place?_

How do you explain that?

Hollie shook her head, her eyes wide and pleading as she found Kuki's face. Kuki swallowed awkwardly as she saw the look of desperation and sadness that was locked into Hollie's made up eyes- no longer were there any signs of the intimidating, demeaning eyes Kuki had once known.

"Well…" Hollie bit her lip, still finding it hard to comprehend how she had ended up at this stranger's house. She signed sadly. "It's a long story…"

* * *

Sandy was well aware of the quick glares that his cousin was issuing him with, yet he couldn't help it. He couldn't help but alternate between the actions of fidgeting and staring- the two actions that proclaimed his nervousness. He was well aware he was coming off as a total wreck in front of these guys, yet still he couldn't stop. He watched them closely, but when sensing them watching him he quickly became very interested in his cuticles, looking up when he felt their gaze switch.

"Would you _relax?" _Steven finally snapped at him when the two had left the room, and Sandy let out a huge breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "What's your problem? You keep acting this way these guys are gonna think you're hiding something." He snarled, folding his arms across his chest. "They're the suspicious type."

"I'm sorry, cuz!" Sandy mumbled sheepishly, slumping in his seat. "I can't help it…they have such a creepy vibe…"

"Of course they do." Steven snarled. "Because you know what they're here for. Just think of them as regular colleagues…like a workmate."

Sandy shuddered at that thought, and his consciousness rattled with the thought that he was the sole reason, and the sole person to blame, for these two being in the country. He could tell- from the malicious sparkle in their eyes and the sly smirks they seemed to issue each other, that they couldn't be trusted, and he was slowly feeling worse and worse.

"I don't see why they have to stay_ here_." Sandy muttered. He wasn't feeling too good about being under the same roof as the pair, they seemed the type to stab you in your sleep…like they'd never heard the phrase _'fair play'. _

"You worry too much." Steven dismissed. "I told ya, they get a taste now, and all the dough later. They won't fuck with us, 'cause that means their money's screwed too." He tilted his head, cocking an eyebrow. "Just relax, okay? You'll get Mushi back…they know she's the main goal in doing this."

Sandy heaved a sigh, holding up his chin with his palm.

"I hope so…"

The back door opened and the two men walked through, bringing in an icy gust of wind and the smell of cigarette smoke with them. The door slamming closed, they calmly made their way over towards where the party sat, sitting themselves down opposite Sandy and Steven, their eyes casually glazing over the scene before them. It looked nothing more than a business-like discussion about market share, like they did this every day. Sandy felt a sharp nudge in his side, and he straightened awkwardly as he realised he'd been staring.

"So…" Jayden began, that sly grin creeping over his features as his grey eyes swept the table eagerly. "Gotta problem that needs to be fixed, huh?"

Ethan raised his eyebrows. "So to speak…"

"We hear that you're familiar with them…" Mitch started, leaning in suspiciously to watch the pair closely.

Sandy noticed how the two exchanged glances, as if checking with each other before answering. He could clearly see how similar they were…both muscular, broad shouldered, similar clothes…they'd obviously been friends for a while, and just with one glance they could read what the other was thinking. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as the one with the dark, messy chestnut hair answered.

"Pretty familiar." He grunted, shifting his gaze. "If they're the guys we think, they're family."

Sandy stiffened. _"Family?"_

"So how do we know this wasn't a free ticket for you guys to help them?" Steven immediately snarled, leaning back in his chair. His steel eyes had hardened with suspicion, yet the two Aussies barely flinched, in fact the other, the one with the flecks of dye in his hair, smirked widely.

"Just 'cause they're family doesn't mean we get along." He snickered. "Been fightin' for years. You got no worries about that."

"Trust us." Dread put in, his expression still and serious. "We don' wanna be in your country any longer than we gotta."

Steven's eyebrows rose. "Gee, thanks…"

"Trust us…" Jayden said silkily, and Sandy felt a sharp shiver down his spine as the stranger smirked, his cold grey eyes staring straight into his. Sandy froze, his heart pounding in his chest. Those eyes…he knew those irises…those cold, grey pools of abyss that he stared into many times, nervous and close to tears begging for his life, lost to a world he thought he'd lost…he swallowed the lump growing in his throat, unable to look away from the stranger's cold glare, those untrusting eyes he wished he could forget. "We'll get the guys you're looking for."

* * *

Two pairs of wide, shocked eyes still watched the screen filled with static, blinking and flickering, but still neither of them moved. Both were frozen in shock, the pair of light blue, sky coloured eyes slowing blinking away the image that was still transfixed in his mind, the bruise on his face suddenly throbbing with more understanding, but the pair of emerald irises remained blank, hypnotised by the tv screen that was showing no picture. He was dangerously quiet, and Hoagie's throat tightened as a million emotions seemed to flow through him, his body numb as he tried to find his voice.

"Wal…"

His friend didn't answer. Hoagie doubted if he was even there. He alone felt destroyed, completely shocked and disappointed by the sight of his long friend and lifetime crush on the screen, in a position they never thought possible but locked in a format they couldn't deny. He shook his head, yet he couldn't knock back the pathetic tears that were beginning to seep though. He couldn't imagine what the blonde beside him was feeling.

"Listen….Wallabee…"

Heavy breathing reached his ears, and he looked over to see he still hadn't moved, yet his fists had clenched so tightly his skin was a pure white, and his pale face had sudden darkened in colour, his emerald eyes swirling with emotion. Hoagie felt nervous, reaching out to touch his shoulder as he heard his friend's steady, dangerous breathing.

"Wally?"

_"Don't touch me."_

Hoagie immediately withdrew, still frozen in the same relaxed position on the carpet. He scarcely noticed Wally pushing himself harshly from the carpet, staggering to his feet and staring at the static as though the screen had slapped him. Hoagie was afraid to glance up. For the first time he felt actual fear and foreboding at his best friend, and his heart throbbed anxiously against his chest as the air was thick with Wallabee's dangerous silence, his breathing heavy and dangerous- a million and one emotions throbbing dangerously through his system as he struggled to contain them. His chest was heavy with rage, his mind aching with confusion and his heart swelling with heartache.

But finally he spoke, and the words chilled Hoagie to the bone as he listened with shock at his friend's words.

"I'll kill him."

Hoagie scrambled to his feet, speechless as he watched Wally's retreating back, his fists clenched and his eyes set as he stomped out of the apartment, Hoagie wordlessly following.

* * *

Rachel fidgeted, her fingers tapping against each other as she struggled to find words…anything that would cure the awkward silence between her and her best friend. She never thought, with a girl she had been so close to since childhood, that it could be this silent and uncomfortable atmosphere between them. But Abby stayed silent, looking embarrassed as she stared down at her lap sadly, her hands on her stomach and her head against the hospital pillows behind her. She felt awful, and she knew the time was close for _everyone _to know the truth about her…it was hard enough with just a few people knowing.

She looked across at the blonde girl at her bed, looking at her lap instead of at her best friend. Abby sighed, the guilt easily flowing through her. Here she was feeling sorry for herself because of a stupid mistake made, yet she was so busy thinking about it she didn't really notice her friend was still beside her, still with her despite her knowing what she had done.

She hugged her stomach with her hands, giving herself some comfort with that lone fact. She tried to think back to the old Abby, the one who used to be so cool and calm, able to talk and smile anytime she wanted…before all this worry and stress had piled on top of her, before her life had become so consumed with secrets and drama. She heaved a sigh, closing her eyes before opening them again, and she turned to her friend, an honest and sincere look in her deep brown eyes.

"I haven't thought of any names yet."

Rachel blinked, looking up. Her hazel eyes were wide and curious.

"Wh…what?"

"Names…" Abby mumbled, her cheeks warming. "For the baby. Any ideas?"

Rachel's face lit up with a signature smile, scoffing as she scoffed at her friend. "Oh!" She turned to her in her seat, brightening at the thought of regular conversation. "Hm…lemme think…any ideas at all?"

"None…" Abby mumbled, shrugging. "I've just…been so busy with keeping it a secret…"

She broke off, her chest tightening. Rachel put a hand on her shoulder, and Abby was grateful that she still kept that bright smile.

"Well, you did a good job." She pointed out. "None of us knew…" She frowned, suddenly downcast. "I'm so sorry, you're my friend I should have known something was wrong-"

"Please Rach!" Abby half laughed, half sobbed. Her big brown eyes widened. "Don't make me feel any worse by putting any blame on you!"

Rachel gave her a smile, and wrapped her arms around her old friend's shoulders, hugging her tightly.

"Oh, Abs…" She mumbled into the girl's shoulder. "No matter what happens, I'll always be here for you, Fanny will as well…you know we will…"

Abby shook her head, her face now wet with tears. "But after everything-"

"It doesn't matter." Rachel said, and she looked into her friend's face, her eyes honest and her face serious. "It doesn't matter to us, Abs. You're still our friend, and we'll be beside you no matter what happens."

Abby gave her a shaky smile, her heart swelling at Rachel's words. A huge portion of weight seemed to lift off her shoulders as Rachel sat back down, still with that reassuring smirk in place. A small snapping sound made the girls jump and look away, back towards the door. There, standing guiltily in front of the door, still clad in his ripped jeans and black shirt, bruises and grazes littering his face, Dingo gazed at his girl through wide, pleading emerald green eyes. He shuffled awkwardly, looking from girl to girl.

"I…sorry…" he mumbled, shuffling backward. "I can come back-"

"It's okay…" Rachel said coolly, casting Abby a cautious look before gesturing to the chair on the other side of Abby's bed. "Come in…"

Abby looked away awkwardly, half torn between embracing him in a huge hug or giving him another slap across the face for crashing her sister's wedding. He looked so pathetic and lost, his eyes wide with fear, that Abby could see he had already seen what a massive mistake he'd made. Even Rachel could see Dingo looked lost without her, vulnerable and just scared that something was wrong. He rushed forward to her, nibbling down nervously on his bottom lip as he watched her fearfully.

"You…you okay?"

"I'm breathing." Abby shrugged awkwardly, avoiding his gaze. "Just a little stress scare…that's all."

"_That's all?" _Dingo echoed with a squeak, his eyes widening as he searched her face. "Abby-"

The door opened again, and Nigel walked through holding a pile of snacks collected from the vending machines located in the halls of the hospital. He immediately stiffened upon seeing Dingo standing there, over Abby, fussing over her with wide, panicked eyes when he'd caused this whole thing all along… His eyes narrowed.

Abby gripped Dingo's hand, shoving him onto a chair as she watched Nigel behind him.

"It's okay, Nigel-"

"We were just going to wait outside!" Rachel interrupted, rising to her feet and giving her a reassuring grin as she grabbed her boyfriend's arm. "Need to eat anyway-"

Nigel attempted to stand his ground. "But-"

But even the once fearless leader was silenced by a threatening look from those darkened hazel eyes, and he weakly stepped back out of the open door and, with a wide grin from Rachel, they disappeared into the hall.

Dingo looked sulky as he looked at his bedridden girl, his eyes half lidded and looking down at the bedspread rather than her face.

"He hates me." He grumbled. "All your friends do."

"Well…" Abby bit her lip as she held back a '_You can't really blame them…' _argument, and instead put her hand on his. There was nothing in their way anymore, the truth was out to her friends…and who knows who else… She couldn't back away and lash out now, Abby knew it was not a time to be afraid. "It doesn't matter…" She finished, her fingers tightening. "I love you."

He looked up, his wide eyes searching her face, a sparkle of hope behind those dewy, blackened eyes.

"Really?"

Abby smirked, sniffling emotionally.

"Yeah…"

And he gave a big, dazed smile- unlike anything she'd seen in him before. She smiled, suddenly feeling so warm, so loved…it was beginning to look like a fairytale, too good to be true…

"I fucking love you too babe."

She sighed, still smirking.

Almost.

* * *

"So let me get this straight…" Kuki mumbled, frowning as she glared over at the girl opposite her, still with that suspicious glare in her eyes. "You want….me….to help you…win this talent competition?"

Hollie played with a few blonde extensions, avoiding the Japanese girl's harsh gaze. "Basically…" She mumbled, her eyes stealthily meeting hers. "I need cash…and I can easily win…but I have to have someone of the college with me…I only need a bit of the money, I'll give you some too, but I'll need most of it-"

"But _why?" _Kuki pressed, folding her arms curtly over her pajama shirt. Her eyes narrowed. "Why do you need the money so bad? If it's something like bailing a friend out of jail or drugs you can forge-"

"It's nothing like that!" Hollie quickly said, her eyes wide. She bit her lip, looking down into her lap again with that sad, solemn expression. Kuki was taken aback, she never thought she'd see this girl- who had attached her so ruthlessly at the club- would ever be seen this way, and Kuki even began to feel sudden sympathy towards her.

"I….I need to get back to Australia…" She whispered, her eyes fogging up with sudden tears. She felt her throat constrict and her face heated. She cursed to herself for acting so pathetic and stupid, especially in front of a total stranger when she was used to being so in control and independent…but she knew this was _it. _Her final hope, and that realisation alone made the young girl choke up with tears at how deep she was really in…like the threat of death was breathing down her neck. "I have to go back to Australia."

Kuki froze, speechless as Hollie began to pour out her heart, and even she could tell this was some of her deepest secrets that even those closest to her didn't know…she could tell Hollie was truthful in Kuki being her only choice in saving her butt.

"You see…I was young and stupid about a year ago…" She mumbled shakily, tears sparking in her eyes as she backed down onto the couch behind her. "I…" She fumbled with her hands, memories already flooding back. "I cheated on my boyfriend at the time…Dingo…I thought he…you know…deserved it." Her throat closed with sudden gasps of sobs and she took some deep breaths, the young Japanese girl sitting beside her helplessly, too overwhelmed to actually say or do anything to bring comfort.

"I remember he seemed like the coolest guy…" She whispered to her lap. "The guy I cheated on Dingo with…the biggest badass, and so, _so _hot." She scoffed harshly at that and Kuki jumped, turning away at the awkward, sad tone in her voice. "When he found out I was pregnant he freaked, even though I didn't want him to have anything to do with it. This was my baby, you know?" She looked up at Kuki, her head tilted. "When….when you find out you're a mum…your whole life changes."

Kuki blinked, unknowing of what to say. Hollie looked away, her cheeks burning.

"I wanted her…I was convinced it was a girl…but he didn't want anything to do with it even if I let him off the hook…he didn't trust me, and he wanted his life the way it was…playing around with drugs, sex and booze…" She rolled her eyes, but tears kept spilling. "He pushed me…he set me up to fall down some stairs…and hit me a couple of times just to make sure…"

There was a stiff silence, and Kuki found her voice.

"…To make sure…of what?"

Hollie looked up, despair coating her face. "To make sure she was well and truly dead…our little girl…"

Kuki's heart pounded in her chest, harsh and forceful, at the girl's words. She couldn't imagine, she never would have guessed the harsh, seemingly horrible girl in front of her could have been through that at so young. Kuki looked down in her lap, trying to fight back her own sadness at Hollie's words.

"I mean…it was so painful…" She mumbled. "So hurtful…I mean to have a life inside you destroyed you never know how hard it hurts…physically and emotionally…I mean I _chose _him, I thought I knew him…and he threatened me…" She shook her head, nibbling on her bottom lip. "And he killed what was ours….supposed to be mine...I even named her..." her eyes flickered, more tears escaping. "Imogen..."

She looked up.

"And when he was done in for accessory to murder a couple of months after that…I knew it couldn't go unpunished." She said strongly, clearing her throat and straightening her composure. "I turned him in…he was found guilty…and for that he received a couple of months but with the murder charges…" She raised her eyebrows. "I thought I'd never see him again."

"But…" Kuki eventually found the nerve to look up. She couldn't believe her and Hollie were virtually the same age…yet the redhead had gone through what seemed like an endless war. She found herself with a deep admiration for a girl she previously loathed. "But why do you need the money now? Are you afraid he'll break out and find you?"

"That's the thing…" Hollie whispered darkly, her voice filled with fear. "He's already out…I guess our evidence wasn't enough…he's out….and he swore when he came out he'd kill me for ratting him out."

Kuki sighed, running a trembling hand through her hair.

"So…" She whispered, their voices low and cautious. "That's why you need the money?"

"He knows I'm here…" Hollie mumbled sadly. "And if I escape now I'll have a chance to hide again…I never told my friends why I came, because I could never tell them I cheated on Dingo- I'd lose everything then…" She shook her head. "That's why it's best if I bail…he won't find me and nobody will know…I just need the money- but I can't ask them." She looked to the girl beside her, staring into those shocked, startling violet eyes.

"That's why I need your help."

* * *

Hoagie had never seen his best friend look so infuriated, how stiff he drove, how he slammed the car door closed- his knuckles pale and tense against the steering wheel. His teeth were gritted shut- eyes narrowed and still, those usually warm green eyes burning cold and furious. Hoagie didn't dare speak, he could think of nothing to say. He couldn't get the image out of his head… Abby, her usually warm, sly gaze wide vulnerable and fearful- caught in a position she never wanted anybody to see her in. He couldn't believe this was his good friend, who at one point thought was his best friend, his long time crush…his partner in crime, his teammate. He thought he could always read her, they would never share any secrets from each other, and they'd always be together…friends forever…

He felt pathetic tears scratch at his eyes as he looked down at his friend's glovebox, trying to settle his ever restless stomach. Flipping and flopping, Hoagie Gilligan had never felt so sick with disappointment and shock. The heat radiated off the blonde beside him, angry and disbelieving at the evidence of betrayal he had witnessed- but nobody could ever feel what the brown haired boy was experiencing.

Images kept flashing through his mind at a hundred miles an hour, ever flashing into his memory and disappearing as fast as they appeared, tightening his throat and weakening his knees, he never felt anything so suffocating- heavy and fat the memories sat on his chest, only weighing him down further into the seat.

…

_A room filled with laughing kids, helium-lifted balloons, cake and brightly wrapped presents had never seemed so tragic to Hoagie, who was in the middle of it all. For reasons he couldn't quite recall, it was the most miserable day of his life…a life heading toward the unknown, toward drama, change and a new perspective._

_…And it was only his thirteenth birthday._

_"Sup, Hoagie Babe?"_

_Stiffening, the new teenager turned at the familiar coo of his name, only to freeze at the sight of a pair of deep chocolate brown eyes gazing down at him sweetly. She had grown up a lot since they were kids, and Hoagie was counting down the days where he could look down at her again. He tried to stay straight and standing as he gazed into that sweet, familiar face, and keep his eyes upward and not swiveled down towards her foreign teenage body._

_"Uh…n-not a real lot…" he mumbled, a hand on the back of his head as he turned away. "You know…as happy as I can be—"_

_He eyes rolled as she sighed, a hand on her hip as she walked around to meet his gaze, a smile smirk twitching her lips._

_"You're forgetting who you're talkin' to." She reminded him, putting a hand to his shoulder. He felt tingles echo through his body, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he listened to her soothing voice. "I'm thirteen now, remember?"_

_"Yeah…" he grumbled. "But you're not…really a teen, are you?"_

_"Not if I can help it!" She snickered, grinning. "You'll never forget who you are, Hoags. You're one of a kind." `_

_"But what if I do change?" He said quietly, so Abby leaned forward to hear him over the party chatter. "What if I change and I lose everyone?"_

_"You won't." She assured smoothly. "You'll never lose me."_

_…_

_Two teenagers at the back of Mrs. Winston's Chemistry class were clearly ahead of the rest, the tanned girl with her long, wavy brown hair tied into a loose bun mixing the concoction while the slightly tubby, brown haired boy beside her worked on the Bunsen Burner. Making their notes in their book, Hoagie still found it hard to concentrate everytime his friend's smooth skin brushed against his._

_"Done." Abby smirked, throwing down her pen and sliding off her lab goggles. She threw her friend a wink. "Thanks, partner."_

_"You too…" Hoagie mumbled sheepishly, grinning. "We're always first when we're together."_

_"Teamwork!" Abby grinned proudly, sliding off her stool. "Let's take this up and head out for our early mark."_

_Hoagie packed up and threw her backpack to her when she came back, their teacher giving her familiar praise. The two were top of the glass thanks to their quick minds and teamwork, and Hoagie was just thrilled to have Abigail Lincoln as a partner, still as close as they were when they were younger._

_"Can you believe I'll be sixteen next week?" Abby was saying, knocking Hoagie out of his daydream. She was walking ahead, her hips swinging seductively as they were hugged by her low rider, flared jeans that were ripped at the knees. It showed off her tanned, athletic body well, and it was drawing a lot of stares from the few who were already gathered around the lawns outside, where they were making their way to the bus stop. "I mean, I'm almost an adult…that's scary, huh?"_

_"Uh…yeah…" Hoagie muttered, jogging slightly to keep up with her. He hugged his books closer, his cheeks tingling warmly as he realised people were watching them. "But you shouldn't worry-"_

_"Oh, I'm not." She flashed him a smile, giving a friendly punch on the arm as she whirled around. "I'm worried about you, Hoags, and how you'll do after I cream you at my paintball party."_

_"Unlikely!" He snorted. "More like I cream you…"_

_Abby snickered at that, but merely rolled her eyes as she checked her watch, seeing how long it would be until the bus came. Hoagie envied the way she was so cool and confident, just going about her business without knowing how beautiful she was…and how stupid he seemed to be next to someone so popular while he was still the same…a regular science geek. He winced as he felt eyes on him, and bit his lip worriedly as a familiar snarl sounded from behind him._

_"Hey fatass…" A buff footballer called out, flanked by his friends as they leered at him threateningly, daring him to say something. "What are you doin' out of your cage, huh?"_

_Hoagie felt his cheeks warm at the jeer, and usually he'd muster up something to say back…but he'd been in the same situation with the same guy before, and they seemed to be growing in size. He ignored them, just like everybody had been telling him to do all his life. But this time,his stomach tensed with nerves as he felt them getting closer, and Abby turned around at the name, her eyes wide._

_"What?" She asked, turning to him questioningly. Her eyebrows knitted together with concern and her eyes burned as she eyed them over her friend's shoulder, and Hoagie immediately threw his hand out, his eyes wide._

_"Abs, it's ok-"_

_"Oh don't worry, Doll-" The leader sneered, flickering his blonde hair back as he eyed her hungrily. "We're not talking about you-"_

_"Yeah!" Abby snarled, fuming. "You're talking about my best friend!"_

_The guys, stumped into silence, could think of nothing to say as Hoagie turned, the pack growling and rolling their eyes as the hot girl beside the beast eyed them off threateningly, daring them to say another word. Hoagie's cheeks burned like the sun as they backed off, snickering and scoffing in a group. Abby rolled her eyes, bringing out her phone and beginning to text as she went on like nothing had happened, mentioning her party again and wandering out loud if she should invite anyone else. But Hoagie weakened, his shoulders slumping and his face slackening as all he could feel was pathetic. He could never get the girl he wanted…or indeed any girl, if he looked and acted like he a regular, fat desperate geek._

_Some changes needed to be made._

_…_

_A slimmer, much more toned Hoagie Gilligan ran across the field, barely breaking a sweat as the rest of the team trailed beside and behind him. The closest, however, was his longtime best mate Wallabee Beatles, who was watching him out of the corner of his deep emerald eyes, the two secretly trying to race each other. Every now and then there was an 'accidental' bump or nudge as they ran alongside each other._

_"You're cheating." Hoagie snarled at him as they panted, snickering._

_"And how can you cheat at running?" Wally smirked, shoving him playfully once again before taking off, the entire team running laps for football practice. Wally had been on the team for a couple of seasons now, just adding to his record in team memberships, but it was only Hoagie's first season and he was eager to make as big of an impression as possible._

_His eyes flickered to the other side of the field, where a tanned, slender girl was sitting on the bleachers. She watched her friends through those big, familiar chocolate brown eyes, and Hoagie felt butterflies flutter in his stomach as she flashed them a smile and a wave._

_A BIG impression._

_Later, when he was pulling on some fresh clothes after showering in the locker room, hoagie looked up in alarm as Wally skipped into the room to sit beside him- still covered in dirt and sweet and grinning from ear to ear, a cocky, thrilled expression on his face._

_"Guess who just asked Abby out?" He snickered proudly, that happy grin like a knife burying deeper and deeper into his chest._

_He never forgot that pain…_

_

* * *

__"A FUCKING PRIUS?"_

The sound of rough, dull thump hitting metal and a muffled curse followed the shouts as the two Aussies took all of their rage out on the car in front of them- a brand new, polished Toyota Prius- bright silver. Two pairs of furious eyes were narrowed, two pairs of fists scrunched, and two pairs of teeth gritted as they eyed the car they had been given by their 'employers'. They had requested a set of wheels to drive around in...but to them, it was considered an insult.

"Relax!" Dread snapped through gritted teeth, shoving his hand into his friend's chest as he held him back from throwing a rock through the new windshield. Instead they stood, panting with anger at the indignity of it- being given such a wimpy, loser car. "We'll get another one."

"Fucking hell!" Jayden snarled viciously, kicking the side. He heaved a growl, his muscles tensing as he tore his gaze away, narrowing his eyes at his best friend. "Can't believe they gave us such a fag car."

Pause. Dread's solid, daring black eyes glared his way, tilting his head innocently. Jayden stiffened.

"I mean-"

"True." Dread talked over him. "But we'll grab another." He grabbed one of the bags at his feet and threw on some gloves, throwing a pair to Jayden as well.

"Get those on; I don't want any fingerprints on this shitbox…" He snarled, throwing open the door as he wrinkled his nose, snarling in a rough, dangerous growl- "Get in."

* * *

For the first time in what felt like forever Wallabee Beatles didn't know what to do, or what to think. His mind was whirling at a thousand miles an hour, and his entire body felt like it was on fire from the amount of anger he felt. He could feel his skin practically fusing with the steering wheel in front of him, he was gripping it so tight, and his heart pounded within his chest as if it were on the end of bungee cords. His breathing came in harsh, shallow gasps as he kept his teeth firmly gritted, shutting out all of the curses and screams that longed to flood out. He couldn't think…he couldn't do anything…

One thought was clear, however, that he had to find Dingo.

And Kill him.

He needed answers.

And fast.

He slammed on the breaks, not even caring if he parked straight of not. Shoving in the handbrake he stomped out of the car, furiously throwing all of his weight against the car door as it slammed closed. Hoagie remained motionless in the passenger seat, his brown eyes gazing out of the car window fearfully as he watched his best friend storm up to the front door of his own house, probably hoping beyond hope there was someone in there to smash his fist into. Hoagie bit down on his lip hard, trying to think. He remained in the car, still and silent.

For the first time, he was actually afraid of what the blonde might do.

* * *

Dodge leaned against the balcony railing, his body sagging in a defeated sort of way as he watched the ember of his cigarette flicker against the night sky, the ashes picked up by the lazy wind and carried into the atmosphere. He stared at it for the longest time before taking another inhale, wincing at the action and flicking it away in frustration.

He knew he should quit.

He straightened, drumming his fingers against the railing irritably. Usually when his girlfriend was over, he cherished the time with her- cuddling her, kissing her, sleeping beside her- but something held him back… He couldn't sleep, he could barely think straight. Memories kept flooding back, talking about the past was something he avoided.

He frowned at the city before him, a deep, troubled look lost in those ice blue eyes.

…

_Dodge was getting impatient. He was usually accustomed to Bandit's lateness- even showing up at least ten minutes later than their regular meeting time because Bandit was so uniform in his ability to forget things and show up late to any appointment. But Dodge was in no mood to wait for his friend- he'd had a bad day at work and Bonny had broken it off with him again to go out with some jerk who had more money than he did. He was sick of everything, and he was showing little sympathy for Bandit's habit._

_He kicked at the sidewalk as he waited outside_

_his house, leaning against his car. It had been so long since he'd seen his friend, and he was pretty much the only one who would talk to him. He felt for Bandit, even though he was at first sour at the thought of him going out with his brother, but he would always make an effort…_

_Except now, Bandit was stretching his patience._

_He heard a familiar shuffle of feet behind him and he fiercely put out the cigarette he'd been smoking. It did nothing to calm him, he still rounded on the approaching figure in fury, his fists clenched._

_"About time! Where the fuck have you-"_

_He stopped, his eyes immediately widening at the sight before him. His heart sank, he felt sick, his throat tightened. All he could see was black and blue, splotches of sickly yellow and harsh red as he gaped at his friend, who looked almost unrecogniseable. Bandit's eyes widened innocently from behind his regular shaggy black hair, but his casual glance did nothing to stop the horrified look on Dodge's face. He bit his bloodied lip, wincing at the feeling, but tried to still himself._

_"Um…" He sniffed casually, looking to the ground. His body ached. "Sorry I'm late, I-"_

_"Forget that." Dodge managed to wheeze out, his mouth hanging open. "What the fuck happened to you?"_

_Bandit acted surprised, but his heart hammered anxiously as he realised he'd been sprung. Dodge couldn't ignore the large black eye, the bloodied lip, the scratched cheek, the bruised arms and the obvious limp as he leaned to one side, his ribs and stomach aching and throbbing with pain and agony. Dodge took it all in, his breaths gradually coming back to normal. Bandit gave him a strained smile, his deep ocean blue eyes watery yet struggling to stay sincere. He gave a shaky chuckle._

_"Fun…Funny story, actually, Dodge, see…like…I got so drunk that…I fell down the stairs at home-"_

_"Bullshit." Dodge breathed, not skipping a beat. His eyes remained wide, and he was still struggling to comprehend how anybody could cause this much damage to anyone…nevertheless Bandit- the most innocent, naïve, sweetest person he knew. He narrowed his eyes, a demanding- forbidding look overcoming his usually calm nature. "What the fuck happened Bandit? Tell me."_

_Bandit winced at the sudden demand- a feature unfamiliar to Dodge. He sounded like…_

_Bandit broke, his bottom lip trembling as the tears took over, his chest wracking with sobs and gasps as he realised what exactly he'd gotten himself into._

_"Dread g-got really, really mad at m-me…" He sniffled pathetically into Dodge's shoulder, his sniffs and tears warming and soaking his shirt as his friend shook against him vulnerably, sobbing and crying into his ear the whole drama. With every word Dodge's anger grew more and more fierce, and he stood silent as Bandit poured his heart out to him._

_…_

Growling, he shook his head and reached for another cigarette, his body lazing against the wall behind him as he lit up, already annoyed at himself. Fancy remembering that shit…it was all over now. He heaved a sigh, savouring the taste as the nicotine and other noxious gases filled his lungs. Closing his eyes, he tried to think of something else…something better to fill his mind with.

…

_Dodge was always a cute kid, hardly anyone could resist those pale blue, wide irises. Always so reserved and quiet, parents would coo and glare with envy at how he was such a sweet boy, gripping his mother's hand and following her everywhere, just happy to be with her. Random people would approach them in the street just to simply congratulate Leyla what a dear kid little Dodge was._

_Leyla loved Dodge to pieces, and she loved that Dodge let her love him. Dread always pushed her away and sneered how embarrassing she was, but Dodge always smiled at her- one of the few people he showed that cute grin he had. People asked her how she did it…she never gave a straight answer, she could never look into their faces and lie._

_"AGAIN with this SHIT Leyla!"_

_She jumped in alarm and glared over to the back door, which had just slammed closed due to the force her boyfriend had put on it. He glared at her hatefully, his black eyes burning with hate and glassy from the half empty vodka bottle still dangling from his hand. He stomped towards her, stiff and menacing._

_"Fucking police over to the house again, saying neighbours have been complain' about the noise. Say you've been seen hurt. 'Ya just a fuckin' attention seeking whore, aren't ya? And what's this about a fuckin' ADVO shit? You wouldn't fuckin' do it, Ley, you wouldn't have the fuckin' guts."_

_She just gazed at him with that wide eyed, icy blue stare, the folded towel still in her hands from where she had been doing the folding. She watched him rant and rave, pacing the floor dangerously. She figured if she moved, he'd have more reason to attack. She couldn't help but think of him as a caged animal, thirsty for blood._

_"It's fuckin' useless anyway, Leyla. I just hope you know that." He towered over her, snarling. "They would stop me seeing you, but it takes more than that to stop me seeing the kids."_

_"But you don't even care about them!" She couldn't help but blurt out. That earned her a quick slap across the face. She held in a yelp, her skin burned with the sudden contact. The closed her eyes, attempting to ignore it._

_"Don't fuckin' talk back to me!" He hollered at her, gripping the bottle threateningly. "You're so fuckin' stupid, you know that Ley? You know how lucky you are to have me? Without me these kids, and you, would be out on the fuckin' street!"_

_…_

Dodge jumped, his eyes widening and his lips agape, panting. Anger filled his face as he threw the cigarette to the floor, stomping on it forcefully. Stifling curses, he bit down hard on his bottom lip and heaved a frustrated groan, breathing heavily through his nose to calm him down. His muscles were tensed, his entire body stiff and forbidding, he looked ready to kill as he glared venomously at the city before him, his teeth fiercely welded together and a vicious growl tainting his usually calm, friendly face.

He paused, looking down and pouting.

What a waste of a cigarette.

He closed his eyes, wishing for calm to come to him.

…

_A boy, probably no older than thirteen, waited outside a hospital waiting room, leisurely strolling around almost bored with the entire scenery, his black eyes taking in every detail, every person, every emergency victim rushed in with almost an amused, curious expression. He stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets, his lips twisting and turning as he watched everyone except the boy beside him, who probably needed him the most._

_The younger boy was the total opposite. He kept his face down, tears dripping onto his lap, and his icy blue eyes were half lidded, his cute face scrunching as he sniffed to keep in the tears. That hopeful face looked up every now and then to gaze at his brother, his eyes wide._

_"Will Mum be okay, D-Dread?"_

_"How should I know?" Dread snapped back, his eyes narrowed as he whirled around to glare at him. "Like I fuckin' care, anyway."_

_Dodge's eyes widened in shock, his hands clenched in his lap. "B-but sh-she-"_

_"It's your fault, anyway." Dread snarled at him, looking spiteful as he glared down his nose at his little brother. "You know that, right?"_

_Dodge stiffened, his ten year old mind working furiously to process this. His stomach began to ache as he stumbled off the stool, grabbing his odler brother's shirt and tugging at it desperately._

_"B-but what'd I do? Is Mum mad at me? What-"_

_"Get off me!" Dread snapped, throwing him off. "God!"_

_Dodge sat crumpled on the floor, tears flowing freely as he sat up, sniffling and wimpering pathetically. He couldn't help it, he hated these times…when he felt nobody was there for him. He watched Dread cast one last disgusted look at him before staring back at the clock on the wall, his eyes narrowing._

_"'I'm missing The Simpsons for this…" He growled in annoyance._

…

Dodge froze at the memory, but neither hatred nor sadness showed in his face this time. He just stared up at the night sky, wondering and thinking. His mind worked steadily as he paced slowly across the small balcony, his teeth latched onto his bottom lip as he thought. His arms were folded across his chest.

Dodge was always smart, but he could never work it out.

He still didn't _completely _hate his brother.

Despite everything…

…

_He could still remember it…every movement…every action. His slow, soft steps against the polished tiled floor, the worn backpack dangling from his hand as his eye watched the numbers roll by, slow and steady. The hallways were deserted, the florescent lights hummed, the building eerily silent._

_He hated it here. It was too familiar._

_He found the door and pushed it open, the painted wood almost scalding his skin as he put his entire weight against it, the thin door surprisingly heavy for the seventeen year old boy. He kept his eyes to the sudden dull carpet, pushing the door closed again before focusing all of his energy in looking up._

_He'll never forget those eyes- usually so filled with dancing, flickering light that now looked so lifeless and empty, heavy with a burden nobody could understand. They gazed at him glassily, the dark black shadows beneath them darkening the pale, translucent shade of his skin. Dodge's eyes flickered over the hunched body, the whitened knuckles tightening as he gripped the pillow fearfully, and those foreign, haunted eyes, to gaze at the dark purple and black that littered his thin arms, and the red stains that littered the bandages covering half of his skin._

_"Bandit…" Dodge mumbled sadly, dropping the bag to the floor. Neither of them appeared to notice. "What the Hell did he do to you?"_

_Bandit's lip trembled, but those eyes still carried that wide, glassy stare as he looked away, shaking. It brought back horrible memories for both young teenagers, and Dodge weakened so much at the words he slumped against the wall, completely overcome with both anger and despair._

_"Nothing…." Bandit whispered._

_It reminded him of similar eyes, but icy blue- a previous gleaming sapphire turned into a dull, lifeless hue surrounded by blackened circles and swollen bruises and cuts._

His mother's.

_"He hurt you again…" He used to sob, fear and anger bubbling to a boiling point. But he was only little, all he could do was bury his face into her chest and hug her, afraid to let her go._

_"It's nothing, bubba…" He could remember her cooing to him, wincing as she gave him a comforting hug. "He didn't mean it, It's really nothing…"_

_…_

Dodge sighed, his body sagging with a total defeat. He knew it now…he wouldn't sleep tonight.

He took one last look at the new city before him, taking it in, before he slid open the glass door behind him, stepping into the warmth.

If he was going to have a sleepless night, he wanted to at least spend it beside his girl.

* * *

Two figures drove into the airport parking lot- long term- and pushed a button on the automatic machine for a ticket, driving through like it was every day business.

"Thank God for empty status symbols." Jayden smirked, gazing out the window and eyeing the cars as if it were a candy store. "Honestly…"

The two boys were bros at this. They needed a car that got their job done and they needed it now- and a rented prius wasn't going to do it. They quickly noted how many hummers there were in LA, and immediately took one to liking that wasn't near a security camera. Working quickly, they cut the wires of the car alarm and, with Jayden especially keeping watch, Dread picked the lock and hotwired it, something he had mastered by the age thirteen.

"Done…" he muttered, the car roaring into life. He reversed and they parked the prius in the empty spot. Jayden joined him in the new car, stretching out in the new seats as they went out the same way they went in- no toll required.

"How fuckin' long you think those assholes will notice their car's gone when they're back from holidays?" Jayden snickered, his eyebrow cocked cheekily. Dread snickered at him.

"Hopefully enough time for us to get the job done."

"Nice ride." Jayden observed, checking out the interior. "Now we just need the gadgets to go with it."

They exchanged looks. They knew the only place they were going to get that…

* * *

Jake was beginning to down his fourth beer when there was an angry knock at the front door, which interrupted the tense discussions that were occurring inside the Beatles household late at night. Joey was safe and sound in bed, and Allie was between the two brothers trying to conduct any type of talking between them…but, like small children, they stubbornly refused to discuss anything and Derek remained turned to the TV, Jake the twelve pack in the refrigerator.

She sighed as she rose off the couch to answer the door, rolling her eyes as she ran a hand through her hair. Nothing was working out for her tonight…she didn't know where her elder sons were…the two men she'd fallen for in her lifetime weren't speaking _because _of her…she already had to bail all four of them out of jail…

_This is not my night…_

She opened the door, and could immediately tell it was about to get much…much worse…

She sucked in a nervous, shaky breath between her teeth as her son's furious emerald eyes glared into hers, thirsty for blood and twitching with desire to hit something. As every mother could tell staring into her son's face- something was terribly wrong…and she knew at that moment everything was spiraling out of control in her world.

"Wallabee…" She rasped in that shocked, horrified gasp. "What's wrong?"

He pushed passed her, immediately whirling around to stare blankly at her through those dangerous emerald green eyes. He was already furious at her, and now the adrenaline was circling through him at top speed- creating a whirlwind of fire that longed to explode with the anger he was holding within him.

"_Where is he?" _He managed to snarl at her, his fingers flexing tensely as he longed to strangle something. He felt the strong desire to feel someone's skin beneath his…to feel bones break.. "Where the fuck is he?"

Allie looked away, closing the door sharply as she stared, wide eyed, at the monster her son had become.

"Wallabee…" She began to plead helplessly. "Please just think-"

"WHERE IS HE?" He shouted, angrily slamming his fist against the wall. Allie held in a yelp as both hands snapped to her mouth, her eyes wide and vulnerable. "I KNOW YOU KNOW!" He yelled again, unable to do anything else. He'd never felt so powerless and yet so infuriated at the same time…he felt confusion, anger, sadness, then fury again- "I want to find him!" He snarled at her, almost spitting in anger. "I wanna find him, and break his fucking neck!"

"Wallabee…" Allie whimpered, her bottom lip trembling. Her feeble response did nothing to extinguish the fierce fire that was becoming her son, who was ready to tear the house apart just to find his brother. Never before had he felt such betrayal, he felt his heart was ripping in two- and the memories were flooding in- he'd _introduced his girlfriend to him…his own brother…here…in this house…and behind his back, after all Dingo had done to him-_

He screwed his eyes up in anger- images kept flooding into his mind…

"Woah!" Jake had run into the hall, Derek closely following. The two watched with horror as they watched the scene unfold, and as Wally turned to target them next they stimutaneously recoiled- stepping back and Jake feebly holding up his bottle of beer in a half drunken defence.

"Calm down, son-" Derek half heartedly began to reason, but Wally's face screwed up with malice- his eyes burning bright with the desire for violence. His reasoning quickly sunk away as he stared into his son's face, unable to comprehend the anger that was radiating off him. It was almost unrecogniseable, the amount of anger and hate that had morphed onto such a friendly face. In Jake's half drunk state, he was debating on bringing out a crucifix…

"Don't tell me top CALM DOWN!" He spat at all of them. "I can be as angry as I fuckin' want! Dingo's the one who's been fucking around with my GIRLFRIEND!"

He panted with anger, his eyes closing only to open again, full of fury.

"And I bet the fuckin' baby isn't mine too."

He glared at all of them and shook his head, turning his back on them. Allie could feel her heart sinking, watching her son walk away from her.

"Some family you are!" He snarled at them before slamming the door, storming out into the night.

There was a heavy silence that set in with the trio, both Allie and Derek were distraught over how their son was acting, and both were fearful over what he might do, but it was Jake who pepped up, pushing Allie lightly aside as he jogged after him.

"Don't worry." He smirked, throwing the married couple a lopsided smirk over his shoulder as he stumbled out of the doorway. "I got this."

* * *

"No…no!" Chad snarled darkly, shaking his head as he leaned back in the passenger seat. "The blonde one was definitely the most doable of the _Charlie's Angels- _no question."

His partner, Brian, beside him raised his eyebrows, tilting his head knowingly. "You wouldn't go for the hot Asian…honestly?"

"Not like I'd say no." Chad snickered, his arms folded behind his head as he gazed lazily at the roof of the patrol car. "But it's common knowledge that blondes do it better."

"You do believe that…until you've had a redhead." Brian smirked proudly, folding his arms.

The two were on night duty of the highway- watching out for any speeding that anyone may attempt at two thirty in the morning. It was a dull job, so 'important' conversation was needed in between breaks to keep them awake. It was getting late, close to midnight, and all the two could think of discussing was who they'd rather bang in terms of celebrities. Tonight it was _Charlie's Angels, _last night it was a debate between Tara Reid and Pamela Anderson. In all honesty Brian did miss his old partner, Maurice…but since he was on break for his honeymoon Chad was set up with him, and Brian had to make the best out of the situation.

"Yeah, yeah." Chad snarled, leaning back in his seat and munching on the leftover donut crumbs they shared between them. The coffee was getting low, and soon they'd be due for a refill. The highway they watched from their post was virtually deserted, just as it should be at so early in the morning. Every now and then a truck would drive by, but nothing too exciting for the partners to be kept awake.

"I gotta take a leak." Chad informed, throwing off his seatbelt. Brian groaned, his eyebrows rising with indignation.

"Again?" He grumbled.

"It's all this coffee!" Chad defended, snarling at him. He opened the door, stepping out into the uneven ground and heading off into the bushes behind the car. "Just don't peak!"

"_Please…" _Brian sighed, rolling his eyes. Chad slammed the door closed and wandered off to find a spot, leaving Brian alone in silence. He sighed again with frustration, glancing at his hands on the wheel of the car.

_So boring…._

SO dull…

_Not the least bit exciting…_

A quiet night…

He _hated_ the night shift.

Just then he was jolted out of his hazy daydream by a car flashing passed- the dial on the dashboard reading a speed of 108mph. He stiffened, sitting up and smirking as he pushed the car into drive, hit the lights and sped off after them, leaving his partner still with his back to the highway.

"HEY!" He bellowed, struggling to fix himself up and run after him at the same time. But it was no use, the patrol car skidded onto the highway and tore off after the offender, lights and sirens blazing…without him. Chad snarled, kicking at the ground.

"_Fuckin' idiot…" _He growled, sitting back down on the road and waiting for his partner to return.

* * *

_"Oi! NEPH!"_

Wallabee froze, his feet planted firmly against the sidewalk as he heard shuffling, running feet coming up behind him, and he threw a snarl over his shoulder as he saw who he thought still as a stranger running up to him- a too-calm expression on his face as he jogged to a stop, blinking at him innocently. His own uncle.

"Sup?" Jake smirked happily, tilting his head in curiosity. Wally scoffed harshly, his frown only growing fiercer as he took in the gesture. Jake, his uncle who he'd only just met, looked _a lot _like Dingo- and he was issuing him with a seemingly innocent smirk- it was only pushing Wallabee's buttons more.

"What's it to you?" He snapped harshly to him, taking a threatening step forward. Jake took him in, his face no longer showing fear.

"Just curiosity, is all." He said simply, his hands in his pockets. He gave him a little smile. "When I get pissed off, I usually go for a drive. Dingo's the same."

"Like I care." Wallabee spat, turning around. He'd had enough of the mindless chitchat, he was ready to kill his own brother with his bare hands. As he turned, however, he felt a small nudge on his backside and he stopped in his tracks, turning back as he heard the small jingle of his keys being pulled out of his pocket. Jake, still with the same smile, held them between two fingers- holding them up innocently.

"But under _your _conditions?" Jake muttered, his eyebrows disappearing into his shaggy bangs. "You ain't fit to drive _anywhere."_

"Give me those!" Wally growled threateningly, making a swipe for them. Jake yanked them out of his reach, shoving them down the front of his pants. Wally paused, his fingers retracting back into a fist. No way he was going in _there. _

"Nuh, uh." Jake said finally, folding his arms across his chest and issuing his nephew with a serious look. "not until we talk."

"What's there to talk about?" Wally snarled, losing steam but still keeping up his fierce demeanor. "I don't have anything to say to you."

"Oh, _contraire_." Jake smirked, strolling up beside him. "After almost twenty years, I think you got _plenty _to say to me."

"Nothing I can take back." Wally grumbled, setting off on a fierce pace down the sidewalk. He didn't even bother to knock on the window of his own car, he knew without keys he and Hoagie were both stuck here. He buried his fists back into his pockets, grimacing as he heard Jake skipping up to walk beside him.

"You don't know him like I do, ya know."

"Who?" Wally managed to bite back irritably.

"Ya brother."

Wally froze, snarling as he turned to glare at his uncle. Jake barely flinched, he stared back. Before Wally had a chance to tell him what he really thought, Jake talked over him calmly.

"You pick up your personals when you left prison tonight, Neph?"

Wally halted, torn between yelling and actual curiosity. He processed this. He suddenly remembered- his gum, the empty jewelry box…whatever he had in his pockets at the time…everything was taken…

"…No…"

"Neither did Dingo." Jake said, rummaging around in his pockets. His muscular shoulders shrugged once again and he gave a casual jerk of his head. "But I'm used to it."

He pulled out a wallet that was in his pocket. It looked simple enough, but Wally still glared at the black leather bound thing with caution, his eyes narrowing with suspicion at anything his uncle had to offer him.

"He left in such a rush he forgot his wallet…usually expects me to get it anyway…but still…"

He thumbed through it, beginning to walk again. Wally automatically followed him, and the two of them easily strolled along the streetlamp lit sidewalk, calmly and easily. Jake smirked, rummaging through his son's wallet with ease. Wally could tell he'd done it before.

"I ain't a hoarder…" he was saying, pulling out little bits of paper and shoving them back in. "So he must get it from ya Mum…always keeping useless shit, throwing it in here until it wears and he has to get a new one…"

Wallabee's frown deepened as Jake dug deep, eventually stopping and smirking proudly, unfolding what looked like a warn bit of cardboard that was withdrawn from the depths of cards, money, old receipts and movie tickets. Jake held it out to him, his deep brown eyes glimmering from the limited light of the streetlamp.

"Here."

Wallabee hesitated, then grabbed the worn paper from his uncle's grip. He froze.

It was him.

It had to be- who else would it? The photo was faded and it looked like it had been torn- with some sticky tape clumsily applied to it to hold it together- and it was old, at least eighteen years- but it looked so much like him, from all the baby photos he'd been forced to look at, but he'd never seen this one.

A tiny, pudgy baby version of him was sleeping on a blanket in what looked like the kitchen- tufts of blonde hair sticking out of his head, his fingers in his mouth and his eyes closed. A teddy bear was nearby, his baby blanket wrapped around him sweetly as he slept soundly. But who was cuddling _him _was the surprising thing…he was so sure it was a slightly older, maybe two years old, version of him- only with dark raven black hair. Dingo.

"Your Mum gave him that." Jake mumbled to him. "He hates the fact he can't get rid of it, ya know? It was one of the only things she gave him when she…gave him to me. He's ripped it a couple of times…gotten angry over little things- a little bitter, a little fierce…" He tilted his head. "But he still cherishes you…maybe even remembers you…" he gave him a smirk. "He keeps it close 'cause he still sees you as a brother."

_Brother… _Wally shoved it back into his uncle's grip, shaking himself from what he was feeling. How could Dingo see him as a brother? How could he see Dingo as a brother after what he'd done? He didn't believe it. He couldn't. Even if Dingo did feel that way there was no turning back now. He forced a snarl as the anger returned, trying not to let an old photo getting in the way of what was really important.

"So what?" He bit back. "So what if he _cherishes _me or whatever?" he glared at his uncle, a demanding look in those fierce emerald eyes. "He still betrayed me."

"Yeah." Jake shrugged, pocketing the wallet. "It's easy to think that."

"What you mean _easy?" _Wally demanded angrily. "It's the truth! He-"

"I know." Jake said simply, a blank look on his face. "Anger's easy to feel." He shrugged. "We all feel that way. You're a Beatles. For us, it's easy to punch something."

Wally stared, completely bewildered by Jake's calm words.

"You walk up to Dingo, he walks up to you, you punch each other, you fight." Jake said boredly, rolling his eyes. "I walk up to Derek, he walks up to me, we spit at each other, we fight." He gave a little scoff. "that's how it's always been…I mean…" he gave Wally a serious, dead on stare. "I mean…Wal, I fucked his fiancé."

Wallabee gaped, anger welling back up.

"But what does he do?" Jake asked pointedly, holding up his arms. "He wants to crush me, of course. No matter that the girl he marries has another kid that ain't by him…no matter he cheated on her, no matter she was unhappy and ran off in the first place…" he sighed, running a hand through his hair before locking his gaze once again. "Wallabee…It's easy to point the blame at someone who's easy to hate."

Wallabee blinked, his words hitting hard. He stared.

"Wh-"

"Hit, punch, dodge, kick- what's the hard part?" Jake asked him, his eyes wide with curiosity. "That's why it's so easy for me and my brother to fight- it's what we're used to, it's easy for us to hate each other rather than talk, and love, and forgive. It's harder for Derek to face the woman he loves and ask why she betrayed him, it's hard to talk to someone you love about them letting you down…"

He shook his head, sighing.

"That's why I couldn't answer a phone call from your mum…or look at her, or ever speak to her…"

Wally shook in the cold breeze, still some anger buried deep inside, but slowly being extinguished by that rare serious gaze given by Jake, who took a step closer to him.

"It's hard to talk to the person you've been let down by…who you love." He whispered to him. "But don't let history repeat itself. If you go to the person you've hated all along all you'll bring is hate, and the problem will never be solved."

"But…" Wally still managed to growl, shifting the weight on his feet. He closed his eyes. "Dingo-"

"I know he betrayed you…" Jake soothed, a hand on his nephew's arm. "I betrayed my own brother. But don't take the easy way out. Abby's who needs you the most, talk to her, get some answers…make some sense out of it and sort it out…." He paused, twisting his lips. "…And _then _you have permission to rip Dingo a new one."

Wallabee gave a half hearted little scoff, but still felt pretty crappy, his lips twisting awkwardly.

"This ain't the end of the world…" Jake muttered, his eyes wide. "You know- everything happens for a reason."

Wally looked up at him, cocking an eyebrow. "Everyone says that when-"

"yeah, yeah…" Jake scoffed. "but look at me! The last thing I expected when I was sixteen was to be a father…" he frowned, tilting his head. "But before that, I was drinkin' and smokin' and getting into fights, takin' whatever I could…hell, kid-" his brown eyes grew hard as he gazed into his nephew's wide eyes. "I was trying to kill myself young, everyone told me I'd be a failure in life, so I didn't wanna deal with it."

Wallabee stood silent, the grave words washing over him with a heavy reality. Everything around him didn't seem to matter.

"Then Dingo came along…" Jake continued, nibbling on his bottom lip. "And it was- ya know- _big mistake, put him up for adoption, yada-yada…" _He rolled his eyes. "but…the kid saved me, he gave me a reason to live."

"This isn't the best thing to say…" Wally mumbled miserably, thinking of Abby's baby. "Abby-"

"But you guys were broken up…" Jake said brightly, nudging him. "You guys weren't meant to be together, you figured it out before it even _could _be something!"

"Well…" Wally frowned. "Yeah, but-"

"And you got a new girl, a fresh start, right?"

Wally frowned. _Kuki. _He felt lighter.

"Everything happens for a reason." Jake reminded him. "And right now- anger ain't the best way to deal with it. Love's much easier…less hospital visits." He smirked, and Wallabee looked over at him with a new light as he raised his eyebrows, taking it in.

_Love…_he remembered what that was like.

"Think about what you gained, Wallabee…" Jake said to him. "Not what you lost."

* * *

Heavy metal scream music blared from the sound system as the two Aussie offenders drove along the highway, keeping their eyes peeled for any cars on the side of the road- hidden. Dread was at the wheel, one hand stretched out to keep the car steady and the other leaning against the open car window, the cool nighttime air to hit his face. Jayden was in the passenger side, his shoes against the dashboard as he thumbed through the many songs on his friend's music player, stopping every now and then to play some favourites. Both of them were big music fanatics that knew their stuff from being in a band when they were younger, so every now and then they'd sing along casually or play some air guitar, Dread being almost an expert at screaming the right lyrics.

Jayden perked up suddenly, a smirk spreading up his face and his grey eyes widening excitedly.

"Dread!" He snickered. "Patrol car! To the left!"

Dread matched his smirk as he slammed his foot down, taking the newly stolen car's speed up to 100. Jayden watched the patrol car flash by and soon after they were following-lights and siren on.

"Not too much, Dread." He reminded him. "We don't want any more patrol cars after us _or _any announcements on the radio-"

"Yeah, yeah." Dread muttered, rolling his eyes. They'd been through this only a thousand times before. "I know. How many times have we done this?"

"True." Jayden snickered as Dread pulled over like a good motorist, turning off the car and casually leaning against the driver's side window.

Brian sighed, opening the door and stepping out. He still had a smirk on at his practical joke, thinking of Chad lost on the side of the road. Grabbing his pad and pen he made his way over to the car he'd pulled over- a black hummer- and quickly made a note in his book, approaching the window and looking in.

A pair of black eyes gazed back at him, framed by dark shadows and shaggy dark brown hair, poor Brian almost had a heart attack looking into the car, and did a double take. It almost felt as though he was looking into the eyes of the undead.

"Uh…" he attempted to regain his composure with dignity, and Dread gave him a sickly sweet smirk. "Do you realise how fast you were going?"

"Nup."

Dread blinked, innocently fluttering those black orbs dumbly. Brian took a step forward, rolling his eyes. He wouldn't be surprised if he was drunk. "I-"

His last sentence was stopped short, so quick and sharp that he barely had time to take a breath to gasp. Dread's rough, strong hand, fast and trained like lightening, grabbed the cop by the collar of his shirt and dragged him subtly (but sharply) forward into the car, and shoved a sharpened fourteen inch blade right up the man's neck- slicing his jugular and digging into the delicate flesh of the roof of his mouth in one quick movement- those wide black eyes never leaving his.

_"What was that?"_ Dread frowned, tilting his head away from the blood seeping in torrents down his arm, decorating the car with a deep dark flow of blood. All the pair could hear were drowning, choking sounds. Dread's wrist twisted and flicked, making sure of a full rotation to ensure a slow, but sure, kill. "I can't hear you, _officer."_

Nobody survives a slice to the jugular.

Jayden watched, his grey eyes admiring the look of pain and shock on the young policeman's face before he jumped into action, opening the passenger side door and making his way to the cop car behind the, quickly turning off the lights to avoid detection.

"Don't mess up the car!" He shouted back to Dread, who rolled his eyes and dragged the knife- with Brian still attached- forward so he leaned more into the car, the blood trickling down onto Brian's police uniform instead of the car's interior. He sawed through the skin, all the while watching Brian's face, and yanked the knife out, dragging the body into the front seat with him.

Jayden set to work, ripping out the video camera in the front of the vehicle and gathering any detection instruments he could find. Pulling a drill out from his bag he set to work on the roof, quickly removing the flashing lights from the car and taking all the necessary switches with him, shoving them into the black bag.

His partner looked into the eyes of the dying man in front of him, wiping his knife off on a rag as he did so. Grabbing his arms he dragged him out of the car out to the forest beside the highway, dropping him on the muddy grass, not even checking if the guy was still alive.

Jayden started up the cop car, driving it into the forest too.

"Got everything?" Dread muttered, already bored, leaning against the car.

"Think so…" Jayden mumbled, holding up the bag ceremoniously. "We'll need the lights and whatever cop weapons they got-"

"Don't forget the fuckin' tracer." Dread snarled, yanking at the radar the car had. "We don't need any rush in finding the pig."

Jayden smirked, grabbing it from his friend. "Oh yeah…"

He skipped back up to the stolen hummer and threw the tools back inside, grabbing instead his lighter and the empty fuel tanks from the back, throwing the hose to Dread.

"Hurry up with the fuckin' flames." He snapped, giving a quick blow into the hose before shoving it down to the fuel tank, sucking it up and quickly spitting it back, filling up the empty tanks Jayden held out. The two worked swiftly and smoothly, casually going about filling up the fuel as if they were playing a game of soccer. When it was full neither of them replaced the cap, but Dread began to throw the flammable liquid all over the covered patrol car, drenching it in the clear substance before throwing the can back to Jayden, who shoved it back into the backseat and ran back to the car, flicking his lighter with excitement.

Brian Sampson lay still alive in the grass, his head hazy and his numb body twitching with pain, blood filling his throat and mouth as he continued to bleed. He barely twitched as he felt both his arms be yanked once again as Dread dragged him back to the car, laying him across the front seat where Jayden flicked the lighter one last time, lighting the trail that would lead to the car in a quick rush of flames. He blinked once, hacking up one last mouthful of blood before he and the car were completely aflame, burning brightly as the two young men casually strolled back to the hummer, started it up and drove off, checking if the coast was clear through the review mirrors. They drove along in somewhat silence, Jayden still flicking through the music.

Dread gave a casual yawn, his dull black eyes rolling over to his friend.

"Ya know, I feel like a kebab."

Jayden smirked, crossing his legs as they rested casually against the passenger door.

"Same, man."

* * *

Trent lay in bed- hoping, praying, _begging _for sleep to come. The neon red letters on his clock read 3:05AM. His eyes were tightly squeezed closed, his fingers gripped at the sheets so harshly his knuckles paled to a sickly white, his teeth gritted tightly and he tossed and turned, the mattress creaking under his frantic bursts of energy.

He kept groaning, almost in agony. He couldn't escape it…that voice that was still echoing through his head.

_"Trent…"_

The voice was familiar- he'd heard it many times. It brought him comfort, but it was the comfort he was trying to escape.

_"Trent."_

It was smooth and sweet, almost a sickly sweet- that twisted and shaped and was able to make Trent do exactly as it asked it…it was manipulative, it knew his weaknesses, it knew just how to push his buttons…

"_Trent!"_

_Shut up. _Trent kept thinking, yet the husky, sweet tone still stained his mind- burned into his brain…the memories that voice had, how he'd call his name- like nobody else could. It made him love his name after so long hating it. He hated that he had such power. Damn him.

_"Trent, Please-"_

_SHUTUP! _Trent begged his brain, squeezing his eyes tighter. Yet he couldn't erase it, his mind wouldn't let him. It held on and squeezed the life out of that memory that seemed like a different world…a different life…a different existence.

He couldn't let it go. He wouldn't let it go.

Just like him.

_"Trent…." Bandit panted at him, his fingernails digging into his shoulder blades. Trent didn't even notice- he remembered the creamy sensation of his friend's skin, the haze inside his head at being so close to him, taking him in, the smell of him was… delicious… so close. His pouty, pierced lips were so close and soft…so sensual and sweet. His beautiful ocean blue eyes were half lidded, his breath coming in harsh, rapid gasps as he cooed his name._

_"Trent- don't stop. Please. Don't stop."_

His grey eyes snapped open and his chest heaved as he panted for breath, clutching at the sheets beneath him as he struggled to maintain his balance.

_Just a dream._

He lay awake, now unable to close his eyes. That image was seared into his mind- keeping him up, preventing his mind from sleeping, from relaxing and drifting into slumber. The same image worked its way into his consciousness, seeping into his mind and refusing to leave.

…

_"Right Hook! Right Hook! TAKE HIM DOWN! SPECIAL MOVE! FOR FUCKS SAKE! THE SPECIAL MOVE!"_

_Trent snarled venomously, throwing down the controller in blind anger as the screen in front of him flickered with the mocking 'LOSER' label, the other player's screen flashing a proud 'WINNER'._

_Dodge snickered from beside him, a wide grin spreading across his face as he nudged Trent with his sneaker, controller in hand._

_"I believe I win again." He grinned happily._

_"Lucky shot." Trent muttered stiffly, folding his arms as he leaned against the couch behind him._

_"Wanna rematch?"_

_"No."_

_Dodge smirked, punching away at the buttons for further options. It was a lazy Sunday morning…a very early Sunday morning, and the pair had spent the entire day at Dodge's house- where it was promised to be calm as his father was away in prison and his mother at her sister's for the week. All the booze and the weed was gone, and It was all the two seventeen year old boys could think of to do was play video games for the rest of the night, and Trent was tired of losing._

_"All these games are your picks." Trent complained, scowling. "Pick something I know how to win at."_

_"Fine." Dodge snickered at him. "Head over to your house and get a game then."_

_Trent rolled his eyes, scoffing in annoyance as he leaned against the seat behind him lazily. "As if…"_

_Dodge shrugged. "Nuthin' I can do then, Trenty boy."_

_The doorbell rang, which seemed a crazy occurrence to any other house to have a caller at two in the morning, but at Dodge's place this was almost normal. But the two teens still frowned…it was weird all the same._

_"When'd Dingo say he'd be back?"_

_"He didn't." Dodge scoffed, rolling his eyes as he pushed himself off the couch to answer it. "He's out with Tamara Johnson, he'll be out all night with that one."_

_Trent snickered at that, punching lazily at the keys on the controller as Dodge shuffled towards the door, running a hand through his hair and yawning lazily. As he heard the door open, the lazy atmosphere completely changed, and Dodge fell into a stiff, tense silence that chilled Trent to the bone, the controller froze in his hand as he heard **his **voice…the one voice he could barely stand but at the same time the voice he longed to hear every day…_

_"D…Dodge…" The voice whimpered from the porch, shivering and shaking as he struggled to stay strong, but Trent could hear he was close to sobbing as he struggled to stammer out the words. "I…I'm s-s-"_

_"Bandit!" Dodge seemed to groan, the door closing sharply as Trent heard the sounds of shuffling feet as Bandit was forced inside. Trent swallowed hard as he looked over, only to have his stomach droop in immediate shock. Breath seemed to fall short as his mouth went dry, his heart hammered harshly, and the sick seemed to bubble within him as words failed to escape his lips. He just sat, staring with horror at the sight he saw._

_Bandit avoided eye contact, staring at the floor instead of into his friend's eyes. Trent gazed, lips agape, at his crumpled figure, his twitching and weakened body swaying on the spot as he struggled to maintain consciousness. Blood was trickling and drying on his face- a deep cut visible on his forehead, his lip split, nose trickling dark, almost black blood and darkened, purple bruises under his eyes and arms._

_Trent watched, completely horrorstruck at his now broken, former best friend._

_"Bandit…" Dodge appeared from behind him, a deep, dangerous frown working into his usually friendly features. "What the fuck happened to you this time?"_

_Bandit sniffed sadly, clearly embarrassed at Trent, of all people, seeing him this way. He spoke in only a whisper, and could only stare at Dodge's feet as he spoke._

_"Dread…" He whimpered, choking on the words. "I got Dread m-mad again…"_

Trent shook his head violently, his feet scraping across the floor as he grabbed his pillow, shutting the door quietly as he hugged it close, filing into the living room with his head buried in it.

Collapsing onto the couch, all he wished for was sleep.

* * *

Kuki lay awake, barely grasping the concept of sleep. Her warm violet eyes remained wide and focused, staring blankly at the flickering late night TV in front of her. But her thoughts were far away from the repeats of soap operas, and instead she remembered, over and over, Hollie's story.

She'd agreed, only because she couldn't say no to a story so sincere and sad. It made her heart melt to think that someone had been through something so harsh, and it didn't even enter her mind that she was lying. The way those wide, tear filled hazel eyes had pleaded with her, the kind Japanese girl couldn't deny a favour like that…she had to help.

…_despite the fact_, and she cringed into her pillow as she thought of this, _that I can't sing…_

She shook her head, not wanting any more worries on her mind tonight. Instead she switched to thinking about her boyfriend, and wondering vaguely if she should call him. He seemed determined to wanting to spend the night alone, and she didn't want to be annoying…that's the last thing she wanted.

She sighed, her head leaning against the palm as she tried to make herself comfortable.

'I guess I have to get used to this…' she thought dully, her face drooping. 'Getting out of the way…especially since he'll have his own baby and family soon…'

She shook this dark thought from her mind and instead tried again to focus on the TV, hopefully switching the channels to see if there was anything on so late in the evening (or more, early morning) just as she was getting into a late showing of _Bridezillas _she heard a knock at the door and, frowning, she rose to answer it, her eyes narrowed with suspicion as she armed herself with a plush unicorn (just in case).

She opened the door a crack and her eyes widened as soon as she spotted the sunshine blonde hair. She opened the door, gasping at what she saw.

"Wally! Are you okay?"

Wally trembled on the spot, slowly shaking his head. It was all he could get out. Still after his talk with Jake, so many different emotions ran through him and he couldn't contain them, wanting to burst and scream and punch whatever came into view. He looked up at that moment, all when those heated, angrily eyes found hers, everything sunk around him, and all he could see was her heart shaped face, graced with heartfelt concern and those dark lavender eyes wide with shock at what she saw. All he could do was grab her and hold her close, hoping she'll never pull away.

Her warmth seeped into him like a summer breeze, a breath of fresh flower scented air that hugged him close and filled him with a sense of calm. He nuzzled into her soft hair, just hugging her close and needing her vibrant, sweet energy. He knew then how lucky he was to have her, how she had kept him afloat…in control.

Jake was right…

She was all he needed.

* * *

"I can't stand this any longer!" Nigel snapped at his girlfriend irritably, crunching the used Twinkie wrapper in his hand and throwing it in the trash.

"I said we should have gone about an hour ago!" Rachel reminded him, rolling her eyes and resisting the urge to smirk at her boyfriend's paranoid behaviour. "Dingo's who Abby needs right now."

"I think he's the _last _person she needs." Nigel huffed angrily, folding his arms. "He's the reason she got in this whole mess-"

"You told me the situation…and I heard her side…" Rachel began carefully, standing up and putting a hand on his shoulder. "You have to remember it takes two to make a baby-"

"I'm well aware." Nigel grumbled, flushing a dull pink. Rachel smirked.

"And she chose _him." _Rachel grinned. "Nobody else. We have to trust her decision, no matter how horrible it may seem. Besides, there's nothing we can do about it."

Nigel huffed again, but his strong shoulders seemed to slacken as his girlfriend's calm reasoning hit him. He rolled his eyes, pretending to really process it, before drooping with reluctant defeat.

"_Fine." _He snarled. "But I'm saying goodbye. And when I see him again I'm gonna _tell _him _personally _how to treat Abby, and what the consequences are of treating my friend wrong, and what his responsibilities are now-"

He stopped, catching sight of Rachel's knowing, cocky smirk. He faltered, he knew his girlfriend probably knew him the best, and that knowing grin of hers was enough to shut him up. He rolled his eyes and pushed open the door behind him, ready to be completely stern with his friend.

Then he paused.

The couple was asleep together- nothing threatening, nothing provocative, about it. Abby cuddled against Dingo as they snored silently together on the hospital bed, their noses grazing as they snared a pillow and embraced each other. Nigel stared, all anger and concern suddenly melting away as his own girlfriend appeared behind him- still with that knowing, cocky expression on her face.

"Think we better leave…" She snickered, glancing up at him sweetly. "They look fine to me, don't they?"

"Yeah…" Nigel muttered, smirking. "She looks fine."

The couple left the sleeping couple, closing the hospital door quietly. For the first time in what felt like a while, Nigel didn't feel any amount of worry towards his friend Abby at all.

* * *

Allie sniffed softly to herself as she sat alone at the table, crossing and un-crossing her legs as she nursed a mug of tea. She felt like such a failure, unworthy to be a mother and a wife. The way Wally looked, she never meant to help hurt him that way…she felt so guilty, like it was all her fault, she had caused this pain.

"It'll be okay…" Derek murmured to her from the hallway, leaning against the archway for support. He looked tired and sad, but it hurt him more to see his wife this way. He really loved her, it just took moments like this to see how much he cared for her…how much it stung to see her so deflated. "I promise, hon-"

"How can it be okay?" Allie mumbled miserably, her wet green eyes staring down at the table as she fidgeted in her lap. "The way he was looking at me, I don't think he'll ever forgive-"

"_Allie." _Derek growled at her, and she was silenced, looking up. He'd never called her by her nickname on purpose before…

He strolled over to her and grabbed her hands, lifting her off the chair and kissing her, strong and passionate. He held his face in hers, and his deep hazel eyes gazed into hers.

"It'll be okay." He said strongly. "I promise."

Allie nodded, the last of her tears dripping off her face. She nuzzled her face into his neck and leaned against him, relying on him once again to hold her up. Her held her close as he lead her to bed, where he knew what she needed the most was sleep.

Everything's always better in the morning.

* * *

Hoagie lay in bed, the neon red lights of his clock illuminating the time 4:51AM across his face. He blinked, still numb thoughts echoing through his mind. Wallabee had dropped him off back at the dorm over two hours ago, but he still hadn't gotten anywhere closer to slumber. He rolled over, his head resting heavily against his pillow. He closed his eyes- still nothing.

All he could feel was cold.

He loved Abby, he always had, even when it was Fanny, even when it was Bonny, he was positive all he could love in the world was one girl- and it was Abby. Only one girl for one guy right? Everyone has a soulmate, and Hoagie was positive he'd just lost his.

Weren't he and Abby meant to be together? He'd fallen out of a crush with her before but he was positive they fit so well together…they were such good friends…

The same image kept crossing his mind, over and over, never leaving. Abby and Dingo…together. The one person Hoagie knew he could never be like was Dingo, and that had to be Abby's choice.

That thought alone stung, it brought a pain to him he had never felt before and his heart sat empty and sad in his chest, his mind full and preventing rest. He couldn't sleep, he didn't even know if he had the strength to get up.

He just lay there, wondering what will happen next.

And if he could ever look at Abby the same again.

* * *

_Colours swirled, music played, bodies were pressed against each other so close it was as if they were melded…it was melodic, the rhythm was intoxicating, and for Emma…it was the time of her life.'Dice' by Finley Quaye was playing, it was a song everyone had to dance to…it was their year ten formal, the ball everyone in the year went to before half the year left school early. _

I was crying over you  
I am smiling I think of you  
Where your garden have no walls  
Breathe in the air if you care, you compare, don't say farewell

_Bandit would be one of them, Emma would stay. She was trying to hold back tears, despite the fact Bandit kept reminding her they'd always be best friends, always. She just watched him, even when he wasn't looking- to take him in, to savour the moments where he was her partner, she was his date. _

Nothing can compare  
To when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me  
Nothing can compare  
To when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me

_Bandit swayed back and forth drunkenly, looking so innocent and sweet for once nobody wanted to hurt him, especially with his best friend locked onto his arm, looking as beautiful as she did. It was her night, Bandit was just making it one she'd remember for a lifetime. The lights were dimmed, and the two were partnered- for once Bandit was hers, and she could look into his eyes and hold him close without any fear…no awkwardness, no fear. Girls actually envied her. She felt like Marissa, and he was her Ryan. _

I am smiling I think of you  
Misty morning and water falls  
Breathe in the air if you care, you compare, don't say farewell

_She swept her dress around, it was a long white gown, silky, sparkly and smooth. She smiled, gradually pulling out every pin that held back her hair, laughing as Bandit helped her, saying how she was returning to the "Belle he knew and loved." She knew it was only a figure of speech, but her cheeks still warmed at it. _

To when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me  
Nothing can compare

_She wished she could be his forever. She knew she'd do anything for him. _

To when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me  
Nothing can compare  
To when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me

_He skipped around with her, but stopped just to dance with her, not knowing how much it meant to her. For once it wasn't his friends, it wasn't guys, it wasn't the rumours or the gossip…it was just them…best friend. _

Virtuous sensibility  
Escape velocity  
Nothing can compare

"_This song reminds me of you…" he'd told her, grinning stupidly. "It's off the OC, and I know you love that show…" _

"_Really?" She'd whisperd to him, her plain eyes widening. _

To when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me  
Nothing can compare  
To when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me  
Nothing can compare

"_Yeah." He smirked, the disco lights reflecting the honesty in his eyes. "it always reminds me of you." He twirled her around and they locked eyes again. She never wanted to kiss him as much as she had at that moment…_

"_It'll be our song!" He beamed at her, his smile contagious. Belle grinned, pulling her 'Bambi' closer, her chin on his shoulder. _

To when you roll the dice and swear your love's for me  
Breathe in the air if you care, you compare, don't say farewell  
Nothing…

"_Yeah…it will be." _

…

Bandit jolted awake, the horrible sound of an alarm ringing sending him into a blind panic, his hands waving to shut off the offending noise located near his bed. When he finally wrapped his hands around his phone he swatted at it blindly, hitting any button he could. Blessed with final silence, he fell back against the pillows, wondering what the hell was going through his head when he set his alarm so early.

_Oh yeah… _He opened his eyes, groaning as he rolled over onto his side. _That whole Lizzie deal…_

He pouted, grumbling with slight pain as he stumbled out of bed, trying to rid his head of the last images he had witnessed in his dream. _Belle…again. _

He rubbed his arms in the cold, his bottom lip trembling as he stepped into the shower. He hated dreaming about Belle…the old memories of her just created a pain he couldn't escape from. The fact that he had shriveled back into his former self faster than he had ever realised stung as well, and looking into the mirror only made him realise how skinny, scrawny and pathetic he had become, just running back to the regular deals only made things just that more realistic for him.

He hung his head, letting the steam and hot water flow over him warmly.

_Fuck this…_

He stepped out in a fresh pair of jeans, pulling a plain white shirt over his head and patting at his wet hair with a towel. Stumbling sleepily down the hall, he faintly wandered how early it was. He shuffled into the living room, heading straight to the couch where he collapsed on top of it, ready to nap some more and rest before heading out so early in the morning (9AM) when he yelped in surprise, falling straight back onto the floor with a thud as he realised he had landed on someone who was already laying there.

"OW! _The fuck…" _Trent snarled at him, grey eyes peeking out from beneath his pillow in anger. Bandit's ocean blue eyes gazed back weakly, now wide awake with shock. Trent stiffened, throwing the pillow aside and giving him a long, hard look. Bandit tried to act as innocently as possible.

"The HELL is wrong with you?" Trent snapped angrily, his eyes narrowing. He took note of Bandit's unusual paleness, how tired and withdrawn he looked- his shakiness, shadows under his eyes.

No…

"N-nothing!" Bandit grumbled, pushing himself off the floor and dusting himself off. "I had a shower, that's all!"

"That ain't it!" Trent snarled at him, pushing himself up to stare. Those sharp grey eyes washed over Bandit harshly, and Bandit could feel as though he was beign x-rayed by that powerful glare. He shrunk away, already feeling guilty enough for what he was about to do.

"What have you taken?" Trent growled at him, eyes narrowing with warning.

"None of your business!" Bandit snapped back, defensively throwing his arms up in the air. He made his way to the door, anxious to get out of there as soon as possible before Trent suspected him of anything else. It was bad enough that Bandit knew what he was doing, but to have _trent _know, of all people…

He held back a squeak as Trent reached out and grabbed him back, so fast poor Bandit didn't even see it coming. He gaped back helplessly as Trent tightened his grip, yanking him back to stare at him face-to-face, nose to nose.

"What do you mean it's none of my _business?" _Trent repeated gravely, every word dripping with venom.

Bandit faltered, but still remained stubborn, trying to pry Trent's hands off him as he backed away.

"I just- lemme go- let me go Trent!"

"Not until you answer!" Trent hissed, anxious not to wake anybody up but still wanting a real answer out of his friend.

"No!" Bandit growled back, pushing him away. "Just leave it, you don't care anyway-"

"How can you say that?" Trent demanded, his voice a low whispered snarl. "Band-"

"Just stop!" Bandit whimpered, backed up completely against the wall. Trent stopped, and stared.

He looked just like he used to do- so innocent and defenseless like that. He had nothing, just the wall behind his back and those wide, pleading eyes that looked as though they were about to give way to tears at any second. He was trembling with fear, his bottom lip shaking and his body pathetically so much smaller and weaker than his. Just another victim. Trent snarled, immediately retreating back to the couch. He couldn't do it.

"Fine." He growled, slamming his head against the pillow. "GO do what you're about to do, if I don't _care _so much."

There was an awkward silence. Bandit longed to say something, but he knew if he did he'd just allow the tidal wave of tears to pour through. He just stood there, shaking and jumpy, watching and pleading with his friend silently. He wished he could tell him, he really wished he was everything that Trent wanted, he wished it was like before, when they could talk about anything and there were no secrets, no shame…

_I love you…_ he thought to himself, but he knew it would be a long time when he could say it out loud again.

He shuffled away and closed the front door behind him, sniffling all the way to the college.

* * *

Sandy drummed his fingers anxiously against the wooden countertop, his eyes darting from left to right as he watched his older cousin wander around the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Ethan would leave to eat, then Steven would awake and share the same routine, only to have Mitch follow. Sandy just sat there, watching them come and go. He couldn't keep up.

He eventually rose and shuffled over to the table where the cousins sat, each immersed in their own business. Ethan had the paper, Mitch tapped around on his iPhone and Steven was taking notes of 'appointments' in his notebook, stopping every now and then to scratch at his cheek with the pen.

"So…" Sandy finally cleared his throat, gaining the courage to finally voice his concerns. "Did…anyone…follow the two…" he bit his lip. "_Bounty hunters _last night?"

Ethan's dark eyes flicked up to his cousin, a lopsided snicker on his face.

"Sandy, you gotta relax about this." He said, eyes rolling back towards the sports section. "Just forget they're there."

The quartet paused as they heard a horrible crunching sound followed by the unmistakable noise of a drill and scraping metal.

"_HEY! HEY!" _They could hear a faint Australian accent holler from the basement garage. _"Watch it with the welding! You almost set me the fuck on fire, cunt!"_

"How can you ignore something like that?" Sandy squeaked worriedly, his eyes widening.

"If you're so worried about them…" Steven grinned sneakily. "Why don't you go check up on them?"

Sandy straightened, taken aback. "Fine…" he mumbled angrily, stomping off. "I will."

"By the way…" Mitch suddenly stopped, grabbing a thick file and throwing it to him. "Give this to 'em."

Sandy caught it, slightly suspicious, but nevertheless he made his way down to where the two were staying in the renovated warehouse. It was near the two guest bedrooms where there was an underground garage- dank and dark with barely any lights, where Sandy followed the cursing and scraping to. He arrived at the heavy door, hesitated for a split second before knocking, thinking better of it and just shoving it open, walking inside.

The two hunters barely looked up from their work as they heard the younger boy enter- Jayden leaning over into the hood of the car tinkering with the engine and Dread was on the roof, cross legged and drilling the new stolen police lights onto the roof of the car. To any naked eye, it just seemed like it was an undercover emergency vehicle, but they knew this way if they modified the car it would draw less attention as a stolen vehicle.

"What are you guys doing?" Sandy asked, slightly scared by the entire atmosphere. Jayden turned, his hair sweeping across his eyes. He shook it out and issued the teenager with a sly smirk, rolling up his sleeves.

"We got a new rig." He grinned, his thumb jabbing to the hummer behind them. "Traded in the old one you got us for this one."

"This isn't…" Sandy blinked, eyes wide. "Stolen, is it?"

Dread rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to slam the kid's face in. He was one of those annoying, wimpy little kids who'd obviously taken too much coke at one point. He was pale and skinny, his eyes and hair pale and wispy. He altogether looked like a regular weakling. Dread hated that.

"I'm shocked you'd accuse us of such a thing…" Jayden cooed silkily, sidling over to the teenager with a knowing, cocky expression. The two Australians were at least two heads taller than Sandy, and he looked up at them with fear. "As if we'd do something like that."

"Well…" Sandy snarled. "Did you?"

"Course." Jayden snickered. "We're here to make money, not spend it!"

"You guys are here to do a job!" Sandy spluttered nervously, his pale eyes wide. "Not attract cops!"

Jayden glared at him, and Sandy stiffened with anxiety as those grey eyes glared into his, framed with that streaked hair. He squared his broad shoulders, his muscular, inked skin gleaming with sweat as his arms tensed, ready to pound the living daylights out of the wimp who was becoming very annoying.

"We won't attract _any _cops." Jayden snarled, rolling his eyes. "We're smarter than that."

"Just…as long as you know what you're getting in the end…" Sandy mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah." Dread snarled, flicking up the welding mask casually. "You got the files or what?"

"Oh…yeah…" Sandy muttered, suddenly aware of that thick file Mitch had given him. He held it out. "Here…"

"Thanks!" Jayden grinned brightly, eagerly snatching it up. It was weird to Sandy how quickly his mood changed, and he suspected he must be bipolar…or something crazy like that. Shaking his head, he made his way back to his cousins, where at least he didn't have to fear his life around them. The second the door closed, Dread leaped from the roof of the car to tear at the file with Jayden, who issued him a glare.

"Easy, tiger!"

"I can't help it!" Dread snapped, looking pouty. "They said they'd give us as much information as possible-"

"And-" Jayden snarled angrily. "They said they didn't have too much on them, so don't get too excited about the whole thing!"

Dread rolled his eyes, grabbing half of the papers anyway. The two sat on the ground, ruffling through for any useful information they could actually use to find them.

* * *

Wally never wanted to leave, despite the fact he was surrounded by an army of soft, cuddly plush toys and he was buried with fluffy pink blankets and pillows. He never wanted to wake, he never wanted to move, he just wanted to stay in this spot, in this bed, forever.

He rolled over, his arm reaching for his girlfriend for another cuddle. He found he slept the best when he was beside her- he could easily smell the sweet scent of her hair, feel the softness of her skin, and cuddle her close and never let go. It was his nirvana, his paradise-

His eyes opened, and he sat up with alarm.

She wasn't there.

He groaned, falling back against the pillows sulkily. Reality set in as he remembered the night before, and he shuffled back under the blankets and pillows back to safety. He didn't want to go out there- out into reality, where he had to face Abby, Dingo, Hoagie, his family…all over again.

He still felt betrayal. Most of the anger had gone, but it had been replaced with a dull feeling of sadness and disappointment at the entire situation. He wandered vaguely if he could ever look at Abby or Dingo the same…the images kept flooding in- both of them sneaking around behind his back, the meetings where they must have slept together, Abby lying straight to his face, the baby…

His heart drooped in his chest. _The baby. _He never thought about that. If it wasn't his, he'd still have to look at it knowing it came from his friends lying and sneaking around, if it was his, it was to a mother who lied to him this entire time…how could he still call her a friend after what she did?

He groaned. Right now, he knew he was in a place he couldn't get out of easily. And he could think of nothing positive to cheer himself up.

"Morning, Wally!"

He emerged from the blankets, his green eyes peeking out sneakily. He grinned, immediately lifted by the sight of Kuki walking in, a cup of warm tea in one hand and a plate of toast in the other. Wally doubted if any other girl in the world could look more beautiful than she did at that moment.

"You looked so cute while you were sleeping…" Kuki cooed, her face braking into a gracious smile. "I couldn't wake you up, but I thought you could use some breakfast…"

"Thanks, Kooks." Wally said graciously, immediately gnawing into it. It was amazing how hungry he was after all that had happened, it must have been the racing adrenaline. He closed his eyes, the warm, fuzzy feeling coming back and calming him. Kuki slid in beside him, watching him.

Kuki was positive she had never seen Wallabee Beatles look so broken as he did last night, and it broke her heart to see him like that. He had told her the story in a few snarls before she had shushed him and tried instead to make him feel better with some hugs and some movies, but still even she felt anger at what had happened between Abby and his own brother. She bit her lip, knowing she shouldn't say anything, but still, Kuki Sanban had never had such an urge to slap someone as she did Dingo Beatles just then.

"So…what are you doing today?" She asked him, her eyes wide. She felt guilty, knowing she had to help Hollie today but still she wanted to be beside hr boyfriend…the last thing she wanted was for him to go through this alone.

Wallabee shrugged, dusting off toast crumbs as he grabbed the mug of tea. "Dunno…I guess I should go see my parents and…" he groaned, looking pained. _"Talk_ to them…"

Kuki gave a weak smile. "That sounds like fun."

"Yeah." Wally scoffed. "A blast."

He looked down, his blonde hair sweeping across his face. Kuki pouted. She wished she could say how much she cared for Wally, but she found she couldn't put it into words. She loved him, she knew she did. After so long, it seemed impossible for her to love anybody else but him…Wallabee Beatles.

"Thanks for this, Kuki." Wally finally muttered, unable to keep it in any longer. "I really appreciate it." His deep green eyes gazed into hers as he gripped her hands, warm from the tea she had been holding. He hugged her close, her head against his chest. He closed his eyes, savouring the sweet moment between them. "I don't know what I would've done last night without you."

"Don't mention it, Wally." She mumbled back, never wanting to pull away. She could hear his steady heartbeat within his hard chest, and she closed her eyes, knowing her own heart beat only for him. She raised her head, wishing she could stay with him all day. "I…I want to show you something today, can you spend the morning with me?"

"Course, Kooks." He smirked. "I haven't gotten anything else I wanna do today…"

Kuki beamed, her violet eyes widening and sparkling with immediately excitement.

"Meet me at the hall in about an hour."

* * *

Abby blinked, her face contracting uncomfortably as the strong rays of sun hit her through the hospital glass windows. She felt around blindly for a body beside her, but all she was met with were empty hospital sheets. Sitting up, she automatically put a hand to her swollen stomach, where her baby boy rolled about within her stomach. Frowning, she immediately felt cold and slightly disappointed that she wasn't staring into familiar green eyes, the ones she had fallen asleep watching.

"If you Americans call this coffee I'm seriously considering starting an import business."

She jumped, her head swirling around as she heard a familiar voice behind her. Dingo was sitting grumpily cross-legged on a visitor's chair, staring into the black abyss of so-called coffee he'd gotten from the machine in the hallway. His hair was ruffled from sleep and his eyes barely remained open, he just stirred his coffee around blankly, blinking back up at his girl when he felt her gaze on her.

"What?" He mumbled, yawning and stretching.

"I…thought you'd left…" Abby mumbled back sheepishly, using both hands to support her as she rolled over onto her other side. She was becoming slightly more sluggish as she neared her third trimester, and she had ballooned nearing her six month mark. She put a hand to her stomach again, realising just how much time she had kept this a secret.

Dingo gave her a lopsided smirk as he slurped on his coffee, wincing at the taste.

"Nah…" He snickered. "I wouldn't do that to you, I just needed a caffeine hit…" He narrowed his eyes at her. "And when I got back you'd taken up my side anyway…"

Abby smiled apologetically, resting her head back onto her pillow as she watched him drink the whole contents of the paper cup, groaning and complaining the whole way through. After he'd crunched it in his fist and thrown it into the waste basket he leaned down over her again, kissing her softly with his coffee flavoured lips. She smiled as he rose back up, running a few fingers through her hair. He gazed down at her so softly, taking in every minor detail of her beautiful, soft features and her sweet face. She reached up and took his hand softly in hers, squeezing it as she watched his face.

"Please don't leave me…" She pleaded gently, her chocolate eyes looking dewy. "I need you."

His throat tightening, Dingo ran his thumb across her palm as he nursed her hand in his, his other hand stroking her chin delicately.

"I won't." he promised her. "I swear." He looked away, before looking back into her face with a refreshed sincerity. "I'll do anything to make it right."

Abby sniffed, her skin tingling with the sensation of him so close to her again. She knew she needed him beside her, she couldn't imagine not having Dingo now that he'd been there for her for so long…no matter what it took, no matter what she had to get through.

"…Anything?" She asked, eyes pleading.

Dingo frowned. "Yeah…"

Abby gave him a reassuring smile, her tanned hands putting his to her stomach as she cuddled close to him, nuzzling against his neck.

"I'll do anything for you, too."

* * *

Nigel slipped his sunglasses back up his nose as he flashed a smile at the blonde approaching him from across the quad, a big smile flashing across her face. He could automatically tell how happy she was, and that thought alone brought his own spirits up.

"Hey." He greeted warmly, wrapping his arms around her as she ran into his arms, giving a playful jump and latching her legs around him. He smirked, lowering her with a playful kiss on her ear. Rachel giggled, her tongue between her teeth as she bounced with excitement, her eyes wide and expectant.

"Are you gonna ask how I did?" She prompted, grabbing his hand and leading him into the coffee shop. He smirked, rolling his eyes playfully but nevertheless embracing her again.

"How'd you go?"

"I understood every question!" She squealed proudly, giving him a wide smirk. It had been a long time that she had been dreading her exam, but she had left it in high spirits, and the blonde couldn't hold back her excitement as she walked along with her boyfriend, her arms around him. "I think I deserve a big smoothie."

"What?" Nigel snickered, cocking his eyebrow. "Not a sundae?"

"When I get my actual results." Rachel reminded him, grinning as she stood on her toes, giving him a brisk peck on the cheek. "Then the sundae, but for now- the smoothie." She gave him a wink. "For good luck."

"As long as it's for luck…" The British boy smirked, ordering it for her. The two gripped hands and sat at a table, Rachel still beaming. It seemed as though the couple, whose attention spans had both been concentrating on their friend's problems, had finally grabbed some happy time to themselves, away from others and their problems and instead concentrating on their own relationship.

Rachel's phone buzzed and she reached down to read the newly received text, her eyes narrowing with confusion.

_From: Kuki _

_Hey Rach! This may seem strange and last minute…but I was wondering if there was a chance you could enter me and a friend into the talent quest tomorrow night? PLEASE? :) XXX_

Rachel sighed but wrote her answer, closing her phone and tucking it back into her pocket. She turned back to her boyfriend, and they happily chatted as they shared drinks and snacks at the café, ignoring everybody else around them as they talked. It had felt like forever since they shared any time to themselves, but it hadn't withered their own relationship any. It was going perfectly, like old times, before there were any troubles, or any dramas, it was just the two of them, with no interruptions or-

"Oh, hiiiii Nigie!"

The couple winced at each other, guessing straight away who it was so eager to disrupt their date. They turned automatically with identical, monotone greetings-

"Hi Lizzie."

Immediately they froze, the two exchanging looks as they turned back to the girl, who they expected to be alone but instead gripped the hand of some unfortunate soul who they'd never seen before…but who looked familiar enough.

"Oh…" Lizzie smirked, flashing a wide Cheshire cat grin over the couple sneakily as she yanked her date forward, who stumbled to her side like an obedient dog. His eyes shining widely, his face wincing fearfully and his slender, pale body trembling like a leaf caught in a fall wind- "Sorry, let me introduce you to my date…my new boyfriend…" She glanced over to him sweetly, her eyelashes fluttering. "If he plays his cards right…"

Rachel frowned, taking in Lizzie's 'date' suspiciously. He looked sensible enough…but there was definitely something strange about him. He looked strange- his body was unnaturally slender and pale, covered in clothes even though it was a pretty nice day- his eyes were wide and glassy, dark black shadows under his eyes and he was shaking like he was cold, his plump lips dry and chapped, his long fingers almost skeletal and he just looked…scared. Rachel tilted her head. It almost looked like this poor kid was scared of the world, and it didn't help he was gripping Lizzie's hand, looking hopefully at her like a lost dog.

"This is…Daniel."

He frowned moodily as he looked away angrily. Lizzie yanked on his hand and he held in a yelp, her painted on smile aimed at him with fire in her eyes.

"Why don't you grab me a smoothie and some cookies, _honey?"_

"Umm…" He frowned, swallowing nervously. "Oh…ok."

She slipped a twenty sneakily into his hand and he slipped away, looking grateful to be out of the spotlight. Lizzie instead turned her gaze to her ex, that fake smile still painted on sweetly.

"Mind if we join you, Nigie?"

"Uh-"

She slipped into the booth beside him, smiling graciously. "Thank you."

"Lizzie." Rachel mumbled, her tone serious and her face concerned. "Is he…is he alright?"

"Of course he is!" Lizzie snapped, her eyes narrowed. "What Rachel? Not jealous are you?"

Rachel sighed and slurped up the last of her smoothie. It was passed her to act up to Lizzie's performance, and it served her right to actually show some _concern _for the poor sap Lizzie was parading around, and to worry about if he was okay. She put down the glass and instead exchanged exasperated glances with her boyfriend.

"We met the other night at the club…" Lizzie was rambling, her eyes watching Nigel closely for any signs of jealousy. "I move on pretty quickly, and he seemed so eager to grab a date, and-"

Rachel raised her eyebrows as Lizzie's date returned, still with that wide eyed, fearful expression. He sat down shakily beside her, and kept his eyes down, watching the table. Nigel frowned as he watched him, and he was almost positive (noting the shaking and the shadows under his pale eyes) that he was on something.

Nigel glared back at Lizzie. Sure, he wasn't too fond of his ex, but he still didn't want anything to happen to her. As much as he hated Lizzie right now, he didn't want her to do anything stupid in this act of revenge. If she got herself involved in something she couldn't get out of…

"Thank you sweetie." Lizzie smiled sweetly at poor Bandit, who gazed wide eyed at her pathetically. He hated this, he hated feeling like he was nothing more than a show pony, and with everyone staring at him he knew he looked how he felt-

Like crap.

"That's okay…" he mumbled, shivering as he thought about what he was doing this for. He felt so stupid and like such a lost cause…imagine what his friends would do if they knew it had come to this-

"Bandit?"

He froze- back straight and eyes wide- in alarm.

Shit.

Lizzie's eyes widened, as did Nigel's and Rachel's, when Dodge appeared out of nowhere, glaring down at one of his best mates with a suspicious, somewhat cautious glare, Fanny appearing beside him. Dodge folded his arms, his icy blue gaze flickering over those before him casually. Bandit gaped back, his eyes flicking backwards and forwards for an escape route. Since when did the two run into each other…with some strange girl while Dodge was hanging out with his own at the college?

Dodge growled, his eyes narrowing.

It wasn't right.

"What are you doing here?"

"Bandit?" Lizzie smirked, her eyes like balls of threatening fire as they eyed Dodge fiercely. "I think you have the wrong-"

"I told you that's my name!" Bandit snapped at her, jumpy and fearful. He fidgeted, already kicking around the floor. He froze as his sneaker touched her purse.

"And who the hell are you?" Dodge immediately fired up, immediately defensive over him. He narrowed his eyes. "What's going on?"

Rachel and Nigel watched as the scene unfolded, caught between whether to watch or not. It was a disaster waiting to happen…like the few seconds before a car crash at a racetrack…you know it's gonna happen, you know it'll be deadly…yet you can't turn away. The couple just watched, their heads switching as though they were seated at Wimbledon.

"Nothing!" Lizzie snapped, her cheeks heated in the altercation. "I'm with my date!"

"You're not on a _date _with him!" Dodge growled dangerously. Fanny appeared behind him, a hand on his arm as she dragged him away. He stiffened, ready to pull against her, but resisted as she gave a reassuring coo in his ear.

"_Let's go."_

She reached out to Bandit too, yanking him out of the seat in one fluent movement.

"You too!"

The three hastily made their way out of the café without any bloodshed, Fanny keeping her hands firmly on the boys' arms as she did. Her eyes were ablaze with possible threat and the two kept their cool as she pushed them out the door, crisis averted.

Dodge immediately rounded on Bandit as they were out of there, his eyes narrowed and hardening viciously as he demanded answers. Bandit glared back, determined.

"What were you _doing _with her?" Dodge snapped harshly. "You have no reason to be there! With a girl like-"

"What's it to you?" Bandit mumbled back angrily, slightly sulky that his friend would make such fierce snarls to him about his activities. He felt guilty, because Dodge had a right to be, but still, he was about twenty years old…if he wanted to do things he could easily do them-

"And what's _that?" _Dodge snarled, making a grab for it. Bandit yanked it back, shakily hiding it. He didn't know he'd even escaped with it, or if the trio still sitting in the café even noticed, but in his hand he gripped Lizzie's expensive designer purse, one she had so casually left on the ground…

Bandit hesitated. He knew it was wrong, but he'd kept up his side of the bargain…

It was only right she kept up hers…

"Mind your own business!" He growled at his friend angrily, backing away. He was shaking, and his self control was quickly slipping away. He barely realised what he was doing, or what he'd become. He trembled where he stood, his eyes widening fearfully. "Just leave me alone!"

"Band!" Dodge scowled, ready to explode, but Bandit had already jumped away and made a run for it, escaping from further judgment with a quick burst of jumpy energy.

"I'll kill him…" Dodge immediately started, ready to trail after him, but Fanny held him back, her own heart hammering in her chest. She kept a firm grip on him and jumped in his path, her eyes holding him back and keeping him grounded. His hateful stare turned to her, and she didn't even flinch.

"_Leave it." _She muttered softly, one hand gripping his arm and the other on his chest. "Just wait until he calms down-"

"Babe you don't know him!" Dodge snarled at her, his heart racing with panic and fear. Past memories flashed passed his eyes as he resisted her grip, furious at the entire scene. "He's done some stupid stuff and he's clearly messed up-"

"So running after him and yelling at him won't help!" Fanny talked over him easily, her eyes narrowing. "Dodge…"

He weakly attempted to pull away.

"Dodge…"

He growled, cold icy blue eyes meeting hers.

"You're angry." She said, her voice smooth like silk. It soothed him, washing over his stiff figure and calming him as she kept him still. He immediately felt stupid. "Calm down."

"I'm calm." He mumbled sheepishly, relaxing in her grip. She wrapped her arms around him, drawing strange glares from the students around her, but she didn't care. The fierce Irish girl put a hand to her boyfriend's face, and Dodge slackened against her, letting go, giving in. he wrapped his arms around her, breathing in and closing his eyes. Everything made sense, the world slowed down, his mind stopped whirling and his heart stopped racing. They didn't know how long they stood there, but when she broke away and stared into his face, her eyebrows rose expectantly, and she didn't lose that loving tone.

"Better?"

He nodded, sheepish and awkward. She'd never seen him angry before, but she still gave him a smile, his hand gripped in hers.

"Now let's go find him."

* * *

"That was…weird." Rachel mumbled, as the two watched Lizzie angrily stomp away. She smirked. "But strangely satisfying."

"For you maybe!" Nigel said back, his eyes still wide from the entire scene. It was making his head spin to think of how the hell Lizzie got hooked up with this guy, and how he knew Fanny's boyfriend of all people, so he instead just settled for taking another sip of his coffee, fed up with the unnecessary drama that surrounded him.

The café door closed suddenly with more force than necessary at the couple looked up, taken aback at the sight they saw. Hoagie was stomping towards them, looking worse for wear. Dark purple shadows rested under his bloodshot eyes, his face was sunken with despair and his entire figure slouched- his hands buried deep within the pockets of his baggy jeans as he shuffled over, his eyes gazing down at them darkly.

"Hey Hoags…" Nigel began cautiously, frowning. "You…okay?"

Hoagie shrugged his shoulders angrily, frowning at the both of them. Rachel recoiled slightly, she'd never seen him look so fierce.

Hoagie cleared his throat, yet his voice still sounded unusually hoarse.

"Did either of you guys know…" he began gravely, grumbling angrily. "About Abby and Dingo being together?"

Nigel stiffened, and Rachel immediately turned to him with fearful eyes.

"Wh-"

But Hoagie had already read their expressions, and his lips curled into a bitter snarl as his glare hardened.

"How long?"

"Hoag-"

"How long did you guys know?" He hissed angrily, lowering his head to look straight into their faces. "Wally and I _happened _on a video portraying the entire _fucking _thing last night!"

Rachel winced at the tone, she could tell how hard this had hit Hoagie, she couldn't imagine how Wally felt.

"Oh my-"

She didn't get a chance to finish, Hoagie was already silencing her with another angry death glare. It was clear how thin his patience was wearing, and how heated his temper was rising to. The lack of sleep had not helped at all.

"Wally wants to kill him." He snarled. "Bet the baby's not even his either."

Nigel actually stood, frowning at his friend's behaviour. "_Hoagie-"_ he tried to reason, but Hoagie turned his back on him, the brown haired boy stomping away with a hostile expression. There was no point in trying to reason with him, because as the couple could clearly see- right now Hoagie Gilligan was virtually unapproachable.

* * *

Trent was still seething when the rest of the household was up and running around, Mushi especially happy and chirpy which was especially causing him to snarl and groan in anger. Amazingly, however, Hollie had left long before Bandit had, so he only had Mushi and Bonny to deal with.

It was bad enough.

"Trent! TRENT!"

"What?" He snarled, burying his head deeper and deeper into his pillow. He had just gone through a restless night without sleep, and his girlfriend's high pitch whines hit him like a jackhammer as he tried to take out his frustrations on the pillow, his fingers digging into it harsh and fierce.

"I said- do you want breakfast?" Mushi asked, frowning. She was beginning to feel both agitated and forgotten with Trent, who wasn't paying her the slightest bit of attention and she wasn't used to it. Usually Trent was all over her and very protective of who he called 'his girl' but upon finding he didn't even sleep next to her the night before, and he was ignoring her now…she only assumed the worst.

"No." He bit back, gritting his teeth.

Mushi pouted, clearly getting the vibe she was being pushed away. She tried again.

"Do you have work today?"

"I do now." Trent snarled, throwing his blanket off. He was done with it all- the worryuing about fucking Bandit when it wasn't even his problem, Mushi in his face and his own stupid paranoia and anger filling him, he was unable to think about anything else. He just wanted to escape, and even when he wasn't rostered on he'd rather take his frustrations out on work than be cooped up in the suffocating apartment all day. He stomped off to have a shower, leaving Mushi sulking and Bonny with her eyes rolling sarcastically.

"Don't worry about _him…" _She assured the sixteen year old, who looked as though she was about to burst into tears. "He has little bitch fits every now and then…he'll be back to normal soon."

She turned back to the whole carton of juice she was working on, wincing at the taste. Nobody had noticed that she had already consumed the entire carton, even though she really despised the taste, but she had to do it…she needed it. Wincing, she quickly skulled the rest of the bright juice, letting the liquid slide down her throat as she finally dropped the empty box in the trash, gasping at the sensation of a chugging a full juice carton.

"Wow…" Mushi smirked, and Bonny whirled around in surprise. "You must love juice, huh?"

"Yeah." Bonny attempted to smirk back, pushing past the clueless girl to head to her room. "…Totally."

* * *

"Ok then, I think we got this…" Hollie muttered, sitting on the edge of the hall. Her hazel eyes flicked up to the Japanese girl beside her, her eyes stern."You sure _you _got this?"

"Now I know we're doing a song I know…" Kuki smirked. "I'm pretty sure I can nail it…I used to sing it all the time, it's of my favourites."

"Good." Hollie tapped her pen against the sheet music in front of her. "Cause after your suggestions I downloaded this last night, and I'm positive I can do it, it seems pretty straightforward." She bit her lip, turning back to her partner. "Your friend text back?"

"Yep." Kuki smiled, flipping open her phone and presenting Rachel's reply to her. "She said she'll enter us this morning- last minute."

"Good…" Hollie took a deep breath, trying to settle the nerves welling up within her. "And it's tomorrow night?"

"Yeah…"

"And we only have limited time to practice in here…" Hollie groaned, biting her lip. "I don't know anywhere else with a piano…"

"We'll be fine." Kuki tried to convince. "I said to my boyfriend he can come watch-"

Hollie's eyes widened as her skin- still plastered with a fake tan foundation- paled considerably.

"What?"

"I said he could…" Kuki faltered, feeling nervous. "Watch?"

Hollie twisted her lips with thought. "Guess this is good…more pressure to get this right." She planted the sheet music on the piano, a determined look "Let's go."

* * *

"This wasn't part of the agreement!" Dingo yelped, his eyes wide as he turned to his girlfriend in the passenger seat. Abby stared back, her eyes wide and expectant.

"but you promised!" She reminded him, a sly look in her chocolate brown eyes. "You're not going to bail, are you?"

"B-B-B-" Dingo faltered, gulping as he looked up at the structure before him again. "But Abs! Y-you didn't tell me it was…" he groaned, his forehead hitting the steering wheel- "_this…"_

"It's not so bad!" She pointed out hopefully, leaning over and putting a hand on his knee. "It really isn't, it'll be fine-"

"It is with me!" He snarled, moaning in agony as he hit his head against the steering wheel again. "If I hadn't already suffered enough…"

"Ok, clearly you don't love me enough."

Dingo whined, hitting his fist on the dashboard a couple of times before raising his head, pouting as he gazed into his girlfriend's face.

"Babe. I don't do parents."

"You do with me." She growled stubbornly, her arms folding crossly as she gave him a _look. _"If we're going to have this baby together, you need to know my family like I do yours."

Dingo pouted, sulking as he fidgeted in the driver's seat, well aware of Abby's expectant glare. He knew he was willing to do anything for her, it was just that despite everything they had been through their relationship was finally on the right track, and the last thing he needed was to screw things up with her parents…like he did to any girl's parents he met, even if they weren't dating.

"I'm just…I always screw up…" he mumbled, gazing up at her through his shaggy black hair. "With…with parents and stuff, they don't like me…I know they think I won't be good enough for you."

He gazed up at the house in front of him, the two storey, two garage, perfect house. These type of houses were always dynamite with him… the exact opposite of what he and his family was- perfect, and aiming for perfect.

"They won't like me."

"They will if I do." Abby promised, squeezing his leg. "And even if they don't like you…" She rolled her eyes, nibbling on her bottom lip as she edged closer to him. "I'll still love you, you'll still be the baby's father, and a part of me and this family."

Those words hit him, and he looked up at her shyly, his emerald eyes gleaming hopefully.

"Promise?"

Abby smiled, wrapping her arms around him. For the first time in a long time, worries weren't the first thing in her mind. For a minute she had forgotten and pushed aside the dramas with Wally and his family, and concentrated on the well being of her baby, and the little family she knew was coming her way.

…She'd talk to him soon…

"I promise." She grinned, gripping his hand and opening the door. "Now come on, the sooner we get in there, the sooner your suffering ends."

Dingo gulped, silently praying as he opened his own door.

* * *

"Kooks…" Wally snarled as he allowed himself to be dragged across the college quad. "Are you sure this will make me feel better? All I really wanna do is sleep-"

Kuki rolled her eyes, brushing her boyfriend's complaints aside as she gripped his hand tightly, leading him to what she hoped would be exactly what he needed to cheer up. He grumbled and groaned as he followed along, one hand buried deep within his pocket as he brooded over the conflicts ahead, but the Japanese girl was confident of her plan to make him smile…she had to, she hated seeing him so lost and upset.

With a flash of a smile over her shoulder she pushed open the doors to the hall, Wally narrowing his eyes and following suspiciously.

"Kooks, what is-"

"Shh!" She muttered, turning around and placing a finger to his lips. His frown deepened and his eyes darted around cautiously. _What the Hell was she planning…?_

"_You'll ruin your surprise." _She giggled, leading him over in the dim lighting. He could barely make out a poorly lit stage, the lights lightening then darkening as Hollie fiddled with the controls backstage. Kuki lead him to a chair in the centre, pushing him into it and beaming, taking a step back.

"Well…it's for both of our benefit…" She added, smirking. "Me and my…_friend…_need to be judged." She gazed down at him hopefully, her lips squeezing into her sweet pout. "We were hoping you could? Keep in mind –we've only gone through it twice!"

Wally repressed a groan, leaning back in his chair. Honestly, he could think of nothing worse than to be entertained by one of Kuki's cute antics. Usually he loved them, but right that second he wasn't in the mood. He would have much rather stayed home and crawled up into a ball, fierce emotions of anger and sadness running through him as he thought of the future confrontations that would have to happen.

"Fine, Kooks." He mumbled, trying not to sound too frustrated with it. He shrugged. "Yeah…sounds good."

She beamed, kissed him sweetly on the cheek and skipped off- across to the side of the stage, through a door and up the stairs to the main curtain. A few more light switches later the stage lit up, and all Wally could see was a piano to the side. He relaxed, trying to make the best of the situation. He could at least _feign _interest, after all…

Hollie began to play, her fingers skidding across the ivory keys smoothly, creating a familiar, smooth melody the sounded as though it was missing a few instruments, but it made a simple, fluent rythym that caused Wally to frown, his eyes finding Kuki, who was still in the middle of the stage, looking nervous and fidgety, but still smiling down at him, taking deep breaths as she began to sing the song she knew so well-

"_You're not alone…  
Together we stand,  
I'll be by your side,  
You know I'll take your hand"_

Wally's eyes widened. He never knew Kuki's voice could be so sweet and smooth, yet she sang the song as if it were a second breath to her, and she was exactly in time with Hollie's tempo- and her hazel eyes watched close as Kuki continued nervously.

"_When it gets cold,  
And it feels like the end,  
There's no place to go-  
You know I won't give in."_

Hollie backed up with a harmony as she sang into the microphone set up on the piano, and Wally froze as Kuki stared directly at him, a smile on her face knowing the song was for him, and for Hollie too- who bit her lip between backing up Kuki's singing.

"_No I won't give in…" _

Hollie sped up, nibbling her lip as she nailed the chorus, grinning as Kuki gained excitement at how she sounded, continuing with a new found energy as she felt her boyfriend's eyes on her.

"_Keep holding on…  
'Cause you know we'll make it through-  
We'll make it through…  
Just…stay strong…  
'Cause you know I'm here for you,  
I'm here for you…"_

Kuki smirked, knowing the rhythm, the temp, everything came back to her as she remembered her twelve year old self, singing it to herself in the bathroom. It was a dream for her- to sing a song so close to her heart, and as she looked down at Wally watching her, she knew it meant so much more to her now she was older. She smiled.

"_There's nothing you can say…"_

"_There's nothing you can say…" _Hollie echoed.

"_Nothing you can do…"_

"_You can do…"_

"_There's no other way when it comes to the truth…  
So keep Holding on…"_

Her sweet violet coloured eyes locked with Wally's, and she felt tears in her eyes as she finished the chorus, knowing she had what it takes to get the money, to win, to show the world who she was. She knew she'd be there for him, and they'd make it in the end.

"_Cause you know we'll make it through,  
We'll make it through." _

* * *

Hollie still had a smile on her face as she walked through the door of her shared apartment, despite the fact she knew she had no makeup on or a flattering outfit, she felt on top of the world and one hundred percent sure she had the act down pat- and there was no stopping them from winning this talent show…and getting her home in the process.

"Bonny!" She squealed out to her best friend, skidding into her room. "Good news!"

Bonny looked up from her magazine, which she had been reading as she sat cross-legged on their shared bed. Her brown eyes blinked up with police curiosity at Hollie- who looked the happiest she'd been since before they'd arrived in the country. She was beaming, and practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"I think me and the Jap girl nailed it!" She squealed excitedly. "I think I'll have a ride home by tomorrow night! I'll be out of here! Out of Jayden's way! I know it!"

Bonny nodded and smiled, just happy at her friend's news. But really, all she could feel was sadness and despair, so lost and confused…her friend had found a way home, and here she was stuck and upset- lost and alone. Hollie, still beaming with happiness- just noticed how down her friend was, and immediately noticed her friend's deflated look.

"Wh…what's wrong?"

Bonny sighed, reaching over and pulling out a pregnancy test.

It was positive.

Hollie froze, her heart racing in her ears as she felt her throat close, her feet dragging across the floor to the tiny stick held out to her. Her eyes wide, she turned to her friend with horror locked in those hazel eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"I drank a whole carton of juice!" Bonny groaned, waving it around like a crazy baton. "I've been peeing on this thing since sunrise!"

Bonny sighed, her eyes closing. "I need to come back with you."

"B-" Hollie winced, looking thoroughly upset. "But the money only buys one ticket!"

"I'll get the money somehow!" Bonny mumbled, fidgeting. "I have to."

"How?" Hollie asked anxiously. "The boys won't give anything, and we don't want to tell them-"

"How else?" Bonny snarled, giving her friend a knowing look as she held up the positive pregnancy test skeptically. "I'll ask the freakin' father."

* * *

"There's a rumour…you know…." Jayden said casually, tilting his head as the two friends lazed around some seedy bar they had found. "That Dingo knocked up a chick, she's pregnant."

"Really?" Dread muttered, his eyebrows rising. The two had gone through most of the papers, and they were now beside them on the bar counter, still sorting while they had a beer. "Sounds like him."

"Thinking that would be a good way to get at them…" Jayden suggested, a malicious look in those deep grey eyes. "Heard your bro's hung up on a girl too…"

"That would be him." Dread snarled, going through the papers. "Any photos of 'em?"

Jayden fished out a photo, holding it out to him. It was blurry, and obviously done by an amateur, but it was a clear photo taken on the local college campus- the only hint towards the guys' actual location- and it showed Dodge and a redhead girl together, holding hands and laughing with a black haired boy nearby.

"That's him." Dread snarled, shoving it aside. "Good way to get to the guys…they'll have to come running then."

"We'll check out the uni." Jayden said, flicking his lighter to light up the cigarette between his lips. His grey eyes flashed eagerly. "Then the girls will have to come once the guys are dragged in-"

Dread wasn't really paying attention, he was paying attention to another blurry photo that seemed useless, but was a pretty important piece of puzzle towards finding the guys they were after. A whole city…and barely any information on where these guys were. He glared at the photo in front of him, and was only encouraged to work harder. It was a picture of a scrawny, pale black haired figure, leaning against the brick wall of a club looking nervous. His ocean blue eyes were blurred in the photo, but it was clear that the individual was Bandit, and Dread could see his ex hadn't changed one bit.

"I got an idea." He muttered, holding out his hand. "Gimmie ya phone."

"Here" Jayden handed it to him, frowning with caution. "But what-"

Dread smirked, his trademark evil smirk that Jayden knew well. He dialed the numbers, rolling his eyes as he held it up to his ear.

"These dickheads think I got no contacts here…" Dread snarled. "Shows how much they know…" They sat in silence, only hearing the sounds of the bar atmosphere around them as they waited for their 'contact' to pick up. Jayden took another gulp of beer, ordering another.

"Hey, man, it's Dread." Dread snickered into the phone. "Gotta ask you a question- consider it a favour." He paused, listening to the answer, and grinned. Clearly it was positive. "Thanks, mate. Gotta ask- have there been any big deals of smack around here? Specifically 'round the big university?" he froze, rolling his eyes as he listened to the response. "Yeah…that's what I thought…only one eh? Any more dealers?" He twisted his lips. "Yeah…thought so…thanks, bro."

He hung up, and Jayden automatically leaned in, listening to the answer.

"We gotta find a girl; he said he'd get me a meeting with her…" He snarled, taking another sip of beer. "Name's Lizzie, or somethin' like that."

* * *

_You know what to do :P _


	24. Chapter 24: An Endless Evening

_Hiii everyone! Now I cannot begin to tell you all how sorry I am for how late this is, but I've been so distracted what with starting uni (awesome, by the way), and going to Soundwave (best concert ever) and genuinely enjoying everything around me because I MET SOMEBODYYYYY! :D :D :D honeslty take my word that he is like a flesh and blood Dodge, I tell you. _

_But the biggest thing is uni- LOTS of work and LOTS of reading and writing, they're pretty much throwing it at me, and I've been so busy :( hope now I can manage my time better :) _

…_onto the story now ;) _

_And a very special thanks to UnknownPen- my first fanart for this story! *SQUEE!* _

_I'm so sorry for the wait everyone especially to ComicFan209…who I couldn't tell what status my chapter was as you've disabled messaging! :( otherwise I would have let you know!_

annaisabel: Aw thank you! :D Glad you liked it, hope you like this chapter just as much, sorry for the long wait! X

itsaDoggyDogworld: HORRAH! Yay :D Don't worry I love the hyperness ;) Hope you like this chapter too, sorry for the long wait! Thanks doll!

tmcala: Aw yay! :D So glad you loved it, hope you love the update too! Sorry about the long wait, hope this makes up for it :)

UnknownPen: Aw glad you like my characters :) btw Jayden and Dread got out on a technicality- in Australia the evidence for murder has to be beyond a reasonable doubt, and with Dingo and his gang out of the country nobody could testify, therefore found innocent by default! But that'll be explained later when I babble on about pasts, as I love to do ;) And…don't worry about Bonny and her pregnancy… that's all I'm saying… *awkward cough* Hope you like the chapter! :D

Laurie43: Thank you for the review doll :D As always you're so sweet, sorry for the wait! Enjoy :) x

Numbuh 006: Aw thanks :D But the birth's a long way off now lol only a couple of months but still lots more drama coming! ;) hope you like the update :D

1000GreenSun: Aw I love the long reviews, so nice to read :D :D yay! Lol. Sorry for the long wait, hope the chapter's worth it! ;)

Apples Go Boom: Aw yay :D your reviews make me so happy! So long and full of energy! *squee!* :D So glad you're enjoying my story, I'm so sorry for the wait, hope this one's just as good! :D

Kuchiki-san urahara: Naw I'm so sorry for the wait, thrilled you're enjoying the story however :D I hope the wait was worth it and this chapter was just as good! (:

Hey Jessi: Aw thank you so much :D Love your reviews, I'm so sorry for the long wait, but I hope this chapter makes up for it! :D happy reading!

JustWriting7: Aw thank you for your sweet words (: means the world to me, and that's okay, I've been pretty slack with updating ;) hope you like the update! :D

Catt416: Aw thank you for your sweet review, thank you for the effort :D I love good advice, and yours was fantastic, so so sorry for the long wait, and I hope you like the new chapter (: there will definitely be an ending, I love this story so much ;)

simi838: Aw thanks my aussie friend! No I didn't have air con, I still don't :( *sadface* anyway nice and cold now (: love autumn! Gah! I feel awful for not updating that quickly, hope you like the new chapter!

NinjaxTurtles: haha thank you! :D Love it! Hope you like the new chapter, and I'm sorry for the long wait! X

Heather: Aw thank you :) your review was so sweet, I appreciate it :D sorry for the long wait, and I hope you like the chapter!

18Madison81: Aw yay! :D thank you so much! YAY RAINBOW! Haha hope your story goes great, sorry for the long wait, but I hope you like the chapter :) Let me know when your stories out!

_All to my reviewers really a BIG thank you and sorry for the wait! Sorry if I missed you :)_

_

* * *

_Pale, almost translucent skin shone against the moonlight that streamed through the closed window. Watery eyes blinked rapidly in the dark light of the shop. Bandit sat hunched in the corner, shaking and trembling against the soft cushions of the sofa. Cold sweat soaked his skin, the whites of his eyes were painfully bloodshot and his dry, cracked lips were quivering and dried with blood.

He was beyond ashamed, all he could feel was guilt. He cuddled his arms to his chest as he rocked back and forth, his pulse racing, the blood thumping thickly through his veins like tar. He panted- his mouth and throat dry with air as he choked and coughed, swallowing the vicious taste of blood and bile still left on his tongue. Numbly he lowered himself onto the couch his head resting against the pillows stiffly.

In his line of sight he could see the stolen expensive purse resting on the coffee table in front of him, and a new wave of disgust washed over him as he shrunk further into his crouched fetal position. He couldn't believe the mess he'd once again gotten into…nobody else to blame but himself this time…

Quiet, miserable dry sobs echoed through the workshop as Bandit began to cry, unable to keep in his sadness any longer. After all the group had done for him, he'd sunk back into his former self, a regular prisoner, a regular victim, after all he'd been through, all he'd become…he'd just retreated back into his old self…one he never wanted to be again…

…

"_N-n-no…" Bandit stuttered, those wide, deer-like eyes filling with fear. His tiny, pale body shook with panic as he clawed at the ground, his nails sinking into the dirt as he fought to sit up. His muscles gave out and he fell back onto the hard ground as he looked up, horrified. "N-no, please- I can't…I can't d-do th-this…" His lips trembled as he fought back tears, never feeling so frightened in his life. His cheeks flushed a pale pink as he fought to find the words, his chest rapidly shaking as he struggled to breathe. _

_A pair of hard, forbidding black eyes stared back at him emptily, the mouth in front of him curling into an unforgiving snarl as his hands clenched down on Bandit underneath him, both of their bodies shaking…only Dread's with fury. _

"_Whaddya talkin' about?" he slurred into his face angrily, saliva dripping lightly from his lips as he pushed Bandit further into the dirt. "I ain't good enough for you?"_

"_N-no!" Bandit gasped, his head aching with pain as he was pushed into the hard ground. He winced, but still his navy eyes were wide with fear and hope. He didn't want to lose Dread…Dread was all he had, he had no other friends beside him, he was the only one who loved him… "Please Dread, no, I don't think that. Y-you're too good f-f-or me, if anything-" _

"_Then what is it?" Dread demanded with a low growl, his fingers tightening painfully on Bandit's arms. One hand trailed up to his shoulder, pushing down and earning a pained yelp from Bandit as he put his entire weight on his slender body. He narrowed his eyes, lowering his face. "I know you're a little slut, I've seen the way you look at that fuckin' Trent kid-"_

_Bandit's eyes widened, and for a split second they trailed away from the furious face back to the muffled sounds of the party many metres away. He gulped, realising even if he did yell for help nobody would pay attention. Dread grabbed his face, pulling him back to gaze deeply into his eyes, his own face twisted with anger. Bandit braced himself, freezing. He hated that angry look… _

"_We…I-I never- I would never d-do that-" Bandit rambled, his eyes wide as he tried to cover up his lie. "Dread I swear, m-me a-a-and Trent, w-we've never-" _

"_Good." Dread growled, and with one quick, severe movement he tightened his grip and pulled hard, ripping Bandit's shirt clean in half, clawing at his skin in the process. Bandit squeaked with alarm and slight pain, his pale chest panting briskly as he struggled for breath. Frightened, cold tears ran down his cheeks and landed in the dirt underneath him. Dread finally smirked, but Bandit didn't see it as so sexy anymore. It only sent frightened chills through him. "Then I can break you in." _

"_P-please no, please!" Bandit sobbed pathetically, goosebumps gracing his skin as one of Dread's hands pushed forcefully on his hips. He struggled weakly, Dread pushing him back, his grip suffocating as it rested on his collarbone. He groaned with fear, trying pathetically to push him off. But he knew it was pointless. "Dread, please-"_

"_Shh…" Dread cooed in his ear, misting his skin with his hot, whiskey-stained breath. "Just shut up baby, it'll be okay-"_

"_No!" Bandit sobbed, arching his back against the rocks stabbing him in the back. His trembling hands grabbed Dread's muscular arms and attempted to push his boyfriend off, who was latched onto his neck and nibbling. Bandit choked up with sobs, forced further into the ground and gasping for air, only fear and pain coursing through him. "Dread…" he began to beg. _

"_My lil' Bambi baby…" Dread was whispering into his ear, Bandit groaning with pain as Dread's teeth began to break the skin, sending trickles of warm blood to cascade down his neck. "You taste so good…" _

…

Bandit yelped, his eyes springing open to dart around the shop suspiciously, his face showing blind panic. His harsh, dry panicked pants were the only noise that softened the silence around him, and quickly tears filled his eyes as he realised how alone he was once again. He calmed down, only after checking if every light in the room was on, and quickly grabbed the purse in front of him, what caused this whole charade…this stupid deal, he hated it…

Growling he threw it across the room, out of sight. Still shaking he fell back onto the couch cushions, rolled over and closed his eyes once more, cuddling himself in a weak attempt to bring comfort and remember happier times. Freezing, he felt a chill down his spine as he sat up, whirling around to look over his shoulder. He repressed another fear-filled shiver as he gazed at his reflection in the mirror behind him- that showed his back, where-just where his shirt had slipped up from lying down- he saw the healed remains of a scar that had been carved into him a long time ago- another memory he had blocked out. The scrawled initials of '_D.M' _on his lower back.

He sniffed, pulling down his shirt and burying his face back into the couch pillows, hoping sleep would engulf him soon and the twitching that was coursing through his veins would cease.

* * *

Sandy's eyes scanned the dark street in front of his cousin's warehouse warily, watching the flickering streetlights illuminate the wet asphalt eerily. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears as his fingers spread across the cold windows, his quickening breath fogging up the wet glass. Anxiety weighed him down, keeping him grounded as he eyed the street- alert for any sign of movement in the dark.

The teenager jumped- as though being struck by a jolt of electricity, as he caught sight of two figures stumbling down the streetlamp-lit sidewalk, clutching at each other and making their way drunkenly towards the building. A scowl crossed his face as he pushed himself from his post, making his way down to the bottom level. He walked stiffly, angry and tense. Even though he knew what he was about to do was stupid and borderline crazy- he himself was doubting if he should mess with these freaks- he knew his mind had to be put at ease, and he knew he had to start acting adult sooner or later.

He threw open the door to the basement staircase, stomping down the steps impatiently and flicking on the lights as he went, illuminating the dank and depressing atmosphere of the large windowless room. It was especially suffocating due to the walls being nothing but blank brick and covered with soundproof walls. He heard muffled shouts coming from the garage door and it opened, allowing the two drunk assassins to stumble through, Dread running smack-bang into their stolen hummer in the process. Jayden's half lidded grey eyes quickly widened with excitement upon seeing the young figure on the stairs, and he attempted to skip over, a smirk already spreading across his forbidding features.

"_Heeeeey…"_ he drawled giddily, waving his fingers. "It's youuuu…"

Sandy scowled, already his anger bubbling to boiling point. He couldn't believe the people before him were responsible for his apparent 'peace of mind' in relation to the disappearance of his _girlfriend. _How were these drunks supposed to help in the first place? He didn't like them, he didn't trust them, and his patience for them was wearing thin.

"Where have you guys _been?" _He snarled at them, his eyes narrowing. "Did you guys study the files we gave you?"

Jayden looked over questioningly at Dread, who shrugged moodily, his head tilting in confusion. Jayden snickered, flashing him a playful smile.

"_Relaaaax…' _He cooed, taking another sip of the liquor bottle in his hand. "We got this. Totally. No need to-"

"I _am _worried!" Sandy snarled at them. "I swear if my cousins _knew _this is the kind of 'research' you guys were doing you'd be exported before you knew it! And by the way-"

Dread frowned, his eyes flashing dangerously. He didn't like being told off…especially by some little kid who'd seemed so scared of him before…growing confidence- _not a good thing… _

Jayden snarled back, folding his arms and letting the teenager continue his angered rant. He scowled and whipped around, chugging down the last of the bitter spirits still wrapped in the brown paper bag. He exchanged glances with Dread as he passed- Dread's eyes flashing knowingly and Jayden snickering in response, wandering back over to the door and locking it, already the two had made themselves at home in the large dark room, which appealed to their tastes in many ways. Dread twitched again, blinking rapidly as he fumbled around in his pockets and strutted over towards the kid, eerily calm. Sandy took a cautious step back. He didn't trust him as far as he could throw him…

Dread pulled out a small packet of white powder, fidgeting with it calmly as he eyed his pray, looking down at the blonde haired youth as though he was nothing more than a squashed ant beneath his sneaker. He tilted his head- those dark eyes drilling into his.

"Wanna do a line?" he asked sweetly, the shadow of a smirk on his face.

"No thanks." Sandy grumbled with distaste, wrinkling his nose. "I don't touch that shit-"

"I bet you did, though." Dread grinned. "Not showing weakness, I like that. But I can tell…" his voice lowered to a mocking whisper, sending a wave of fear through Sandy's body. Dread noticed, brightening considerably as he made his way over to the small coffee table in the corner, surrounded by mismatched, worn and ripped leather couches. He wasted no time in creating neat little lines on the surface, sliding them into shape with a razor blade. Jayden appeared behind him, still clutching the paper-clad liquor bottle in one hand, a straw in the other. He stuck the straw up his nose, and as he kneeled beside his friend all Sandy could hear was a sickening long sniff- a sound he knew perfectly well by now. Jayden sighed in content, passing the straw to Dread as he got to his feet, a smile now on his face. Dread grinned, waving it in the teenager's face teasingly.

"Your go."

Sandy's frown deepened. The way Dread spoke to him- it was a command, a dominant tone of voice that just expected the action he requested to be fulfilled. Innocent enough- but with that dangerous glint in those hard, black eyes of his, there was the hint of a threat, a subtle reminder of what would happen if he didn't. With Dread, he didn't even have to say anything. Sandy just did it, his feet moving forward before his brain had even processed the action.

Dread smirked at the apprehensive look in the teenager's face, hardly able to wait for his reaction to the stuff. The blonde knelt down, his faded eyes wide as he wrapped his fingers around the straw, shaking with trepidation. His fingers tightened- his knuckles whitening- before he threw it back onto the coffee table, a flash of defiance in his eyes as he glared with sudden confidence.

"I can't." He grumbled. "It doesn't feel right, I just gave up that stuff, I didn't go through all those weeks of withdrawal just to-"

He broke off, the rest of his words fading away as he noticed the look on his opponent's face. It send shivers down his spine, the air in the room itself seemed to drop ten degrees as he stared into those black, bottomless eyes- that hardened face, attractive in appearance but dangerous in nature, and still Dread giving the teenager a friendly, sickly sweet smile- that look alone made Sandy want to bolt out the door and run as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Cute." Dread grunted, still with his lips pulled into a smirk. Sandy repressed another shiver, his anger quickly bubbling away again. There was something about him…the hard look in his eyes that said _'Please say no- then I can make you…' _

"Uh..." his protests immediately disintegrated into nothing as he looked into those empty, forbidding black eyes. "O…ok."

He made his way over to the table, his legs quivering nervously as he felt his cheeks warm. He didn't know what was happening to him, suddenly he felt so passive and overpowered, intimidated and slightly anxious. His usual teenage arrogance had evaporated into nothingness, and as he lowered himself down to the hard oil stained ground he couldn't take his eyes off those empty, lifeless eyes that seemed so intoxicating, like the spicy smell of the drug that was spread out across the filthy wooden coffee table.

"We'll start with one line…" Dread cooed silkily, his eyes flashing mischievously at the vulnerable teenager before him. An easy conquest…an easy target.

_Of course he's got nothing on my Bambi… _Dread thought simply, staring at that pale, dry skin and his limp faded sandy blonde hair. _But he'll do for now. _

He rolled up a dollar bill, and as he snickered a few strands of brown hair flew out innocently, Sandy memorised by the simple action as he gazed into the stranger's sly smirk. Sandy jumped as he realised he was offering him the tightly wound up bill, Dread giving him a lazy grin. Sandy froze, the blood rushing through his veins suddenly picking up pace and warming his skin.

"That is…if you can handle it..."

* * *

Fanny lay on her stomach across her bed, scribbling the draft of an essay as she busily blew upwards at her messy red hair that hung in her face, her eyes scanning over to look at the still figure beside her, who was resting against her pillows and watching the small television set that sat on top of her dresser.

"You know…" She said carefully, a sly smirk crossing her features as she looked over her shoulder. "You don't have to watch me write this, you know. I can't imagine it's that…entertaining…"

His icy blue eyes drifted from the screen to rest on her face, his eyebrows rising as he issued her a puzzled look.

"Am I annoying you?"

"No." She tilted her head thoughtfully. She hadn't known him too long, but still she could tell when something was on his mind…and Dodge wasn't used to sharing…yet Fanny wasn't used to not getting what she wanted out of people.

"Then you have to suffer me." He smirked lazily, leaning against her bedspread.

"Not like I'm complaining." Fanny sneered back, a joking grin lighting up her face. She turned back to her book, finishing the sentence she was writing and closing the book with a snap. She couldn't help it, she knew she only had a few days before the major essay was due- but she could no longer ignore the nagging thoughts that kept prodding at her conscience…and that was the boy innocently laying beside her- his crystal blue eyes watching the flickering tv innocently. She turned on him, her own dark eyes determined. She leaned in closer, Dodge's face still gazing at the screen. He froze, stiffening as he felt her soft lips on his skin, his girl giving him a sweet, delicate peck on the cheek- an innocent gesture any girlfriend would do to the boy she loved. But to Dodge it was a whole lot more- his heart pounded within his throat as he turned to her, unable to keep his goofy, sheepish grin from surfacing as he gazed at his girl, pulling her closer for a more passionate, deep kiss.

"You know…" Fanny murmured to him warmly, blinking slowly in the dim ligt as she recovered from the heated kiss. "You're gonna have to tell me one day…"

Dodge blinked back, his face crumpling with confusion as he tilted his head, "What?"

"What's bothering you." Fanny mumbled, her forehead meeting his. He blinked back somewhat stupidly, taken aback by such a brash statement, yet spoken so softly. He almost felt naked in front of her- she could already read him just as easily as his mother could, like his best friend could, like she already shared a part of him he couldn't live without.

"Uhn…I….Cherry…" He mumbled back sheepishly. "I don't-"

Before he could go on her dark eyes had already pierced his, and he quickly shut his mouth. It was no use, she knew deep beyond those icy, cocky blue eyes there were troubled ripples echoing through his mind…the same worries he always kept to himself.

"One day…" She reminded him softly. "Just remember that."

Dodge twisted his lips nervously, looking away. He couldn't stare into those big, forceful dark eyes and lie to her. He remembered Dingo- sitting on the floor in front of him, his tough, always strong friend with wide, tear filled emerald eyes- whimpering and crying because he thought he'd lost Abby forever. He didn't want that- he didn't want to feel that loss. He couldn't lose her.

He heaved a sigh, sinking further into the pillows and staring straight ahead. Fanny struggled to keep a straight face-he looked so pouty to her, almost childlike as he stubbornly folded his arms across his chest, finally looking into her face with a stubborn glare.

"Fine…" He grumbled quietly. "I'm just…" He hesitated once again, looking back towards the TV. "I'm scared, okay?"

There was a long silence between the two, Fanny waiting for him to continue and Dodge still pouting moodily, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"…So?" Fanny asked, her eyebrows rising. "You're scared- no big deal…scared of what?"

"You don't get it…" Dodge snapped gently, turning back to her. He sighed in defeat. "I shouldn't be scared, I hate being scared- it shows weakness. Growing up with my dad taught me that. It's pointless to feel that…its stupid…"

"No it's not!" Fanny told him, leaning closer to lay her head on his shoulder. She watched him closely. "Nothing you feel is stupid, every feeling and every emotion is important in some way…" She trailed off, her own cheeks flushing as Dodge issued her a sly grin, throwing an arm around her.

"Aww…" He cooed. "You're cute, Cherry."

"Shut up." She grumbled, rolling her eyes. She turned serious again, giving him a stern look. "But seriously Dodge…"

"Yeah, yeah…." He mumbled, looking sheepish. "I just…" He nibbled on his bottom lip. "I don't want to lose you, it seems like…when everything goes right for me I screw it up somehow…like I jinx myself, you know? Like something's telling me I don't deserve to be happy…" He looked deep into her face. "Talking about my past, its almost like I can never escape it no matter where I go….like I'll always be punished for it…and I…" He sighed again. "I just…don't want anything to happen to you…"

Fanny threw an arm around him, snuggling into his chest as he revealed his fears. "I'm not going anywhere…" She told him, cuddling into his neck. "I promise."

"Admitting that I ran away from all that…" Dodge tilted his head onto hers. "Seems too easy, you know? Like…the bad guys lose, the good guys escape, it's never been like that before…it's too easy, too good to be true, you know? You mean the world to me, Cherry…" She felt her cheeks darken even more as their eyes met, Dodge's icy blue orbs sincere and gazing into her face, as if taking her in. "You make me so happy…and me being happy never lasts."

Fanny looked down, suddenly overcome with the same feeling of sadness her boyfriend was feeling, almost as though his waves of emotion were radiating onto her, and they were in the same mindset, the same wavelength… She had to scoff lightly to herself. When she was younger, she could never imagine herself ever feeling so attached and empathetic towards a guy…if her ten year old self was there beside her; Fanny guessed she would be horrified.

But she snuck her arm around Dodge's shoulders anyway, drawing him closer so she could place her head on his shoulder, and his head on hers. He returned her embrace, holding her close and secretly hoping, preying even, that he would never have to let her go.

* * *

Dingo shifted against the plush leather of the sofa, his skin burning with embarrassment as he felt a pair of piercing eyes glaring at him- taking him in, judging him, knowing, deep down, they could see past his outside exterior and look into his true intentions. He scuffed his childish sneakers against the carpet sheepishly, wishing he'd worn something other than his old skate shoes (decorated with sketches from his teenage years) to meet Abby's parents. But then again, if he had known that's where Abby was planning to take him, he would have locked her up in his room and refused to let her out until she started talking sense.

He could tell the two prestigious adults before him knew him already- they could recognise the psychotic youth who had crashed their older daughter's wedding, after all…

He held back a snarl- his natural reaction- and instead chewed on the inside of his mouth, the tense, silent atmosphere becoming almost suffocating as he eyed the carpet instead of the people around him. The only thing that kept him still and relatively calm was the warmth he could feel beside him- Abby sitting next to him on the couch. Her hands were folded gracefully in her lap but her fingers were fidgety- reflecting her true nervousness at this entire meeting. She loved Dingo, she knew that deep within her heart there could be no mistaking the compassion she felt for him…but she knew on the outside he may not appear that special to anyone else.

Her eyes flicked over to the matching wide, worried eyes of her parents and she subtly slipped her hand into his, giving it a reassuring squeeze, which he returned with an uneasy, nervous grip. She tried to hide her wince, holding back a smirk at the same time. She had to admit, Dingo clumsily forgot his own strength at times.

"So…" Mrs. Lincoln began slowly, casting a cautious look over who her daughter had brought home. She turned back to her daughter, her deep brown eyes wide. "'Z'ere was something you wanted to tell us…Abigail?"

Dingo shifted nervously, feeling his palms sweat as he avoided her gaze. She had the same deep chocolate brown eyes as Abby. He could imagine them filling with tears at the thought of her grandchild infected with his genes. He felt sick, and gripped hard at the couch cushion beneath him as he gnawed at his bottom lip.

"Uh…yes…" Abby attempted a smile, but looking back at Dingo's ashen, terrified face made her want to forget the whole thing and drag him out of there. She knew there would be drama, but no matter what she did there would always be drama, after all there was no easy way out of this situation…and the sooner she ad everyone around her knew about it, the sooner it could be accepted. There was no escaping now. "Mom…Dad…this is Dingo- Wallabee's older half brother."

The couple turned to gaze at the black haired youth, who automatically looked as though he would throw up. He gave them a brave smile, looking pained under their watchful gazes. He was never good with these types….happy…nuclear families. He felt Abby shift beside him, her stomach lightly grazing against his arm, and he stiffened, as if suddenly reminded of what he was here for. He remained expressionless, his eyes watching the scene unfold before him. But then Abby sighed, as if too tired to relive the story once again, and she leaned against him, as though weakening against the entire ordeal. He bit his lip, and stared directly into the eyes of what he hoped to be his future in-laws.

"Hi. I love Abby." He blurted out, his eyes widening with how stupid he must have sounded. But he couldn't stop there- he could imagine this bombshell as a snowball rolling down a hill- no way to stop it and only gaining momentum as it rolled.

He glanced towards the girl beside him, shooting her an apologetic look before he continued. "I…I always have…e-even when she was with my brother…I know it was wrong but I wanted her, she's everything I want to be." He turned back to them, his face ridden with guilt. "And…I don't know what she saw i-in me, but I'm the luckiest guy in the world that my feelings were…were returned. I'm being completely truthful when I say she means more than the world to me."

Abby gave him a little squeeze with her hand, tears welling up in her eyes once again. But still her lips twitched with a promising smile, and she silently urged him to continue.

"And…I feel horrible about how this was dealt…" He mumbled. "But I can't deny how right I feel about her…I know deep in my heart she's the only one for me, an-and I would chase her forever if I could to make her mine, and all I want is for her to be happy…I-It seems like an everyday love but its so much more than that…and so much more complex…unfortunately…" he looked into their faces- the shocked, almost horrified expression that had become Dr. Lincoln's and the overwhelmed, almost disbelieving face of Mrs. Lincoln's. They too were gripping hands tightly, and Dingo heaved one last sigh before he dropped the last line that felt like his death sentence.

"I…_we_'re positive that…that I'm the father…" he bit his lip. "Of Abby's baby."

* * *

"Trent. Trent! _Trent. _Yoohoo! TRENT!"

Trent jumped in alarm as Mushi's shrill voice rang through his head like a gong, knocking him out of his daydream and leaving him blinking in panic, suddenly alert.

"Yeah what?" He grumbled, grouchy at being disturbed from his lifeless staring at the tv screen. Mushi looked annoyed. For the past few days Trent had been ignoring her, as if she was a potted plant rather than a seemingly permanent house guest. Usually she was fine with this, as she had Bandit or the girls to talk to- but the girls were usually cooped up in their room lately and Bandit was even worse than Trent- not paying attention or not there at all. It seemed strange to her- one minute the two boys were totally devoted to vying for her attention, and the next day they couldn't spare her a second glance. It confused the poor teenager to no end, and she found the apartment in which she spent all her days close to suffocating. She missed her freedom, her friends, her school… She missed being a normal, everyday teenager…

Mushi frowned. She could never tell what was on Trent's mind- she barely knew what his name was or where he came from. She gave up, scoffing as she pushed off the couch and stormed away, tired of it all. She suddenly found herself wishing wistfully for her older sister. Whenever she was close to feeling this low back home Kuki would always be there, cooing and soothing her, taking her aside to do her hair or talk or bake cookies…whatever her older sister did it was always just what she needed…Kuki was always so caring, so warm, she always knew what to say- always had the right advice…

She closed the door of the bathroom, leaning against it to gaze at herself in the mirror. She had many features of her sister…but still so young and naïve, she had yet to develop Kuki's mature smile, those caring violet eyes and that perfect heart shaped face. Mushi sniffed as she watched the tears roll down her cheeks.

She felt like such a kid…but she knew all she needed was her big sister.

* * *

Kuki paced around the room, constantly tripping over her black ballet flats as she kept her eyes to the pages clutched in her hand, her violet eyes scanning the words she was set to perform that evening. Her heart fluttered with nerves as she nibbled on her lip between harmonies- trying to find the right volume and level for her solos. Still, she felt it didn't sound right.

She finally put down the page of notes, flicking her head back to look at the front door of the shared apartment. She was still waiting for her roommate; even though she hated the thought of seeing Abby walk through that door- she still worried and fretted, just as she always had.

"You sound _fine." _Wally whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her and planting a soft kiss on her neck. Kuki gave a light shiver, a smile growing on her face as she turned to gave into his face. She threw the pages onto the coffee table, her nose wrinkling.

"Boyfriends have to say that…" She pouted. Wally grinned at her.

"Would I lie to you?"

"To make me smile…maybe?" Kuki smirked. Wally let his arms slide away, scoffing at her.

"As much as I love your smile, I'd never lie to you." He tapped her nose playfully, smirking at how cute she was when she wrinkled it…like a little rabbit. "And that's a promise."

Kuki grinned again, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. He gratefully hugged her in return, burying his face into her shoulder and inhaling her sweet scent. He didn't want to leave her, he never wanted to let her go.

"You have to talk to her eventually…" Kuki mumbled softly, her nails drawing patterns in between his shoulder blades, sending tickles up his spine. He shivered, holding her close.

"I don't want to…" He snarled angrily. She swallowed.

"And-"

"I don't want to talk to _him _either." Wally growled over her. "Otherwise the next time we're like this it'll be on a conjugal visit…"

Kuki pushed him away playfully, smirking. "But seriously, Wally…" Her expression changed to polite concern. "You have to talk to them both about this…and your famioy too…no more secrets." She looked sad. She hated seeing her boyfriend look so down, she cared so much for him an d hated that he'd lost that spark, that flame of energy he always had. She found herself wanting to smack both Abby and dingo for what they'd done, but there was more in this than that. "Maybe your family can shed some light on the subject…make it more clear."

Wally frowned hatefully, her beautiful violet eyes sinking right passed his skin and swending calm rays straight to his heart. He sighed.

"Guess I better…" he mumbled. "Can't help it though- they _did _betray me, and after everything, you know? They lied to me, straight to my face…" he kicked at the floor, his lips curling into a snarl.

"It'll get better." Kuki promised, wrapping her arms around him. "I promise."

"I'm scared." Wally blurted out before he could stop himself. He blushed a deep crimson, cursing himself before adding sheepishly. "Of what I might hear, you know?"

Kuki couldn't help but smile, chuckling slightly as she planted a sweet kiss on Wally's cheek, stroking at his face with her soft hands. He closed his eyes sheepishly, relaxing once again in her gentle touch.

"Wally…" She said softly. "It's okay to be scared, you know."

Wally frowned again, swallowing. "I know…I'm just… not used to it."

"It's ok…" Kuki smiled at him, and still Wally felt his heart flutter at her sweet smile- the way it lit up her entire face, it was almost magical how sublime it was to him…and only she had the power to make him so happy in such a small gesture. "I still love you."

Wally embraced her again, lifting her so her feet dangled. She let out a squeal of laughter, and he smirked in return.

"I love you too Kooks."

* * *

"So…so you're sure?" Hollie clarified, her hazel eyes wide as she watched her best friend anxiously. "You want to come back with me? Are you completely positive-"

Bonny narrowed her eyes, completely exasperated with the amount of times she had assured her friend of her decision. "Yes!" She hissed loudly, holding up her hand before Hollie had the chance to ask once again. "I'm positive. I'm with you Holl." She gave her friend a serious look. "I want to raise this baby back home, and home isn't home without my best friend."

Hollie smiled graciously, trying to be happy for her friend, instead of digging up painful memories of what could have been her own baby. Instead she held Bonny in a grateful hug; just happy to have someone with her while she revisited her sticky past.

"Soo…you'll get the money ok?" Hollie asked, her eyes wide. "Y-you can ask the guys, as long as you don't mention me-"

"You know I can't do that." Bonny scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I got it covered…" she bit her lip and pulled out a piece of paper from her wallet, two numbers scrawled on the ripped page. "I'll sort it out tomorrow-"

"You kinda have to, Bon…" Hollie bit her lip nervously. Bonny hated that nervous fidget her friend did- it was very rare she saw Hollie out of control, anxious and afraid…it wasn't like her best friend at all. "The talent show's tomorrow night and I want to leave as soon as possible…do you think you can find a flight by then? I need to spend most of the time practicing so I have a _shot _at winning…"

"You'll win, Holl!" Bonny growled strongly, narrowing her eyes sternly. "Don't doubt yourself now, you can cream those stupid uni students! You have to…the sooner we get out of here the better."

"Definitely." Hollie nodded, sighing sadly. "I don't know if I should tell Trent…you know…after we go? What if he goes after them next? What if we're putting the guys in danger by-?"

"Jayden wouldn't go after the guys." Bonny mumbled thoughtfully. "He's just one guy…going against all four. He's beaten you up before because its an unfair fight, so he thinks he can beat you again, but he'd never go against four guys…" She rolled her eyes. "without his _precious wittle _gang behind him..." She sighed. "Besides, he probably would have called him to psyche him out too…_then _they would know…" she gave a little snicker. "Trent's such a wuss with that kinda stuff…"

"Yeah." Hollie gave a hopeful smile, flashes of slight optimism lighting up her face. "It's only Jayden…what harm can he single handedly do to the guys that they can't handle?"

She reached over for another hug, trying to repress a chill whipping through her body. She couldn't help but be fearful, always looking over her shoulder. For a full year she had been rid of Jayden- and all the baggage of both wonderful and horrible memories that came with it. So many things she tried to forget, yet they kept creeping into her mind, laughing at her fear, who she used to be…

* * *

_Jayden stared straight ahead, still and quiet. His eyes were wide and emotionless, pools of still, eerie grey. Holly swallowed, nervously trying to stare into them. But he kept driving, his hands clasped tightly to the wheel._

"_Jayden" Holly sighed, heaving her shoulders as she pulled her handbag up her arm. She had completely given up; it was obvious Jayden wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to what she was saying. "Maybe you should just pull over and drop me off here."_

_Jayden didn't answer; he just stared along the long, deserted highway. The high bright beams of the car lit the way of the lined road and Holly stared at the dark shadows illuminated at the side of the asphalt. She didn't care; she somehow felt more in danger being with Jayden than being without him. She tried again, speaking clearly and loudly this time._

"_Jay, pull over."_

_Jayden twitched slightly, his muscular arms tensing through his navy shirt before stilling again as he drove, his eyes darkening dangerously._

"_Jayden this is stupid!" Holly suddenly broke; her voice shaking as she snarled at him. She was teary and tired, just wanting to go home and away from all the drama he had caused for her. She was starting to wish she had stayed at the club. "Jayden, you were the one who cheated on me!"_

"_Don't fuckin' say that, Holly." Jayden hissed with one breath through gritted teeth as his eyes flashed. He still stared straight ahead. _

"_Well it's true!" She yelled back, all fear forgotten. She narrowed her eyes. "You're pathetic, you know that? You cheat on me and what? You think I'll stay? You think I'll forget? NO! Jayden …you-" She swallowed, a million words forming in her throat. "Jayden …you obviously don't love me."_

"_FUCK HOLLY!" Jayden suddenly yelled, his knuckles whitening as his face contorted with fury. He looked murderous. "Don't FUCKING say that!"_

"_IT'S OBVIOUS YOU DON'T!" Holly screamed, matching his volume. She was sobbing now. "You CHEATED ON ME! That shows how much you care! It shows how much you love me! It shows you'd rather have someone else OKAY! Now…now just leave me alone, Jayden! I mean it!"_

_Jayden turned a corner sharply, cutting across the center line uncaringly as his fingers clawed at the leather. He growled darkly, his face turning towards her. _

"_What about you?" He suddenly hissed at her, reaching across and grabbing her arm in a vice-like grip. Holly jumped back, her eyes wide. She'd never seen him look so forbidding. His eyes were wide and his vicious snarl was in place. He was trembling with anger. "What about you and Trent, huh? What the fuck's up with that, Holly?"_

"_He's my friend!" Holly squeaked back, completely helpless. "We're just friends! I'd never cheat on you like you did to me!"_

"_Holly…" He snarled to her. "We're together. We fight. But we make it through…this is just a little fight. You can't just run off from us now, Holly. I love you and you love me. That's final."_

_Holly blinked in surprise, and it took a few more twists and turns along the highway for his words to finally land in her mind. She gaped. _

"_Jayden!" She yelled. "You cheated on me! Just drop me off here!"_

"_Fuck, Holly." Jayden snarled. "It'll take ya ages to get home from here."_

"_I'm not going home with you!" She screamed. "I don't want to be with you anymore if you fucking cheated on me!"_

"_STOP BEING SUCH A FUCKING BABY, HOLLY!" Jayden hollered back, now fuming. "IT NEVER FUCKING HAPPENED!"_

"_YES IT DID! GODDAMMIT! DROP ME OFF HERE AND LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU ANYMORE!"_

"_YOU DON'T MEAN THAT!"_

"_YES YES I FUCKING DO! I FUCKING DO! JAY FUCKING PULL OVER! PULL THE FUCK OVER!"_

_Jayden looked over at her in one, quick movement. Holly was hysterical and panting, completely shocked and confused at what to do. Jayden snarled and turned back to the road, his eyes narrowing. His fist shot out and he pulled the car into gear, his foot pushing on the accelerator. The car roared into life and Holly was pushed back into the soft leather of the passenger seat, her teary eyes widening._

"_Jayden!" Her voice was now high and shaky as she looked up. "JAY! What- what the fuck are you doing?"_

"_I ain't goin' home without you Holly." Jayden snarled, pressing further on the accelerator as the wheels screamed into life. He gripped the steering wheel tighter, his eyes on the road. "Even if it means we're both not gonna make it home tonight."_

"_Jayden -" Holly frowned, her lips trembling as she gazed into his face. It was set, determined and completely transformed. He was staring straight ahead, his foot slamming the pedal to the floor. Trees and poles were streaming passed in a blur of flashing colours and shapes. Holly was trembling, the force of the speed driving her deeper and deeper into the seat. She was trembling, clammy and sweaty as she gaped, her tears frozen in her eyes. "JAYDEN! WHAT ARE YOU- D-DOING? STOP IT!"_

"_Not until you say it Holly!" Jayden suddenly yelled, his teeth buried within his bottom lip as they roared along the highway, the speedometer creeping up to 150. "NOT UNTIL YOU FUCKING SAY IT!"_

"_JAY!" Holly screamed, her voice shaky with sobs as she felt a hot surge of vomit crawl up her throat. Trees were passing, lights, shadows, the night- and Jayden was behind the wheel, still sitting still and calm. He was panting slightly, his eyes on the road. _

"_I'LL WRAP THIS CAR 'ROUND A FUCKIN' TREE HOLLY IF YOU DON'T SAY IT!" he yelled, his hand suddenly grabbing for hers. Holly sobbed, her fear rising and her heart thudding within her temples. He turned to her as he drove, his grey eyes boring into hers with such intensity and anger that Holly had no doubt that he would. The thought terrified her and she whimpered childishly, tears streaming down her face as the car sped on. "SAY IT HOLLY! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU!"_

"_Jay-Jayden…" Holly sobbed, her wrist shaking in his hand. Her immediate thoughts went to Dingo, and what he would if she told him about this…then she thought of never seeing him again, or her family…or Bonnie…"Please, Jayden - Stop-"_

"_HOLLY!"_

"_I love you!" She hollered, breaking down into heart wrenching cries. "PLEASE JAY I LOVE YOU JUST STOP THIS PLEASE!"_

_As soon as the words had been shouted by the now petrified girl Jayden immediately slammed down on the breaks, the pair lurching forward as the car skidded dangerously across the damp road, and after a few long seconds it finally came to a stop, Jayden still gripping the wheel tightly in his hands. Holly was sobbing, her head spinning and her head throbbing. Jayden's muscular arms wrapped around her sweetly._

"_There you go, baby…" He cooed into her ear as he ran a few fingers through her hair sweetly, comforting her. "All you had to do was say it baby…that's all you had to do…"_

* * *

Sandy's pale eyes blinked rapidly in the limited light, looking more and more like a hyperactive chipmunk. He was twitching, and on the very tips of his nostrils were telltale smears of a fine white powder. The familiar echoes of energy pulsed through his veins familiarly, sending his skin on a tingling, warm sensation he knew well, and truthfully he had missed it. He felt warm, despite the cold, and strangely calm, despite the fact he was twitching and blinking so much- every movement rapid and haphazard. Jayden watched out of wide, amused pale eyes. It had been a while since he had snorted with anybody besides Dread- and they were both so used to it neither of them had the same hyperactive reactions they used to have when they were teenagers…but watching the frail kid in front of him was worth the entertainment. He issued his best friend with a smirk as the two exchanged glances, listening to the teenager babble on about his problems while he probably had no idea what he was even talking about with the two older criminals.

"_An-An I just don't-like- trust you guys- butbut that's just what I-I think I mean I'm only new to this whole business stuff so I don't know much about it which is why I'm cut out of most of the stuff my cousins don't trust me but so what you know I mean I've only had like-like an addiction I'm over it now I mean I'm still family right they're the whole reason I got on this stuff in the first place it's all their fault really I should just blame them I mean it's not my fault they cut me out of stuff and all I want is my girlfriend back but they won't even let me in on what'ss going on and I just think that's so gay I mean who do they think they are so stupid I'm so sick of them acting all high and mighty I mean I'm family too what do they think they're doing… "_

Dread watched his rambling with interest, nodding every now and then with a casual smirk. This mission was starting to get more and more exciting…maybe both he and Jayden could make it much more interesting…

"_See see we hired you guys to get my girlfriend because I don't know where she is and I feel guilty about leaving her behind you see she didn't deserve it…"_

Sandy babbled on with wide eyes, turning to glance between them as he spoke, occasionally pausing to sniff or take another sweet inhale. But he could feel his common sense gently slip. In the back of his mind, a tiny voice of common sense told him it wasn't wise to mention Mushi at all…but yet everything was numb around him- including his logic. He nodded inexplicably as he began on his family, only stopping when Dread fiercely slammed his hand down on the wooden coffee table in front of him and he jumped- his heart drumming fiercely in his chest. He whimpered with wide, frightened eyes- looking like a petrified rabbit.

"Settle, _petal." _Dread smirked, a cold laugh escaping his lips as he saw Sandy's fear. "Slow down a second, easy on the stuff."

"S-sorry." Sandy mumbled, shivering as he gripped the can of soda in front of him. He took a hesitant sip, savouring the sugary sweet taste on his numb tongue. He blinked again, his head beginning to throb with pain and his skin beginning to prickle. He looked up into the stranger's face, genuinely awed by his general appearance. He bit his lip, somehow nervous. "So um…where did you, um…come from?" he mumbled shyly, feeling inferior by the two haunting glares. "I mean…what's your um…name?" He winced at how stupid he sounded, but Dread gave him an easygoing smirk anyway.

"This is Jayden." Dread tipped his head towards him, who was lounging on a dog-eared armchair that had been left in the corner. Jayden merely raised his eyebrows curiously, knowing where his friend was going with this. "And my name…" Dread smirked, already knowing what was to come. "Is Dread."

"D…Dread?" Sandy frowned, blinking again with rapid confusion. "Isn'tthat like…a no-noun or something?" He mumbled incoherently, turning to Jayden as though he was hoping for backup. Jayden merely nodded, smirking as he heard Dread's evil little chuckle.

"Yeah. But it is my real name." He grinned. "My parents already knew how I was gonna turn out…" His eyes flashed, that grin still in place. "Was the only smart decision they made…"

"Coooool…" Sandy mumbled, his lips protruding into a pout. "Wish I had a cool name, not a girl's name…"

"I like it." Dread snickered coldly, yet his eyes flashed with excitement. "It's cute."

Sandy cursed himself as he blushed violently, his eyelids fluttering as he tried to comprehend what the hell was wrong with him. He couldn't be _blushing? _Like a common _girl? _In front of _these guys? _

"_Uhhnn…" _Sandy tried in vain to mask his nervousness, but ended up sounding like a stumped, gaping child. "Wel- Num- gah- thanks…I…I guess- I-"

But Dread had already turned his attention elsewhere, and was flicking his lighter in a preoccupied way, watching the flame with a burning desire locked in those cold black eyes. Sandy watched him, those eyes mesmorised. Dread smirked to himself, his brain buzzing with dastardly ideas as he looked over at the coked up teenager.

He had a new target.

* * *

Fanny's eyes were wide open against the blackness of her room, and there they remained- blinking rapidly with worry and narrowing as she realised she was a long, _long _way from a deep peaceful slumber. She rolled over, gazing at the moonlight streaming through the window and outlining the silhouette of the body next to her. She bit her lip hesitantly, then reached out to place a hand on his arm.

"Dodge…" She murmured softly. "Are you awake?"

He shifted, and she was surprised to hear a clear, obviously alert response.

"Yeah…"

"I can't sleep." She mumbled, shifting closer to him. He wrapped an arm around her, her head falling into his chest and his cheek gently placed against her hair.

"Neither."

She swallowed nervously, her own arm falling around his body to capture his soothing heartbeat. She closed her eyes. "Tell me more about your past…please?"

Dodge sighed, groaning slightly as she shifted his position, so he was laying on his back and Fanny was snuggling on his chest, still with his arm around her supporting her head. He felt her lips against his chest, silkily fluttering against his bare skin as she whispered again pleadingly.

"Please?"

"Alright…" he mumbled grumpily. "Whaddya want to know?"

"Anything…" She mumbled. "What…what did you want to be when you were younger? As a job…you know?"

Dodge shifted uncomfortably, debating on whether or not to answer truthfully.

"Rockstar."

Fanny grinned. She thought that was adorable. "Really? What a singer?"

"No…" He grumbled back. "A guitarist- like Slash. I was really good too…at least people told me I was…" He said, with a flicker of a smile. Fanny frowned, slightly surprised.

"You played?"

"Yeah." He muttered. "I played for ages too…since I was six. My uncle taught me."

"Why'd you give up?"

There was a long pause, before Fanny's head rose slightly with Dread's chest as he heaved a sigh.

"Dread."

"He…made you-?"

"No…I just can't play after I saw what he'd turned into with it…" Dodge snarled. "He was always all about music, he was…well…I bet he still is- a great singer, he could hold any note and create any melody with that voice of his- and he hardly ever lost his voice, his vocal chords were so strong, even when he usually screamed the lyrics." He swallowed, his eyes glazing over as he remembered. "he and his band…they were gonna go far, everyone knew that…but Dread was a part of the lifestyle before they made it into the big time- by the time he had a chance to make he was addicted to every drug known to man…and he'd rather obsess about Bandit and pump more drugs into his system than ever admit he had a problem, so of course after his multiple arrests and attempts at rehab nobody would give him or his band a shot…he tried to get me with him for one last shot…" He broke off, shaking his head as he remembered. "Begged me actually, first time he said please…but by that time he'd pushed us all away and after seeing what he did to my own friend I could tell he needed help, not another chance to get back in with that drug stuff-"

"I don't understand, Dodge…" Fanny whispered, frowning. "If you saw how drugs had destroyed your brother…how'd you get into selling them?"

"I dunno…" Dodge sighed. Usually he wound punch anyone out who mentioned that fact to him, but Cherry was different…she was sweet, innocent- it was like a simple, everyday conversation to him. "Maybe in my own way I was punishing him…and my dad, you know? They always had control over me, thought maybe if I joined in with D to sell the stuff I could…I dunno get some revenge…take my own power into it…I was wrong…" He sighed again. "We never sold the hard stuff, we saw the damage that could do- but we made an easy living all the same with the hobby on the side…actually made quite a name for ourselves in Sydney's underbelly drug scene…"

He felt the girl beside him shudder and he held her closer.

"But that's all over now…"

"What if you go back?" Fanny asked, unable to keep a sliver of fear out of her voice. "Will you have some enemies? Would you have to go back to it? I bet its hard to get out of-"

"Why you worried?" he cooed sweetly, nudging her as he smirked at his girl through the pitch black air. "You thinking of coming back with me, baby?"

"You're going back?" She asked, trying to hide the fact her cheeks had blushed a hot red. There was another awkward silence between the couple. Dodge bit his lip, tightening his hold on his girl as if afraid to let her go.

"I don't know yet." He mumbled. "I don't know what will happen…"

"What do you know?" Fanny asked worriedly, as if afraid of the answer.

"That I love you…" Dodge whispered quietly in her ear, leaning down and kissing her softly. "I definitely know that much."

They lay in silence again, cuddling together and snuggling close as they drifted closer to sleep. Fanny still kept her eyes wide open. There was so much she wanted to know, she wanted to get even closer to Dodge…she didn't want anything to break them apart again, she never wanted to sleep in her bed alone again…

"Is Bandit okay?" She asked him softly. There was another silence. Fanny was sure Dodge had fallen asleep, but a tired grunt told her he was still wide awake.

"He's not talking to me." He muttered. "He's not talking to anyone, not even Trent- which is a worry…" he sighed. "I hope he's not on anything again…"

"Would he…do something like that?"

Dodge shifted his shoulders. "Dependency…" He sighed. "Happens to the strongest of us. Dread- he grew up surrounded by gangs and juvie- he could survive anything, yet he crumbles at a needle- always going back for more. Dingo, he's the toughest kid I know, yet he fades into nothing without a cigarette. Bandit…he was born on drugs." He bit his lip. "You know…one of those heroin babies…he was born to be dependant… ever since he took his first breath he's relied on some sort of artificial substance, he's been a product of someone else's mistake all of his life." Dodge groaned. "He's tried, but I think…Bandit can never stand on his own feet. I've tried, but he knows the only person who could ever help him in the world- and that's probably the one who hates to help him the most."

"Trent?" Fanny sighed.

"Got it in one, Cherry…" Dodge mumbled, his fingers stroking at her arm. "They always said love is a battlefield…" he had to smirk, cuddling his girl closer. "I think my friends took it literally…"

* * *

Trent buried his face further into the couch pillow, gripping at the cotton so tightly it was as though his life depended on it. He still couldn't find it- that usually so easy feeling of drifting off into a deep sleep. He ripped his eyes open again, scowling at the empty glass bottle on the coffee table that only hours ago held half a bottle of rum. It was past midnight now- usually he was out of it. Nothing was working. Still his mind ticked away actively, keeping him alert and awake even though his body sagged with tiredness.

Bandit. Damn him. Damn everything about him. Trent loathed the thought of that so called best friend- the one who had caused all this drama in the first place. He hated he worried about him, he hated he cared, he hated how the thought of that stupid sporadic hyperactive idiot tugged at his heartstrings. Worst of all…he hated how he couldn't stop thinking about him.

He sat up, eyeing the door yet again. Trent was positive Bandit wouldn't come home tonight- just a few hours ago he'd seen the look Bandit gave him- it was the same look he gave him when he was seventeen, when he first started keeping secrets from him. It was guilty, shameful, and it didn't look right on Bandit's face…not when there was supposed to be a smile, or a pout, or those puppy dog eyes…

He shook his head, growling as he rose to his feet, his body sagging with shame. He didn't want to sleep beside Mushi- the mere thought of her was driving him insane. Yet the living room couch wasn't looking to appealing…

He hesitated, gnawing away at his tongue in frustration. With a growl nobody was around to hear he kicked off his shoes and hunched towards the hall, throwing open the bedroom door he knew was his best friend's. He let himself collapse onto the bed, immediately sinking into Bandit's familiar warm scent- embedded within the sheets and pillows. He buried himself within them, straight away feeling sleep creep upon him. Bandit's bed was so cozy, so warm, so familiar…it wasn't too long before Trent finally found himself drifting into a deep sleep, cuddling a pillow close and sighing in content.

* * *

Abby watched apprehensively as her mother busily made herself a stiff drink, her wide chocolate coloured eyes unable to look into her youngest daughter's identical irises. Abby leaned against the counter, nibbling on her bottom lip.

"Mom…" she began carefully. "Are you okay?"

"Of cour'z I'm fine!" Her mother sniffed busily, her French accent coming out sharply with her emotional tone. "Ab'zolutely fine, I don't see why I shouldn't be-"

"I understand this is an unfair blow." Abby muttered over her, eyes wide and earnest. "The guy who crashed Cree's wedding is the father of your newest grandchild. It's stupid, irresponsible and it was cruel of me not to tell you straight away." Abby gave a shy smile, looking sad. "You can tell me this Mom, you can be angry at me, you know."

Her mother pulled a face, her harsh eyes turning to glare at her daughter. "I am…" She growled. "I'm…just trying to process 'zat fact…" She rolled her eyes, her expression morphing into one of confusion. "I'm still pretty shocked…of all 'ze people you were trying to 'ide from us…I never z'ought it would be one who'd actually want to be wi'z you."

Abby frowned, her eyes widening as she gaped slightly, taken aback. "Wh…"

"Of course…'e isn't what we expected…" She bit her lip. "Wally's brother…I mean, we knew things between you and Wally were tense- but…anyway…" She tilted her head. "Dingo wants to be with you Abby…that is 'ze surprising thing. I was expecting some one night stand that didn't want anything to do with you-"

"Mom." Abby frowned. "You just automatically _assumed _I had a one nighter with some random?"

"Well you didn't say Wally was 'ze father…" Her mother snickered. "We filled in 'ze blanks."

Abby sighed, rolling her eyes. Well…she was at least thankful her mother was somehow seeing the lighter side of this situation. She frowned, leaning against the counter and folding her arms over her growing stomach. At six months, her baby was growing considerably. Her mother looked fondly at it, still with the faint hint of a stern frown, but still with that loving look in her eyes all mothers have.

"But really Abigail…" Her mother tutted, eyes flashing with worry. "You couldn't have chosen…per'aps…someone else? Your father and I 'ave always stood by you but…" She hesitated, taking another sip of her drink. "I really don't 'ave too much faith in your choice of men…'e _was _the one 'oo crashed your sister's wedding, after all…"

"I know he did Mom." Abby sighed, nibbling on her bottom lip. "But…you just don't get Dingo like I do…" She sighed. "I know he can come off rough and protective…kinda arrogant and mean and…well…childish and violent…but-"

"_Oui, Oui_…" Her mother gave her knowing smile. "Of cour'ze, Abigail dear, whatever you say…"

Abby scoffed, giving her mother a playful punch on the arm.

* * *

A pair of worn sneakers trudged down the hall, dry cold hands working at the lock on the door with annoyance before the inhabitant shuffled into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. Bandit sniffed in defeat, his mind still awake and buzzing from the drug still within his system. He couldn't sleep, instead he had braved the dark and the cold and hurried back to his (somewhat) familiar bed for a real sleep. He hated the thought of seeing Trent fuming at him, but he knew being in an apartment full of people (even if one was angry at him) was better than being alone.

He pushed open his bedroom door, shuffling over and planting himself on his soft mattress ready for a deep sleep- but his body froze as he realised his precious double bed was already occupied, and he held in a frightened yelp as he scrambled back up- falling off the mattress onto the hard floor in the process.

Bandit groaned in pain, his head feeling as though it was splitting into two and every muscle twanging in agony. A head appeared above him, and a familiar pair of bright grey eyes glistened in the darkness down at him hatefully.

"The. Fuck?" Trent grunted at him, but was unable to keep all the concern out of his voice as he tilted his head, surveying the crumpled figure on the floor. "What are you doing here?"

"Whaddya mean?" Bandit mumbled groggily, hating the pitiful squeak his voice made when he was in pain. He rose with difficulty, blinking up at Trent with apparent fear. "I…this is my room!" He froze, looking around in bewilderment. "Isn't...it?"

"Yeah." Trent snarled, retracting back into his position. "But fuck off- I'm here tonight."

"What?" Bandit stood up, his eyes wide. "Why?" He whined.

Trent winced, rolling over and staring at the wall instead of making a fool out of himself. He'd been caught red handed, acting like an idiot and sleeping in his friend's bed…how much of a stalker can you get? He probably saw him snuggling his pillow… Trent repressed a miserable shudder.

"Well I'm sleepin' here." Trent grunted, slipping back under the blankets. "I ain't movin'- here's the only place I get sleep."

Bandit processed this, but his mind was still numb both from the blow to the head and the drug effects. He just stood there- awkward and frozen- as he watched Trent's still figure, shuffling his feet and twisting his fingers together. Trent heaved a deep sigh, twisting his lips with anger and screwing his eyes closed. _I'm gonna regret this. _

"You can share." He spat out, resentfully making room. Barely a second had passed before Bandit scrambled into his own bed, slipping in beside Trent. He could straight away sense his shampoo and his aftershave…so cool and calming, like every guy should smell like. He bit his lip. He couldn't go to sleep knowing _he _was right beside him…it would be too much like old times…

He couldn't help it; he shuffled closer towards him, inch by inch- careful not to upset any mattress friction. The two boys lay- inches from each other- neither of them saying a word or daring to fall asleep. Trent squeezed his eyes closed, trying to ignore the other being that was behind him- breathing, twitching, moving… it was too much, almost tempting. He cuddled his pillow close again, trying to imagine it was the body next to him…it worked, he felt himself steadily falling back into dreamland…

Bandit just lay watching him, wide awake and alert with active thoughts and memories running through his mind. It tore at his heart to know it would never be the same again- that this moment here would be the only time he would ever be close to Trent again.

_Should I take a chance?_

He fidgeted, his fingers stretching out and then retracting- almost tempting fate only to chicken out and hide away again. He felt tears scratch at his eyes, as he knew the opportunity would slip away. _Trent chose Mushi, Trent chose Mushi…_

He rolled over, reaching under the bed and enclosing hi fingers around a familiar cold, metallic object and pulling it up to slip under the sheets, turning it on. Probably his most prized possession…his music player, containing about 2000 songs that all had precious memories attached. He sighed as he slipped the earphones into his ears, wasting no time in finding one of his favorites. Closing his eyes, he let the lyrics fill his mind instead of the heartbreaking reality around him.

* * *

"They don't like me." Dingo pouted miserably, kicking off his skate shoes and flinging them across the room actually for good measure. Abby had to smirk at his childish pout, his eyes narrowing and his arms folding stubbornly across his chest.

"Give it some time…"Abby tried to sooth, taking off her hoop earrings and setting them down by her dresser- which still sported a large collection of different sized and coloured frames- all with the same smiling teenage face. She tied back her hair messily, sitting down on her bed beside him. "They just don't know you like I do yet. They'll like you soon, I promise."

"I already stuffed it with them." Dingo huffed, his chin propped up by his hands as he leaned over grumpily, staring ahead hatefully. "They ain't that happy with me getting arrested at your sister's wedding, after all…"

"Well…" Abby had to smile. No new couple ever had this much trouble proving themselves to the parents, that's for sure. "That's true…but Dingo, they have to get used to you, that's for sure…they'll get to know you like I did, trust me…" She wrapped an arm around him, her forehead connecting with his rough cheek. "All it takes is time…"

"I'm gonna need all the time in the world…" Dingo grumbled sulkily, snuggling into her warmth. They sat there snuggling peacefully for a few moments, Dingo taking in her calming scent. His lazy eyes stared around the room as he held her close- taking in the basic elements of her room- the stereo, the TV, the wooden dresser- decorated with pictures _including that bastard who kissed her..._ he thought angrily, his eyes narrowing- and a whole bunch of medals and trophies for a variety of sports- volleyball, softball, soccer, track… he lost count. Not to mention a whole collection of academic awards that her parents had obviously framed and set up- and Abby had tried hard to take the attention away by decorating her wallpaper with posters of singers, sport stars and movies. It was cute…sweet…innocent…just as a teenager's room should be left. He could think back to his old room back home- it was always painted black, his worn carpet stained with liquids he or his friends had tripped over carelessly and spilt. That is, if you could see the floor, which was usually covered with clothes, boxes or general trash, scattered in a mess only he could understand.

"I bet you were the perfect kid…" Dingo found himself muttering, immediately flushing a deep red as he realised how condescending he sounded. He was about to throw up a whole bunch of apologies but Abby suddenly laughed, leaning back against the pillows behind er.

"It would seem that way." She muttered softly, grinning. "But I used to sneak out just out there…" She nodded towards her window box, where the window opened to a large oak tree that grew just next to the house. She remembered fondly how she used to hide her sneakers behind the pillow, slip them on and climb down the large trunk with her high heels waiting safely below, Wally's car waiting for her a couple of houses away. She was an expert by the time she was eighteen.

"Oh yeah?" Dingo suddenly turned to her, smirking smugly. "Well _I _know all the tricks…our kid won't be sneaking out anywhere without me knowing."

Abby laughed, her spirits lifting as she thought of their baby…grown up and running around getting into mischief just as they had done...it was strange in a way, she still felt like a kid herself. She turned to look at her new (she guessed) boyfriend, and smirked, because she knew even if she did feel like a kid, she was clearly the more mature one of the relationship.

"Really?" She smirked. "You're going to be on like…night time watch?"

"Oh yeah. I'll booby trap the house if I have to." Dingo grumbled, scoffing. "I learned everythin' from my dad, that kid's gonna have nothin' on me when he's old enough I'll show him who's in charge…"

Abby's thoughts drifted off as Dingo began to rant about his ideal parenting philosophies- centering mostly on who was the 'boss' in the parent/child relationship and just how many times he and Jake had clashed over it. The way he had so simply mentioned it…_the house. _Like they'd already planned an entire future together. Was it even possible? Have a house together? Raise a family? A happy, accepted relationship with no dramas or fighting?

"Abs!" Dingo's snapping fingers brought her back to reality, her glazed over deep eyes snapping to attention as Dingo's sly smirk spread over his face, his deep green eyes gleaming cockily. "You still with me?"

Abby bit her lip, holding back her own smirk. "Yeah, yeah…I'm just tired that's all…" She sighed, lowering her head onto her pillow and closing her eyes. She felt his body lay closely beside hers and he wrapped a muscular arm around her, gently placing his forehead so it rested on hers. She still felt slightly dazed- she had only been out of the hospital for a couple of hours and they told her to take it easy. It was all happening so fast, but still she had accepted it greatly with a smile on her face. Now she was sure of it- she'd come clean just as she had to Rachel and Nigel…there would be a happy ending for her…and for Dingo…it was possible and she was sure of that.

"_Do you think there's a happily ever after with us?" _She found herself whispering, opening her eyes to gaze into Dingo's deep emerald eyes. He blinked back, their noses grazing as he snuggled her closer. "I mean…" She swallowed nervously. "Y...you're stuck with me now, we'll always have the baby…" At this Dingo's eyes flickered down towards her stomach, which was grazing his own. A grin twitched on his face at this- he still wasn't used to the idea of becoming a parent, especially with the beautiful girl beside him. He knew he still had a long way to go- but she was still his…she was with him, he could finally say they were together, and this was his own family that would stand beside.

"But…we started off so…I guess…wrong." Abby mumbled sheepishly, her dewy eyes gazing up at him almost fearfully. "I'm scared people will judge us…like they won't know…an…and what if the baby- what if he's isolated because of it or-or my family and friends hate him? What if…people don't take us seriously or-"

"Abs…" Dingo whispered to her, and she amazingly silenced, her eyes still wide with worry. He held her close, his warm skin on hers, as he savoured her softness, still gazing into her face. "It doesn't matter…we'll have each other. We're a family now… it doesn't matter what people say. I love you."

She froze. He said it so simply, as if it came so natural with him. His eyes were wide and sincere, staring deep into her face so meaningfully she didn't doubt it for a second. What had started off as so wrong, so sinful and empowered by lust had bloomed into something so much more, and she believed him when he said he couldn't live without her, because she knew, deep down, independent, confident, strong Abigail Lincoln felt the same way. She couldn't live without him and she knew she wouldn't make it without him holding her up. She felt her heart swell, her throat closing tight with emotion as her own arms encircled around him.

"I love you too."

* * *

He didn't know how long it had been, but Trent had finally worked up his courage to snarl quite loudly and roll over to confront his friend, who had been twitching and mumbling and _touching _him for quite some time now. He was about to snarl how even though they're sharing a bed it didn't mean they could get as close as they once could, when he drew back in alarm, his eyes widening in surprise.

Bandit _was _asleep- flat on his back with his hand still gripping at his heart- his ipod clamped in his hand and laying on his chest. His thick eyelashes were fluttering as his face twitched, his fingers curling and uncurling as his lips formed the shapes of the words filling the song in his ears- still on repeat. Trent had to smirk at him- it was so typical of his best friend, to fall sound asleep even when the headphones still in his ears were tuned to a high volume. He watched him, frowning as he wandered to himself.

He could never find anyone else the same as his best friend- ever. The way he slept, talked, laughed, moved even- it was all Bandit. Even at his most annoying, angry phases- Bandit was still Bandit- _his _Bandit. And the pair still acted like friends around each other…despite their past.

Trent shook his head, frowning at himself. He hated that, he hated how he wasn't innocent like the sweet, hyperactive boy next to him. His grey eyes switched back to watching Bandit, who mmbled again in his sleep, turning his head on the pillow as the chorus of the song came on yet again. Trent 's frown deepened, and steadily, _carefully, _he pried at one of Bandit's thin fingers so he could see the song he was playing. He couldn't hold in his scoff.

"You gotta be kidding…" he mumbled to himself, sitting up and staring at his sleeping best friend. A pitying face worked its way onto the mocking expression as the redhead sighed, grinning all the same. "Aw, Band…"

He watched him sleep, finding it so much more relaxing than laying down staring at the ceiling, thinking and wandering…what could possibly be going through his mind with that song in his head…

…

_Bandit was in a world all of his own, and he skipped happily through it without a care in the world. He felt light, energetic…his headache was gone, he felt whole once more, no source of numbness, no worry in his mind… He sighed, staring up at the clear sky above him. It was a bright night- sky a stretch of black velvet, the stars twinkling majestically, just begging to be wished upon…and so many countless wishes hung above him. Usually with the night sky so close, he trembled with fear at the darkness- but here was safe and special, the stars seemed enough light for this…_

_He looked around, a troubled frown suddenly appearing on his face. His bottom lip drooped. _

_Aw, damn. _

_He knew this place… His sneakers crunched familiarly at the dried up, dead grass beneath him as he began to walk, staring around at the place he still had etched in his mind. He bit his lip worriedly. _

_He was at an abandoned property, surrounded by rusting cars and, nearby, an old uninhabited, crumbling house. He knew this place, he knew those trees- that forest, that road, those cars… he seemed to pout, looking around again just to make sure. _

_Here was where he got his first kiss. _

_He folded his arms, sighing and dropping to the ground. He gave up. He may as well spend his life in misery and in a dream world- he might as well face reality. Life would never be like that again…that was long gone, thousands and thousands of miles away, across an endless ocean and back a couple of years now… _

_He looked up, frowning. Familiar music was echoing, and he heard a rustle behind him as he fisted at the ground, grabbing a handful of flowering weeds that were sprouting from the dry Australian earth. A few figures appeared from behind the rusting cars. Each looking familiar, with sly, cartoonish grins on their faces. Bandit blinked, feeling gripping the weeds defensively, a few dirt clods dropping back to the ground as he stood. _

_He must be high…_

_Or dreaming… _

_A grin spread across his face. He knew this song… _

"_If there's a prize for rotten judgment…"_ he mumbled, staring at the weeds in his hands again before dropping them unceremoniously to the ground. _"I guess I've already won that…"_

He frowned at the figures before him, and gently they came into view. There were five- Holly and Bonnie were hard to miss, perched on top of an old Ford looking smug. Mushi hung by, but she looked happy enough- smiling artificially. The other two Bandit couldn't quite figure out…he was positive it was Dodge and Dingo's girlfriends…Cherry and Abby. They cast him sympathetic looks.

"_No man is worth the aggravation…" _He frowned, getting annoyed at their smiling, and he turned away, walking back. "_That's ancient history…been there, done that-"_

"_Who'd ya think ya kiddin?" _He heard behind him.

"_He's the earth and heaven to ya,  
ya try to keep it hidden,  
honey we can see right through you-"_

"_Oh nooo!" _Bandit cringed, blushing hotly as he turned and shook his head at the girls, who were so in tune it was as though they had rehearsed this mocking. Bandit had to smirk. Maybe he had been watching too many Disney movies…

"-_Ya can't conceal it,  
we know how ya feelin'  
who ya thiiiinkiiiinnng of-"_

Bandit's eyes widened as the girls all seemed to crowd around him, following close behind as he backed away, slamming into the house in the process. He scoffed embarrassingly, at least knowing the eerier way they were smiling at him this couldn't be real. Hollie hung above him on the roof, shaking his abandoned flowering weeds at him. He shifted away, folding his arms and attempting to ignore them.

"_No chance, no way…" _He snarled, looking over his shoulder. _"I won't say it no, no-" _He jumped backwards in alarm as Bonny appeared right in front of him, her dark eyes wide with happiness.

"_You swoon, you sigh!" _The girls echoed her, crowding around happily. "_Why deny it, oh oh?" _

"_It's too cliché!" _Bandit scoffed obviously, glaring at them hatefully. He despised how he was playing into their hands, but yet he spoke without even thinking, like he wasn't even saying the words. _"I won't say I'm in love-"_

He pushed away, tripping over his own feet as he felt them all around him. He bit his lip, suddenly feeling his real emotions cloud this fantasy.

"_I thought my heart had learned its lesson…" _He mumbled shyly aloud, looking down in shame. _"It feels so good when you start out…" _He shook his head, getting a grip on himself. "_My head is screaming get a grip, girl-" _He froze. Girl? The girls gathered around, smirking at him. _"Unless ya dying to cry your eyes out…" _He let out a pitiful sigh. _"Ohhh…" _

He tried to walk away, hearing their simpering reassurances echo musically in his ear.

"_You keep on denying,  
Who you are and how you're feeling,  
Baby, we're not buying,  
Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling-"_

Bandit turned back, his eyebrows raised at the four girls, who were singing close like angels, giving each other knowing looks as they grinned at him, looking as though they did this every day. He frowned, growling at them. They seemed to be jokingly scolding him.

_"Face it like a grown-up  
When ya gonna own up  
That ya got, got, got it baaaaad…_

"_No chance! No way!" _He snarled at them, glaring. _"I won't say it- no, NO!"_

"_Give up, give in…" _They all replied.

"_Check the grin, you're in loooove_!" Bonnie added, rewarded with agreeing flashes of smiles from the rest of the girl pack.

Bandit's lips parted in amazement. They still haven't given up. Didn't they know this was a dream?

"_This scene won't play…" _He grumbled. "_I won't say I'm in looove-"_

"_You're doin' flips, read our lips…" _The girls dismissed airily, ignoring him. Bandit stomped his foot in a huff. This was HIS dream! Hollie especially gave him a mockng smirk. "_You're in love!" _

"_Youre way off base, I won't say it!" _Bandit retorted. "_Get off my case I won't say it!"_

He turned around again and sank grumpily to the floor, feeling the familiar tears scratch at his eyes as he realised he was fighting a losing battle. He heard the softened voices behind him, the girls had lowered to his level and were now adopting a soothing tone, their presense now warm and friendly. He looked over. Mushi- her light blue eyes sparkling with sincerity, was holding out his haphazard array of weeds he had pulled from the ground, a peace offering.

"_Don't be proud…" _They seemed to whisper. "_It's okay, you're in loooove…"_

Bandit took it meekly, managing to smile as he held in close, like a makeshift bouquet.

"_At least out loud…" _He mumbled defeated. _"I won't say I'm in…love." _

The girls seemed to sink around him in a comforting hug, his own array of angels that barely knew the real dramas he was going through, yet in his own world they knew just what to say. Bandit closed his eyes, enjoying this moment one last time before shifting back into reality. He could almost feel Trent in front of him, walking through the maze of junk just to get to him. He blinked, his lips parting. No…

He was positive it was Trent. And the warm feelings… They were real too!

Bandit's eyes jumped open, his fingers encased tightly around his ipod, the covers around him laying still, and his lips parted, sending shockwaves of emotions through his body, warm, familiar, tingles of…

He squeaked, blinking again to make sure. Trent flew back, his own eyes wide with alarm. He snapped a hand to his mouth, which was still agape. Bandit jumped up, staring at his best friend with wide, deep ocean blue eyes. Trent stared back, those empty grey eyes now filled with feelings, swimming and misting with immediate fear and worry, swelling with anger at himself. Badnti's face had morphed from horrified to confusion and disbelief.

"You…" Bandit's lips twitched as he raised his fingers, running them across his still wet lips just to make sure. A smile grew where his fingers prodded, and glee spread across his face. Trent stood stock still- still shocked at what he'd just done.

"You _kissed me…" _Bandit whispered, still in awe.

* * *

Dingo watched his girl sleep, watching the way her wavy brown hair fluttered with every gentle breath, the way her swollen stomach rose and fell as she dreamed, he was afraid to blink for fear of waking up and her not being there. He kept thinking he was in a dream, any second he would wake up and find her gone…surely he wasn't deserving of something so beautiful and perfect…

He placed a hand on her stomach, where her own hand rested. Her fingers were so soft and slender, stretching across her stomach and twitching as she breathed- she was perfect to him, so dainty and whole. The complete package- flawless and refined. He gazed at that hand, those fingers, for the longest time…before he sighed, his body slumping with sudden tiredness as he slipped out of bed, his toes curling against the plush carpet of Abby's childhood room. He looked over his shoulder at her perfect figure, gently placed against the mattress, as he made his way out into the hallway, running a hand through his unruly black hair.

He had a lot to think about.

****

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* * *

**

Wallabee heaved a deep sigh, kicking at the stone pathway he was currently trying to follow. Gripping at his hair, he tugged with frustration, his teeth gnawing into his bottom lip the same way his nerves were clawing at his stomach. He couldn't help but feel flushed at the enormous pressure he felt upon him- all of his emotions piling on his shoulders as he stared up at the house before him- a place he called home.

Faint memories of last night crept back to him, and he wasn't sure if he felt any guilt or regrets attached. After all, here was the home where it all began- his mother and father had not moved once since being here, this was their first house, after all. He never thought of it as Dingo's as well…the first home his own brother knew as well as him…memories he never knew existed within those very walls…

He snarled, wincing as he was reminded of how many times he'd seen Dingo issue the exact same growl. He hated the fact he had taken all his anger out on his mother and father, when he knew they couldn't have known, and if they did they wouldn't have known too much, and it wasn't their responsibility anyway…after all…he wasn't a kid anymore. So he braced himself- his hands curling into fists and his back stiff- as he climbed the stairs and knocked on the door, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his favourite orange hoodie and heaving a final sigh.

Allie shuffled to the door, pulling her dressing gown tighter around her. She had spent a thoroughly relaxing day at home- never crossing the front door and instead trying to bask in an atmosphere of bubble baths, hot cocoas and soap operas…but still she had the same worries on her mind- the same that had been making her head throb since the moment she woke up. She fretted about Wally, Abby, Dingo, the baby…every little aspect of the situation was making her sick with worry. She had no idea what was going on and she completely blamed herself…she was the mother…she should have known what to do…

She yawned, running a hand through her messy hair as she opened the front door. Nine 'o'clock at night… who would be calling at this hour?

She blinked in alarm as she took in the figure on her doorstep. Her heart fluttered with hope and slight excitement as she gazed into those familiar deep green eyes- framed by that sunshine coloured hair that glistened under the harsh porch light.

"Wally!" She gaped, her gaze softening as she took in his face- expressionless. Her heart gave another nervous twang. Was he angry? Sad? Hateful? Anxious? She bit her lip, nervously stepping aside and holding in a breath of relief as he accepted, walking over the threshold of his childhood home. "Um…" She bit her lip, grinding her teeth together as she struggled to find the words.

"I need to talk to you." Wally said easily, looking directly into her wide eyes. "You and Dad. Now, if you could."

She dug her teeth in deeper, only managing to nod as she turned back into the kitchen, where she knew Derek still sat at the dinner table going through some files for work, looking pleasantly calm apart from some light shadows locked under his eyes from lack of sleep. Allie felt guilty at this- she knew it was because he'd been up all night comforting her and soothing her worried sobs. Wally's emotions weren't exactly soothing her- he seemed steely cold and steady, watching his parents through garded eyes as he sat by his father at the table, Allie taking a slow and steady place opposite him. Derek looked up with slight shock, his eyes wide as his gaze switched from his wife to his son.

"Wallabee wants to talk to us." Allie mumbled shyly, her eyes wide and apprehensive as she clasped her hands together, bracing for whatever was to come. Derek slid his reading glasses off, turning to give his son a tired and slightly stern glare, one which Wally eagerly returned.

"Son." He grumbled lightly. "Do you…really have to set it up like this? We are your family…your mother's-"

"You owe me at least this much." Wallabee snapped back, his expression remaning stony. A year ago he would never have spoken to his parents like that…but he could see them now as equals- as everyday adults just like he was growing to be…they had faults just like everyone else, and he wanted to address them as soon as possible. He hated secrets. He growled as he looked at them both directly. He knew that much.

"I wanna know what happened to make Dingo hate me so much." He snarled. "I have a right to know. I shouldn't have to wait until we're locked up in a jail cell to be told." He added gravely. His father flinched at that, but Allie remained calm, even looking remotely grateful as she swallowed, giving Derek a quick knowing glance before she answered.

"Wally…" She began softly. Wally held back a wince, now feeling slightly guilty as that motherly voice of hers reached his ears.

_Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh… _He started to scold himself, turning back to look at her kind face.

"Dingo sees you as competition…" She said soothingly, quietly and softly. The same voice she used to calm him down after he'd had a fight at school. "He's your older brother, he sees you as the favourite…to him…" She sighed sadly. "To him, you were the sole reason I left him with Jake- his real father. That's not the case, but seeing as he didn't know you…" She gave the tiniest of smiles. "It was easier for him to blame you than blame his own mother."

"Why did he leave?" Wally asked bluntly, his eyes narrowing. "I don't even remember him, despite the fact he has a picture of me-"

"He kept that?" Allie mumbled in a hushed, shocked voice. She sat silent, still amazed. Derek swallowed nervously, looking thoroughly nervous and guilty as he realised it was his turn to speak.

"We didn't get along." He whispered. "On account of the…history and…well…circumstance…of his birth."

Wally blinked, blankly urging him to continue.

"Well…" Allie bit her lip. "It's…it's a long story, Wallabee…really."

"I've got time." Wally muttered back, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms expectantly.

The married couple looked at each other, exchanging looks as the memories flooded back.

* * *

Dingo flicked his lighter, hunching over against the cool night air. He frowned, watching the flame burn brightly before he flicked it off again, left with only darkness. He hadn't had a cigarette for a couple of days now, and he was sure this time he would be able to quit. He hoped so.

So much was changing around him, and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to take. Dingo Beatles…he was always the one in charge, the one in control- he hated being anything otherwise. But this was different, he wanted this…Abby, his baby, his family…

"_Oh…I didn't know anybody else was out here."_

Dingo jumped in alarm, whirling around to see Dr. Lincoln standing behind him. He jumped to his feet immediately, his eyes wide and nervous. It was his natural reaction with fathers, _run away. _

"Uh…yeah…" Dingo mumbled, his hand going to the back of his head sheepishly. He felt awkward- clad in just his PJ bottoms on the back porch of the family home. "I couldn't sleep."

"Well…" Dr Lincoln looked away awkwardly, clutching at his glass of water. "Me neither, really."

Dingo looked down guiltily. The poor guy sounded so defeated and tired, he couldn't help but think of himself responsible for the man's stress.

"Sorry…" He mumbled automatically.

"Oh, not your fault!" He chuckled suddenly, and Dingo looked up hopefully. The man flashed him a kind smile. He looked joyous. "I can never sleep without a glass of warm milk…but we don't have any left so…"

He trailed off, and the two sat in silence. Dingo shuffled his feet awakrdly, nibbling on his bottom lip.

"So…you're from Australia?" He asked with interest.

"Yeah…" Dingo mumbled, looking up. "I live there with my Dad…"

"Oh, what does he do?"

Dingo wrinkled his nose. "Uh…He…" He sighed. "He's had a lot of jobs…but mostly he works with cars…"

He began to secretly pray that Abby's father didn't ask about his father's 'other jobs' which included bartender, carnival worker, drug dealer and security guard…all jobs which Dingo was there with him.

"Interesting."

"Yeah…" Dingo mumbled. "My family's…not as close as yours…"

"Well…" Dr Lincoln looked over. "You're pretty much a part of the family now."

Dingo looked up, his emerald eyes wide and gleaming hopefully. He felt a warm feeling sweep in his chest, and he looked for any traces of lying in the doctor's face. There was none.

"I…I wanted to talk to you about that." Dingo suddenly blurted out, unable to keep it in any longer. He couldn't help it- everything that was going on…Abby, the baby, her family, his family…it was all going by so fast and he wanted to grab it, hold onto it and never let it go…he wanted this.

He knew he did.

"Talk to me about what?" Dr. Lincoln asked politely, tilting his head with curiosity.

"About…me asking for your…permission…" Dingo stuttered, swallowing nervously. "Your…blessing, I guess…"

Dr. Lincoln blinked, politely waiting. "For…?"

Dingo gulped, swallowing nervously as he bit down on his lip, heaving a sigh.

"For me…asking Abby…" he looked into his face, those green eyes widening nervously. "To be my wife…"

* * *

**I know it was SO corny to have Bandit with that song (and I guess kinda weird) but I couldn't help it! Its my favourite Disney song! :D even (amazingly) it beats "can you feel the love tonight" *sigh* (: If anyone has *GASP* NOT seen it…the youtube link's on my page ;P **

**Again- sorry about the wait. I'm trying to decide if I should have the next chapter totally devoted to the Beatles' past or not :) **

**Please review! xx Pretty please? **


	25. Chapter 25: For the Best

_Okay…this was about 55 pages and I still had a few scenes to go…so I split it into two parts for your viewing pleasure :P In about a week I'll submit the second part, but I have a BIG week coming up with so many uni assignments :( one I have to do all by myself because my partner dropped out of uni and left me with all the work- still have to hand it in the same date with the same contents just like everyone else! And a ten week journal, AND a 10 minute debate, AND a 2,000 word research project, all due in 1-2 weeks!_

_Someone do me a favour and shoot me. _

_Anyway, this chapter was always going to be massive :P I'm sorry this first part is a little boring (well…in my standards) but it's building up to the first part of the big climax- right after the talent show. And it was so big with 30,000 words+ I had to split it, which lowers the effect in my opinion but still makes it easier to take :) _

_I was however very sad that Wally's confrontation got cut out, I mean I know it's dissatisfying to see our Wally so down and defeated but it is coming up! I __PROMISE!_

_****And…I will give a warning. From here on, in the next few chapters, There will be Dread and there will be Jayden- meaning there will be blood, and instruments that result in blood, and violence- both physical, verbal (heavy swearing) and sexual (rape). I can't write smut, but I won't be doing the characters any justice if I don't…describe their evilness well I guess. Aaannnd there will be death. If people request it I will put a warning beforehand, but if it doesn't bother people it's just a friendly warning that bad things will happen…after all this is M…it's not all smiles in the M rated section :) ****_

* * *

1000GreenSun: Keehee! :#) Thank you! I love your enthusiasm, makes me smile like a goofy idiot and makes my family ask what the hell I'm smiling about XD I'm thrilled you like my characters! I hope you like the update :)

Laurie43: Aw :D YAY! I love hearing I make people smile, really warms me makes me feel all tingly inside ;P I hope you enjoy the update my lovely! x

comicfan209: hehe :) I'm sorry I didn't get to fit the confrontation in! I was disappointed, but its in the next one I promise! Enjoy the update for now!

simi838: Soundwave WAS amazing, and I recently saw Escape the Fate at NSW uni :D they're my favourite band so of course I was hysterical! I managed to get to the front row and I touched Craig's hand! AHHHHHHH! *hysterical moment* :) anyway back to the story, I hope you like the update! :P

Hey Jessi: Wow impressive! 8D Naw your love of my characters is so touching! Really touches my heart (((: Thank you so much! I really hope you like the update :P

Kuchiki-san urahara: Aw good :) Good Speechless is good! Thanks for your opinions, mucho appreciato! :P Hope you like the update x

A New Side Of Awesome: Aw thank you! :D I hope you like the update just as much! Enjoy! (:

tmcala: Naw thank you (: I hope you like the update, much more coming up soon!

Apples Go Boom: Aw yay! :D Naw thank you so much! I love my Dodgem too, and don't worry he'll show his kickass side ;P Hope you enjoy the chapter, a lot more drama coming up! xx

numbuh310alltheway: Aw thank you! :D I'm thrilled to hear someone loves the classics as much as I do! And I do spoil Bandit, he gets all my Disney ;) Enjoy!

* * *

Wallabee sat up in bed, leaning against the headboard with his emerald green eyes rolling around slowly within their sockets- taking in every detail of the room he was in. His childhood bedroom…so many memories that existed within these walls…being in this room alone could take him back to when he was only a kid, only a teenager… back when he used to sneak out at nights, sneak Abby back in, hide alcohol under his bed and teach Joey the basic moves of self defence for bullies at school… so many countless moments that were within the confinements of these walls. It was amazing, when he thought of it…just like his mother's story about her past, how it had all come together with so many memories that still stuck with her all these years, despite being decades old. It was the same with his memories… all moments in life that formed who he was, just like the moments that had formed his room… It wouldn't be his room without the memories, just like it wouldn't be his life without the past behind it.

He groaned, sinking back down into the pillows and closing his eyes. He was getting a headache just thinking about it. He knew what he had to do…hearing about what happened didn't make any difference. Sure, it had numbed the sharp pain of immediately anger and betrayal, but it still existed within him- just bubbling and turning until he was ready to release it to the right person- and Dingo was right in his sights.

He winced as he thought back to when he'd first found out about Dingo…the bastard had contacted him in the first place! He was taken aback at how cold his brother had been towards him, just finding out about what he was doing and where he was staying seemed regular routine to him, and he seethed as he realised probably the only reason Dingo kept in contact with him was because he'd found something within his own interests…his own girlfriend. Probably screwing her just so he could get his own twisted revenge.

And _Abby. _Wally growled to himself. She'd gone along with it. And she was supposed to be his _friend. _She alone went behind his back to fuck his own brother. He couldn't put it any more simply than that. No matter the excuse, that's what she did. There couldn't possibly be a logical excuse in _that. _

He squeezed his eyes closed ones again as images filled his head, and a heavy sense of betrayal seemed to weight him down. He couldn't get over it, not right away at least. Sure, he had Kuki…but Abby was still his friend, and now he just couldn't see her that way. Three years…down the drain. Three years, and all he could see her now was on her back, all over Dingo like some rash…

He shuddered, grimacing as he threw off his blankets and shuffling down the hall to the bathroom, still with that disgusted look on his face.

He needed a shower.

* * *

Patton laced up his sneakers as he gazed at the fresh sunrise on the horizon, hinting at a fresh weekend and a brand new day. He rose from his position, stretching and placing his earphones in his ears, ready for his morning run. He'd been tense and frustrated for the last few days, and a run in the morning light seemed to be the only thing he could think of to calm him down. He thoughtfully looked over his shoulder at his friend's bedroom door, and a wicked smirk crossed his face as he made his way over, throwing the door open and jumping on his bed.

"_Owwww…."_ He heard Hoagie groan. "What the…" His head emerged from the jungle of blankets as he turned to glare at Patton, who happily grinned back. A pillow flew at his face and he ducked, still poking at the figure. "Go away!"

"Awww come on Hoags!" Patton snickered, shaking the sleeping figure. "Come for a run! You need to get out!"

Hoagie furiously tried beating him off, but his reflexes were less than perfect having just woken up, so he grumbled a defeated reply and threw off the covers, growling at Patton as he sat on his bed, grinning in triumph.

"You won't regret it, Hoags." Patton smirked. "It'll get rid of your frustration, and all the fitness hotties are out at this time of the morning you know…"

Hoagie snarled venomously as he kicked his sneakers out from underneath his bed, tugging them on grumpily as he issued his friend with a glare.

"I'm not interested in the _fitness hotties _Pat." He mumbled darkly. "I'm interested in getting you off my back. The quicker we do this the quicker I can get back to sleep-"

"Yeah, yeah." Patton gave his friend a knowing look as he watched him throw on a shirt. "Whatever. I can tell you're jumping at the chance to get buffed up. Who's the girl that you wanna impress? Do I know her? She bangin'?"

Hoagie gave him another furious glare as he stomped past, an annoyed expression still evident on his face. Images of Abby formed in his mind, and he immediately tried to push them aside.

_Am I that transparent? _He couldn't help but ask himself. He felt Patton slam a hnd to his back, and he turned to see that smug grin of his over his shoulder.

"C'mon Dude…" Patton smirked. "You can tell me."

"I could…" Hoagie put delicately, rolling his eyes carefully. But before Patton knew what was happening Hoagie had bolted for the door, throwing it open and taking off down the hall.

"_But you'll have to keep up with me first!" _He could her Hoagie down the hall. Patton blinked with shock, bewildered, before a sly grin crept up his face, and he rushed out to follow him.

"YOU'RE ON!"

* * *

Rachel's golden blonde hair flew behind her as she hurried down the hallway, fumbling with her keys as she shoved them quickly into her door, closing it behind her as she scrambled in, still with her phone pressed against her ear.

"_Ugh…" _She whined again, talking over the chattering girl on the other line. "Teresa, how can a talent show be this disorganized? This is _insane. _I'm not even studying event management- this isn't even my deal, I can't-" She stopped, holding open the fridge door as she listened to the student on the other line. "Well…." She bit her lip. "If it gets me extra credit I guess I can help out a little...when is it again?" It was at this unfortunate moment that she went to take a sip of juice out of a carton in the refrigerator, and upon hearing Teresa's response she choked on the acidic, fruity taste and spat out half of it on the counter, her hazel eyes widening in shock.

"_TONIGHT?"_ She squeaked into the phone, wiping at the juice that dripped off her chin. "How can it be _tonight? _There's hardly been any publicity for it- just posters and announcements- nothing on the college radio or-" She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "And _how _long have you been planning this?"

She threw her hands up in the air and shook her head, completely giving up as she listened to the juvenile, worried whimpers on the other side. Sometimes, she felt she was the only leader among a group of children.

"Fine, _fine." _She grumbled into the phone. "Gimmie an hour and I'll be there to get everything sorted, okay?" Without waiting for a response she snapped the phone closed, gave a quick growl and stomped off towards her roommate's room, anxious to gather as many teammates as possible in this battle. She quickly starting typing a new message as she walked, sending Nigel an SOS. Unfortunately, the blonde had yet to master the sacred art of texting and walking, and she ran smack bang into a body that suddenly stepped out in front of her from the bathroom. Her body, despite being fit and athletic, was no match for the sturdy muscle of who she had just collided with, and she fell towards the floor, feeling as though she had run into a brick wall.

"I'm sorry!" Dodge squeaked, grabbing the blonde by the arms to stop her from falling. Sometimes he forgot how broad his shoulders were. Rachel blinked in alarm at the obstruction in front of her- half naked, wet from the shower, her best friend's boyfriend- gazing at her with worried icy blue eyes. She stiffened, her own eyes widening at the close proximity of his toned and tanned chest. All she could do was blink at it, dumbfounded, as Dodge still kept her from falling, a confused and concerned expression on his face. "You okay?" He asked her.

"Why…yes…" Rachel burbled, shaking herself from the spell as she stepped back, Dodge letting go easily as she swayed slightly on the spot, gaining back the feeling of gravity. "Don't…" She shook her head again, walking off still in a daze from the collision. "Don't do that…"

"_Sorry…"_ Dodge mumbled sheepishly, biting down on his pouting bottom lip. He felt awkward enough staying at Fanny's place, but she had insisted that he got to know her life a bit more. He obliged, any excuse to wake up to her, but he still felt a little uneasy with her friends. They were from different worlds, different lifestyles…and he was never good at making friends. He followed the blonde into the small kitchen; Rachel smirking as she quickly grabbed a notepad and paper, tapping the pages with her blue ballpoint as she mulled around some ideas in her head.

"Do you need any help?" Dodge asked hopefully, fidgeting awkwardly as he leaned against the small counter. Rachel grinned, turning to give him a kind look over her shoulder.

"I need a whole army." She smirked. "Can I count on you?"

Dodge returned the grin, raising his hand in a mock salute. "Yeah…sure."

Rachel gave him a grateful grin, but her sharp hazel eyes suddenly stilled, her eyebrows contracting as her glare narrowed in on his hand, which was still raised. Dodge froze, stiffening automatically as he realised what she was looking at.

"And what…" She gasped eagerly, leaping forward with a knowing smirk. "_Is that?'_

"Nothing!" Dodge mumbled, but sadly it came out as a nervous squeak. He hid his wrist behind his back, but Rachel was already giving him a calculating grin, nibbling at her bottom lip as she held back an excited squeak.

"_Omigawd!"_ She gaped, her eyes wide. Dodge stepped back awkwardly, his own eyes wide. It was as though it was an engagement ring. She stared at him, her lips agape. "I can't believe you _got _that! Is that real? Does she-"

"She doesn't know yet!" Dodge grumbled, his hand covering it. "I keep it covered, I don't want her to find out- I don't want to scare her-"

"You won't!" Rachel smirked, still touched _for _her friend. "It's sweet, it is! You should tell her-"

He shook his head, cheeks darkening as he looked away. He really was afraid, although he hated to admit it. He was starting to regret getting the stupid tattoo in the first place, Dingo and Abby had no problems with each other, but rarely Dodge got a relationship he loved, and it was the very first time he ever felt this way about a girl and it was going so well…he knew he could screw it up…he always did. He just didn't want this to end, and he had a feeling it would be too much for his Cherry to handle.

"I don't want to ruin what we got…" He muttered, his eyes wide. 'I just wanna remember her, you know? I won't ever forget her, she's everything to me and I just want to show her how special she is to me…" He sighed, glancing at the inscription of ink on his wrist. It was simple and scrawled right across his wrist- black, curvy signature of '_Cherry_' followed by two bright red cherries connected with a stem. He liked it- he sketched it himself and it reminded him of his girl- the nickname _he _gave her- showing the special bond that he only shared with her. "I wanna be romantic about it, just so she knows it's just how much I care about her…sh-she doesn't have to get one for me, or anything, I just want the timing to be right…"

"_Naw…"_ Rachel cooed, grinning at the shy look on the usually tough, fierce guy's face. "That's so cute!"

The two suddenly jumped in alarm as they heard the bedroom door close behind them and Fanny stood in the hallway, freshly dressed and gazing at both of them with a sly smirk. Dodge froze, recognizing the look she was giving him- her deep dark eyes eyeing him knowingly. She'd heard every word.

"And…" She smirked. "The timing is perfect to me."

* * *

Abby sat at her old desk, her eyes glazing over the collage of photos that littered her walls. Memories flashed by her at alarming speed- all framed perfectly and outlined with stickers and mementos. Countless movie tickets, souvenirs, wrist bands… all brought together with smiling faces and red eyes from the flashes of the camera. She could recognise every face… Posing with Nigel at graduation, kissing Wally at prom, hugging Rachel at a pep rally, her arm around Kuki at the beach, Hoagie, Fanny and her linking arms on their first day at college, a family photo with Cree while the two gripped each other tightly..

She sighed, lowering her gaze to the manila folder in front of her. She gingerly took out her latest ultrasound, delicately pushing a pin into the top of the photo and pushing it into one of the empty spaces of her wall. Sighing, she examined this new piece of her life- on show for all to see. It was different, it would take some getting used to…but it made her smile, just like all the other pictured memories.

She propped her chin up onto her palm as she took it in… her other hand on her swollen stomach. She was growing quite big- her stomach stuck out just as much as her breasts did, and everyone noticed and stared at the campus. There wasn't much she could do to hide it and honestly she didn't want to, she didn't want the baby inside her to be judged on her apparent mistake.

"_No!" _

Abby jumped as she heard a low growl, almost like a moan, and she looked over in alarm only to hold back a loud scoff, her hand covering her mouth. Dingo was still fast asleep spread across the mattress like the bed hog he was, his black hair covering his eyes but his lips agape, his face twitching and snarling as he jerked in his sleep.

"_Give it back…" _he snarled in his sleep, his hand contracting into a fist as he clawed at his pillow. _"I swear I'll pummel you…gimmie…the…I'll hurt…cut you good-"_

Abby dissolved into silent giggles as she gazed at the man she had fallen in love with, as crazy as it seemed. He was kicking and growling in his sleep, making threats to the air as he tossed and turned. She couldn't imagine _what _he was dreaming about, but she couldn't imagine it was anything good. She listened in, nibbling on her bottom lip to stop the burst of laughter. Dingo clenched at her blankets, frowning as he cuddled them tighter.

"_No…." _He mumbled, suddenly sounding upset. It sounded like a whimper. _"Don't hurt him…"_

Abby's eyes widened, her face suddenly troubled.

"_Not RIP!" _He whined. _"Not Rip! Noooo!" _He thrashed about wildly as Abby broke, not able to hold in the laughter anymore as she realised what her boyfriend was dreaming about. _"I'm TELLING!" _He added, growling into the pillow. unable to take it anymore Abby approached the bed, grabbing at his closed fist and with the other hand cupping his face, still with a large grin on her face.

"Dingo!" She laughed, smirking to herself. "Dingo, wake up!"

Dingo gave a final growl before his lids flickered, opening hesitantly in the bright room. His emerald eyes glowed brilliantly in the mornings, charged and refreshed. Abby's kind smile hung above him, and he returned it, dazed. His eyes travelled to where she held his raised fist, and he frowned, taken aback.

"You were having a nightmare." She told him gently, but still with that joking smirk clear on her face. Her fingers travelled upwards to his hair, running a few fingers through it and tickling his scalp. "You okay?"

"Fine…" Dingo snarled, his cheeks suddenly darkening as he dropped his hand, sitting up sheepishly. He knew he talked in his sleep, and he cringed at the memories he had of this embarrassing habit. His friends loved to stay up at sleepovers just so they could watch him, especially when they were older as it was apparently more funny when drunk, and even his own _father _would video him as blackmail. It was humiliating and Dingo hated it, it always came out when he was emotional and had nobody to hold in sleep. He cast Abby a suspicious look, and she only smiled sweetly back, her brown eyes twinkling lightheartedly. He folded his arms, pouting as he glared at her. "What did I say?" he mumbled grumpily.

Abby's smile widened, patting his leg as she rose from the bed. "Nothing too embarrassing."

"Good." Dingo snarled, but in one quick movement he'd pounced over to drag her back down to the bed, guiding her into his arms for a tight hug. As he couldn't constrict her stomach, his arms bounded her chest, and Abby gagged for air as she wrestled with his anaconda-like grip.

"_Dingo…" _She growled to him, but couldn't resist a sly smirk all the same. "I have to get ready-"

"It's only eight-thirty…" Dingo pouted, kissing the outer shell of her ear. Abby shivered, the sensation rippling through her skin teasingly. "We can stay in bed all day…"

"I wish…" Abby sighed, and reality suddenly hit her like a fast-moving freight train. She pushed against Dingo's loving hold, her face slackening as she processed the task ahead. "I…I have to tell Wally today. About the baby, about us…" She broke off, hating the mere _thought _of it- having to say it was ten times as worse, and the guilt seemed to creep back to her. Her hands lowered to her almost six month old stomach, cupping the swollen belly for comfort, assurance she was doing the right thing. Dingo's hands followed hers, his fingers entwining with hers as he kissed her shoulder, tilting his head so he could face her from behind.

"You're doing the right thing, baby." He assured her softly, and he held her closer as he saw tears ripple in those chocolate coloured eyes. "It's for the best."

"I know…" Abby mumbled shakily, heaving a sigh as if to calm herself. "But…It's still hard…" She bit her lip, turning to face him. "And…I think it's best if I go alone, you know? Us together might be too much, like rubbing it in…and I don't want any more fights."

Dingo seemed to pout, quickly morphing his expression into one of understanding. But he wasn't quick enough, and Abby narrowed her eyes at the disappointment.

"Your baby doesn't like it." She pressed, frowning. Dingo just smirked back proudly.

"Which one?" He asked, diving in for another line of kisses to her neck. Abby couldn't hold in her sheepish smirk, but shook him off and morphed into seriousness again.

"I like that, though…" Dingo grinned at her, his fingers tickling her body. _"My _baby…as in _mine. _As in, the property of Dingo Beatles, as in-"

"Don't get carried away." Abby lectured him, scoffing. But Dingo was hardly with her.

"As in _my _girlfriend, and _my _kid, and _my _baby, as both these babies are _mine. _Only _mine _to hug and kiss, and be with. _My _babies who I can finally do couple-y things with. _Mine. _Belonging to _me-"_

"Ok, you've pressed the point." Abby talked over him, her eyebrows raising. "You've asserted your male dominance and I am now the sole property of you, I am yours." Her eyes flashed teasingly, and she gave him a smug smirk. "Now can you let me get dressed?"

Dingo pulled her back, still grinning. "Wait, not yet…Say that again."

Abby frowned. "What?"

"The part about…you…" He gave her a smug smirk. "Being…somebody's?"

"Ugh!" She scoffed, throwing him off as she started for a shower. She couldn't help but return the smirk as she turned around to face him, where he was propped up on the bed looking so proud of himself. "You get dressed too!" She smirked, her tongue between her teeth as she gave him a cheeky, satisfied smile. "You need to go home and see if _Rip_'s okay, as you sounded so distraught before." She gave him a concerned look over her shoulder before turning around, giggling to herself as she closed the door to the bathroom.

_3…2…1_

On cue, she could hear Dingo through the door.

"_AWWWW!" _He groaned loudly, burying his face in the pillow behind him, his face burning with embarrassment.

* * *

"What do you mean, _the speakers are faulty_?" Rachel demanded, her eyes as wide as saucers. She groaned, shaking her head and sighing in defeat. "Okay, okay. I don't care- just get them _fixed!" _

She shooed away a member of the AV club before turning back to her friends behind her, a snarl in place. Dodge bit his lip nervously, but Fanny just gave her friend a sly smile.

"Having fun?"

"I'm just grateful I'm getting extra credit for this…" Rachel snarled, returning back to her clipboard. "Otherwise I swear I would be outta here so fast…"

As the blonde carried off rambling intelligible threats into her clipboard Fanny gave Dodge a reassuring smile, squeezing his hand.

"_See?"_ She muttered silently. "_She's not so scary…"_

"_Kinda like Dingo…"_ Dodge scoffed, matching her whisper. "_Bark's worse than their bite."_

"_Uh…you don't wanna make her bite, though."_ Fanny smirked, winking.

"_Yeah…same with D."_ Dodge smirked back.

"…_Then_ who would have been head of the high school spirit team, huh?" Rachel shook her head as she finished her empty threats, her eyes gazing back to the notes on her chipboard. "Anyway…" Her hazel eyes gazed at the couple over the top of her board thoughtfully. She tapped her pen against the wood, nibbling her bottom lip. "Guess you guys can start by helping set up the decorations- extra chairs, signs, banners, all that stuff that…well, you know-"

"…Doesn't require skills?" Fanny smirked. Rachel gave her a playful slap on the arm, rolling her eyes.

"Just get to work, slaves."

There was a crash behind her as an amplifier fell to the ground, harsh feedback ringing in everybody's ears. Rachel grew stormy, launching into 'leader' mode as she stomped over, looking murderous.

"Go get 'em tiger!" Fanny grinned, her fist pumping into the air in a salute.

"I guess she's already got them under control…" A strong British accent sounded behind them and Fanny turned, flashing a sly grin at Nigel, who had just entered behind them.

"Oh yeah…" Fanny nodded, the three of them watching the show as Rachel lectured all of them in how to handle the equipment. "No wonder they wanted her for the job, nobody can boss people around like Rach."

"Don't I know it." Nigel scoffed.

"Well…except maybe you." Fanny laughed, nudging him. Nigel playfully nudged back, the two friends chuckling at each other as Dodge stood off to the side, feeling awkward. Fanny noticed and gave him a sly grin, grabbing his arm and pulling him closer. "Don't think you can escape from this hard labour." She flashed Nigel a sheepish smirk. "Nigel you remember Dodge, right?"

"Faintly." The Brit mumbled, but gave him a friendly smile regardless. Dodge returned it, shuffling his sneakers as he gripped his girl's hand.

"Enough chit chat!" Fanny grinned, clapping both boys on the back and leading them over to the side table, where boxes of props were set up to be prepped. "Now let's get down to some hard labour!" She threw a nervous look over her shoulder. "Before Rach sends us to janitorial duty-"

"I _heard _that!" Rachel shouted over the hall. The trio buried their heads in the boxes, trying to muffle their laughter.

* * *

Hoagie and Patton screeched to a halt outside the college café, huffing and puffing trying to catch their breath. Leaning against one of the pillars of the building, Hoagie still managed to give his friend an icy cold glare through his sweaty chestnut bangs. Patton still managed to give him a smirk, clutching a stitch in his ribs.

"_I…hate…you…" _Hoagie managed to gasp.

"No…you don't…" Patton muttered between pants. "You…love me."

Hoagie could only muster a furious glare and a feeble kick in his friend's direction as they caught their breath, Patton finally straightening after a few minutes and fixing his slightly sweaty clothing and running a hand through his hair. "C'mon…" He smirked, slapping his friend on the back as he made his way into the shop. "I'll buy you a coffee."

"Make it a milkshake." Hoagie added, still giving him a scathing look. Patton scoffed as they reached the counter.

"But then that run was for nothing!"

"I ran all that way!" Hoagie countered, sneering at him. "I better be rewarded with _something!"_

Patton rolled his eyes, but he couldn't deny his friend had a point, and soon the two friends were happily slurping on a large milkshake each as they sat in a booth in the corner, grateful at a chance to finally sit down. Patton still watched his friend, however, and as he put the cup down and studied Hoagie closely he could see something was obviously wrong.

"So are you gonna tell me?" Patton asked bluntly, his eyebrows rising expectantly. Hoagie's own eyes narrowed, his chest suddenly constricting with nerves as Patton gave him a knowing look.

"Tell you what?" Hoagie mumbled, slurping up the last of his milkshake in a defeated way. Patton grinned expectantly.

"What's been up your ass recently?" Patton scoffed. "You can't deny something's bothering you, Hoags. And keeping it bottled up inside is doing you no favours."

Hoagie wrinkled his nose as he could feel his frustration rise. Everyone around him always had the same question- _what's wrong?- _And he could never have the heart to tell anyone what was really bothering him. What would it change, anyway? He faced the fact long ago Abby had chosen someone over him, and he had moved on from that senseless crush only a few months ago when he went out with Fanny, and again with Bonny. So what was the problem? His head drooped. He knew the problem. A baby was the problem- and Dingo was the problem. It seemed so unfair, as if Dingo had trapped Abby in something she couldn't get out of- something she couldn't escape from. She was stuck with him for life, and Dingo had simply waltzed into her life and snatched her from everyone's friendly hold with ease, and now he was reaping the awards. Abby stuck with him forever… it made Hoagie sick to think that that two faced, lying, cheating, tattooed, stupid, ignorant, aggressive, moronic-

"Hoags!"

He jumped with alarm, realising he was squeezing his empty milkshake cup so hard he'd completely crumpled it within his fist. He let go of it sheepishly, sighing in defeat as Patton's eyes seemed to widen with shock at the reaction.

"I…I love a girl I can't have…" Hoagie grumbled simply, sighing deeply as he admitted it. Saying out loud made it sound so simple. "Happy?"

Patton frowned. "Why…Why can't you have her?" He mumbled. "Can't you just…fight for her?"

"It isn't that simple…" Hoagie muttered. "She's got a baby by someone else."

"Oh…" Patton shared his friend's look of disappointment as he tried to gather up some reassuring phrases to cheer his friend up. "That sucks, Hoags."

"Yeah…" Hoagie growled. "It does."

"Well…" Patton rolled his eyes as he tried to think. "Look, you got a long life ahead of you- there's no need for you to get into _that _mess when there're loads of other girls out there, you need to concentrate on having _fun…_not finding the girl of your dreams! None of us should be looking for our soul mate…" he bit his lip, suddenly realising how true the words were. "I mean…we're only young…we should be… having fun, not getting married and having kids…" He smirked. "We'll have the rest of our lives to have _that _on our shoulders."

Hoagie gave him a feeble smile. "Yeah…and I really don't want to get involved in that…" But he still looked downcast as he continued. "But she means so much to me, and the guy- I don't trust him at all-"

"But that's her choice." Patton shrugged. "You can't help that in someone Hoagie…if she couldn't see you for how brilliant you are, she wasn't the girl for you…" He smirked. 'Other girls see it, Hoagie. Ones who will be willing to give themselves to you and only you. Just think about that, don't think about stuff you can't change."

Hoagie digested this, finally sighing with defeat. "You're right." He mumbled. He couldn't change the situation; all he could do was accept it.

"Be there for her…" Patton grinned. "You can still be friends, still keep her close right? And if it's meant to happen…it'll happen!" He smirked. "But I think there's another girl out there for you, Hoagie. A girl with a clean slate!"

Hoagie wrinkled his nose. He didn't like that way of thinking it- that Abby had been spoiled or stained…somehow she wasn't 'pure' anymore… He still thought of her as innocent and sweet Abby, who would never do anything to hurt anyone and was always there when he needed her…

But Patton was right…

If it's meant to happen…it'll happen.

Hoagie's phone buzzed in his pocket and he withdrew it, flicking the lid open to see a new text message from Nigel.

_S.O.S from Rach- need help in the hall setting up for the talent show?_

Hoagie smirked, quickly typing back a reply. Patton frowned, slurping up the last of the milkshake.

"What is it? Who's it from?"

"Uno." Hoagie grinned, slamming the phone back onto the table and returning to his drink. "We're heading over there to help out with the show."

Patton gaped, and Hoagie merely smirked back. _"We?"_

* * *

Fanny and Dodge stood together in the corner of the hall, making quick work of untangling a large ball of fairy lights to place on the walls. Dodge's fingers worked at working through the impossible knots, and Fanny stood by ready to wrap them in a neat ring around her wrist. Pretty soon they were done, and they handed the lights to Nigel who passed them to who was working at the walls up a ladder. Dodge draped his arms around his girl, heaving a small sigh into her shoulder before releasing her, Fanny whirling around and poking her tongue out in response. Dodge gave her a smirk in return, but still looked slightly troubled.

"What's up with you?" Fanny asked, a frown working into her features.

"I _am _really sorry about before…" Dodge mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as his icy blue eyes widened guiltily. "I didn't mean to spring it on you like that, you can be honest, you don't have to like it-"

"Are you kidding? Who wouldn't love it? I'm flattered, not freaked out." Fanny gave him a genuine smile as she nudged him lightly with her shoulder. "I really do love it; I just wish I could…" She bit her lip, hating how mushy she sounded. "Show you how much I love you… You've really outdone me." She gave a sly smirk as Dodge seemed to pout at her.

"I wanted it to be romantic though…" He mumbled.

"I bet you did." Fanny grinned. "But admit it- you were too scared to show me."

Dodge nudged her back playfully, but he felt a telltale blush crawl up his neck anyway. He couldn't help it- he felt so helpless against her. Fanny grinned back, her own blush tainting her cheeks. She still couldn't believe that script on Dodge's wrist was real- she couldn't believe he would actually do that for her. Sure, they _loved _each other- but to have that dedication, that feeling, on his body for life- it was something wonderful, something amazing, something special that Fanny still couldn't figure out. She hoped this feeling was never lost, and she hoped the connection she shared with her man would never be broken. She knew…deep down, that she didn't think she could live without him now that she had him. As she watched her beau closely, a warm smile spread across her face as she thought of just how speechless he made her, and usually she had _plenty _to say to any guy.

All she could do was throw her arms around him in a sweet embrace, Dodge scoffing in surprise but nevertheless returning it, wrapping his arms around her and even lifting her off the ground so her sneakers dangled. She kissed his neck as he gently lowered her to the ground, a goofy grin plastered over his face.

"_Sorry to interrupt."_

Dodge's icy blue eyes rose at the voice, and they immediately hardened at the sight of Patton, who returned the hard gaze. Hoagie stood off to the side, and he could almost feel a chill engulf the room at the cold gazes the boys were giving each other, Fanny letting go of Dodge and turning to face them, a warm smile on her face as she walked over to greet the two boys.

"Hey guys." She smirked, her thumbs hooking into the pockets of her jeans. "Guess Rachel recruited you guys too, huh?"

"Yeah." Patton suddenly grinned at the sight of her, the chore ahead less grueling with the thought of Fanny around. The sight of the fiery redhead, her casual clothing that she managed to wear as if it were the sexiest lingerie, drove him crazy, and her face- not covered in any makeup, instead glowing bright with natural freckles cutely littering her cheeks- gazing up at him like that, he had to fight back just to grab her and kiss her, never letting her go.

Dodge glared daggers at the pair, well aware of the dark eyes that were practically _undressing _his girl. His fingers flexed into a fist, his fingernails digging into his palms as he tried to hold himself back. He bit his lip anxiously, looking down in sheepish alarm. _No…hold…back…_

"Yeah…" Hoagie added, and he frowned at the tension between the two, and he was surprised Fanny couldn't sense it. Dodge was nearing murderous; the look in his icy blue eyes seemed to hint that he was ready to swallow him whole. They had neared the colour of a dark blue. He lightened up immediately at the sight of Nigel, grabbing him and dragging him into the small group with a hopeful grin. "Uno! Just the man I wanted to see! So where do we start? Rachel said you guys needed some help with some things-?"

"Oh yeah." The Brit grinned, greeting the pair with a grateful smile. "Thanks for coming, guys. What we need is, uh, two of you to take those heavy boxes to the storage closet down the hall-" With this, he pointed to the far hallway, which lead into the storage closets. "And the other two, I gotta get some help with the stage checklist." The poor guy sighed as he looked it over. "I don't get it at all, and I have no idea where to find this stuff-"

Fanny cast him a sympathetic look, looking over his shoulder. "Well, I helped out with the musical last year, I know where we can find this stuff…"

Patton's eyes lit up, immediately stepping forward to volunteer to accompany the pair, but Dodge's reflexes were quicker, and he gave his girl a reassuring grin, masking the inner fury that was burning in the pit of his stomach.

"And me and _Pat _can grab those boxes." He grinned, turning to Patton with that fake smile plastered on his face. "Think you can handle that?"

Fanny looked up, giving her boyfriend a genuine smile. She was impressed, she knew how much Dodge hated Patton, and she had lectured him before on giving him a chance and being nice to him. She didn't think he'd actually follow through, but she gave him a grateful smile which he returned.

"Uh…" Patton pouted, looking put out. "Yeah, sure-"

"Thanks guys." Nigel grinned at the pair of them. "Guess that means Hoagie, Fan- follow me."

The trio wandered off to explore backstage, which just left Dodge and Patton together, alone. Patton wasted no time in picking up one of the heavy boxes, holding them to his chest as he made his way to the storage closet, fuming. He knew Dodge planned this, he didn't care how he just wanted them to be apart…he saw him as a threat… At this, Patton smirked. Good. He should be scared.

Dodge followed behind clutching his own box, sizing up his opponent. He had to clear this whole situation up; the guy had to know what he was messing with. Otherwise he'd just keep coming back like some annoying pest…

Patton wrestled with the doorknob before filing into the closet, anxious to complete the job as quickly as possible to get out of this awkward silence with his known opponent. Dodge followed close behind, throwing his own box down among the other stored items. Patton turned, ready to walk out the door, when it snapped shut, Dodge's hand thrown out of nowhere to slam it closed. Patton's eyes rose, and he was immediately met with narrowed icy blue eyes. Patton matched his glare, his dark eyes boring into his in the limited light of the storage hall closet.

"Listen…" Dodge began, his voice calm but with undeniable aggression underlying. he took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself, and started again. "I know you like my girl…"

At this Patton folded his arms, cocking his eyebrow. Dodge's fingers curled into a fist again, his teth gritted with frustration.

"And I don't know how…" He added in a low growl. "But I know you're the one who sent her that photo of me."

Patton 's lips twitched, but managed to keep up his stony expression. Dodge narrowed his eyes.

"How much do you know about my past?"

"Enough to know that Fanny deserves to know." Patton snapped back, not missing a beat.

"She knows." Dodge snarled, hating the venom that was in his voice, but he couldn't stop now, the anger was overflowing. Patton's eyes flickered towards his wrist, which was still outstretched to hold the door closed. His eyes flashed with anger.

"What's with the whole _Cherry _thing?" Patton spat hatefully, his eyes narrowing. "Her name is _Fanny, _okay? At least I have the decency to call her by her first name. What do you think this is, _The Outsiders? _Who are you? Ponyboy Curtis?"

"Hey!" Dodge stuck his chin out, his arms folding across his chest. "Don't diss the only book I read in high school."

"Whatever." Patton snarled. "She's my friend. She fucking deserved to know."

"You want her to be more than that." Dodge snapped back, closing the distance between them. "And I'm gonna tell you here and now- that's not going to happen."

"Oh, really?" Patton growled dangerously, matching his stance. "You gonna let her decide that?"

The two boys glared at each other hatefully, standing strong side by side in the confining closet. Dodge's anger was reaching boiling point, and it took all of his energy to calm himself down enough to give him a low growl of warning.

"Of course I am…" Dodge fumed. "But she's with me now, and it's her choice…and she's chosen to be with me." his eyes narrowed. "She had all those years to choose you and she didn't."

Patton smirked. "I was away then…" He winked, leering. "But I'm back now, aren't I?"

A flash, a burning seemed to echo through Dodge, and he closed his eyes, his fingers twitching. He took a deep breath, managing to keep his fury at bay, and Patton was taken aback at the desperate look in Dodge's eyes as he managed to open them again, staring into Patton's face seriously.

"Listen…" Dodge rumbled. "You may think you know me…but you don't." He took another breath. "I…I love this girl, more than anything…" He swallowed. "And…and I'm not used to having something like this in my life, I come from…from a different life to what you had…and I just…need to tell you…" Dodge glared straight into his face, his tone flat and final. "If you try to take her away from me, you will definitely, _definitely _regret it."

Patton froze. "Are you…" He frowned. "Threatening me?"

"I'm just saying." Dodge seemed to frown. "I can't…be responsible for my actions…I don't get angry often…but when I do…my father really…kinda…shows…" he swallowed, feeling sheepish. He couldn't believe he was actually _warning _his opponent. But he knew the truth- He realized just how much Fanny meant to him just by how upset he got whenever the threat was around she may not be around forever…He only got this protective over one other person in his life…

"You don't wanna see me angry, Patton, okay? From what I come from, you _don't _want to see me upset."

Patton's lips fell agape at the chilling promise, and before he could reply Dodge had pulled open the door, stomping out before Patton had the chance to respond. Dodge breathed heavily, running a hand through his hair as he tried to calm himself down…No need to panic, after all… But he couldn't help it, he knew Fanny meant the world to him, and he didn't want to lose her… But he'd never been this attached…This emotional…Irrational…

Except…

The only time Dodge had ever shown he was his father's son was one time, and that's all it took.

* * *

_He was sixteen. At his house, in his driveway- to be exact. Dingo was revving pathetically at the old Commodore in front of them, while Dodge's patience was quickly wearing thin- yet he still smirked at Bandit's efforts- and his childlike tantrums. _

"_I don't get it!" Bandit pouted with anger, a smear of oil up his cheek and engine grease up his arms. He glared at the engine hatefully, sticking his head once again under the open hood of the car. "Why won't you run?" _

"_I don't think yelling at it will help Bando…" Dingo drawled with boredom, flicking his cigarette as he sat in the driver's seat- the door wide open. "It's dead." _

"_It is not!" Bandit whined back. "I haven't failed yet- and YOU-" He pointed at the car, narrowing his eyes threateningly. "Will not be the first!"_

_Dodge and Dingo exchanged smirks, enjoying Bandit's passionate whinging about fixing his friend's bomb. Bandit was the most knowledgeable out of the three, so they had all agreed he was the best suited to fix this- if anyone could- but he was becoming more of an entertainment value than a useful one, and that was the sole reason they hadn't called it a day yet. _

_The front door of the house then suddenly slammed open, and all three of them jumped with the yelling that followed- especially Dodge, who looked over the roof of the car in alarm, expecting the worst. He knew it was a bad idea to stay at his house…But his dad was locked up, he thought it was safe-_

_But his eyes widened at the sight, and his lips gaped in alarm, hardly daring to believe it. _

_Dread stomped out of the house, ranting and raving- screaming back inside all the curses he could muster. He looked furious yet smug, his dark brown hair ruffled and wild. Dodge stared, shocked. he looked exactly like their father…and he hated it, it was too similar and the scene was too close to being a flashback to the past. _

"_Dread!" _

_The trio heard a desperate cry within the house, and Dodge's mother appeared at the door, shaken and crying. Dodge stiffened, a sudden fire alit within him. He glared, stone-faced, as the scene unfolded. _

"_Dread, please don't do this!" His mother, Leyla, whimpered as she ran after him, her petite body an inch shorter than her oldest son, but still grabbing onto his arm as he attempted to stomp away from her. "Dread, you're not-"_

"_GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Dread suddenly hollered, and without a second thought he'd hit her roughly, both fists connecting with herface as he pushed her into the dirt. Leyla fell roughly, her slender figure crumpling on the rough ground and her face frozen in shock, a hand snapping to her cheek as she stared, wide eyed, at the monster her son had become. She never thought she'd actually fear her baby… Dread stared over her, looking disgusted. _

"_You're nothing but a fucking whore, anyway!" Dread yelled at her, furious. "Dad was right with THAT one!"_

_He turned to stomp off, but stopped suddenly as he saw his path was blocked- by none other than his little brother. Standing a head shorter, slightly shaped with muscle but otherwise scrawny, with those stupid innocent icy blue eyes and a blank expression, Dread curled up his fist in preparation._

"_Get 'outta my fuckin' way." Dread snarled, leering over Dodge threateningly. Dodge blinked, a pause of silence- and all Dread saw was Dodge's fist fly at his face- skin on skin, straight into the skull. But not once, Dodge slammed into him again. _

_And again._

_And again._

_And again. _

_Soon he was nothing more than a blur as he launched himself onto his older brother- who he had always kept clear of and kept distance from, and now he was laying into him, slamming his fists into every available part of his body as all that ran through his head was how much pain he wished him to feel. _

"_YOU FUCKING PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT!" Dodge found himself hollering, grabbing at his brother's neck and quickly tightening his grip. Dread stared up in alarm, his little brother's face twisted with hate and malice, his icy blue eyes darkening to almost black- alive and flashing with promising bloodlust. "YOU FUCKING HIT HER! YOU THINK YOU CAN HIT HER! SHE BROUGHT YOU INTO THIS WORLD, YOU PIECE OF FUCKING TRASH!"_

"_DODGE! OH MY GOD DODGE NO!" Leyla screamed, horrified at her baby. She pathetically tried to get to her feet, stumbling over to try and get him off. "STOP! BABY STOP! NO!"_

"_I'LL KILL YOU DREAD! I'LL KILL YOU!" Dodge promised, grabbing at his skull and slamming it into the ground. _

_Dread couldn't move, he could barely breathe as he felt the weight of his brother and the aggression that was flooding out. All he could do was try and defend miserably, feeling desperate as everything Dodge threw at him he couldn't match._

_Bandit was horrified, speechless with shock as he watched the scene unfold in a matter of seconds. He barely knew Dread, but he knew Dodge and this wasn't him. He felt tears spark in his eyes. Dingo watched with awe, unsure of what to do or think. He'd never seen Dodge like this before…_

"_DODGE!" His mother was by then sobbing. She could finally see it- after years of doubt she finally saw their father within them both… but she thought Dodge was different… "PLEASE STOP!"_

"_HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET BEAT UP, HUH?" Dodge screamed into his brother's face, and Dread attempted to shout back but all that seemed to come was a choked sob. Dodge grabbed at the collar of his shirt, finally stopping but still yanked him closer, so they were nose to nose. _

"_NOW!" Dodge snarled hatefully, shaking his brother's trembling form. "You can apologise to her."_

_Dread shook in his brother's grip, completely horrified and in incredible pain after his brother's series of blows. All he could see was his brother's homicidal snarl, his glistening black eyes promising more violence and anger. And from behind his brother's shoulder his own mother's wide eyed, horrified expression, tears littering her dirt stained face as she watched her two boys._

"_I…I-I'm sorry." Dread managed to snarl, but all he could do was gasp, panting for air as Dodge finally released him. "Oh-Okay? I'm sorry."_

"_Good." Dodge rasped, rising to his feet. He swallowed as a heavy silence weighed on him, and he was suddenly aware of all the eyes that were locked on him. He looked down at his hands, bruised and scraped from laying into his brother, and his heart was racing, thumping dangerously in his chest from the adrenaline rush. He felt awkward, and Dread was staring up at him with horror…he knew he'd done something pretty harsh to make _Dread _of all people shocked. _

_He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair as he made his way into the house, eager to escape it all. He'd never been that angry, he'd never been taken over like that before…but at the sight of his mother beaten again and by his own BROTHER no doubt…that set him off. He growled, yanking at his hair worriedly as he found himself staring into the hall mirror, his icy blue eyes staring into his reflection. _

_Maybe he was his father after all…_

* * *

A loud beeping and a bright ray of light wasn't the best thing Dread had ever woken up to, but as he reached over to smash his fist blindly into his loud phone- which was bleating like a rabid goat and disrupting his bliss of slumber- he at least remembered the small mercy that his wake up call wasn't a prison guard banging against the bars of his cell.

"_WHAT?" _He snarled loudly into his pillow, squeezing his eyes closed before peering out into the bright light of his cell phone's screen. He fumbled with it, glaring at the new text message with venom.

Growling, he rolled over and harshly threw off the covers to trudge out the door of the small bedroom and open the door beside it, into the bedroom beside his. He scrunched up his fist and slammed it into the sleeping body of Jayden beside him, who growled with pain as he was given a vicious awakening. In the limited light, Dread could just make out his grey eyes blinked sleepily, feebly worming back into the covers in defence.

"Get up…" Dread snarled at him, shoving him lightly and issuing his friend a warning scowl. "We're supposed to meet the drug bitch in half an hour."

Jayden growled dangerously as he awoke, sounding remarkably like an angered badger. His teeth glinted in the dark as he stumbled to his feet, pulling his socks on blindly and slipping on his shoes. "Why d'we have t' getup so early?" He snarled, stamping his feet on the harsh concrete as he turned to glare at his partner. "Couldn't we have met'er at lunchtime?"

"It _is _lunch time!" Dread retorted, rolling his eyes as he pulled on his hoodie. "And tidy up a bit around here!" He gestured to the leftover powder and assortment of files that littered most of the empty space of room. "I have a feeling she ain't gonna be too cooperative, and she's gonna have to be dragged here for info anyway-"

"If that does happen- the lack of housekeeping 'round here will be the least of her worries." Jayden grumbled, yawning as he got up and stretched- flexing his muscles and batting his eyes to shake off the last signs of sleep. "What do you even hope to get for this meeting anyway?" He growled, folding his arms across his chest and cocking an eyebrow.

"Just trust me on this…" Dread smirked over his shoulder, throwing his friend a cocky look as he ruffled his flat dark chestnut hair. "I know how to find 'em…if anyone knows them it's me."

Jayden frowned with slight suspicion. Dread was his best friend, and he had been ever since they were in primary school together. He was the only one who had ever been able to talk some sense into him and they had stuck by each other no matter what happened- always coming to each other's aid no matter what the occasion. But the one thing that had ever come between them was Dread's sudden obsession with the one he affectionately named Bambi…the very best friend of his own little brother. Jayden didn't trust Bandit- ever since Bandit started crushing on his little brother- dragging him into a world of a whole other sexuality, Dread quickly falling for the pathetic kid too. Bandit

was the only thing the best friends had ever fought about- Jayden declaring their relationship unhealthy and that it had taken over his life. It had caused so many fights between them and a number of times Dread had been forced to choose between his best friend and his lover. Jayden eventually accepted it grudgingly- but still he hated the stupid kid that acted like a baby. The thought of Bandit was enough to drive Dread wild- completely altering his usually logical thought process and instead replacing it with impulses of lust and anger. Nobody had ever had that much power before, and Jayden hated how it changed his friend so much.

"Just remember the plan." Jayden reminded him lowly, eyes narrowed. "Don't get too wrapped in your little love dispute-"

"I won't." Dread drawled, rolling his eyes and grabbing the keys to their stolen car. "Don't you trust me?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Jayden sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. _It's your libido I don't trust… _He added mentally as he followed his friend.

* * *

Mushi flicked through the channels, switching from cartoons, music videos, talk shows, infomercials, and anything else that was available on mid-morning television. Not a real lot. She leaned her head against her hand, sighing to herself as she glumly stared at the screen, her eyes glazed over in boredom. There was nothing to do around the apartment, yet she highly doubted Trent would let her out of the house, and although he was nowhere nearby, she knew once he found out he wouldn't be happy. She frowned in frustration.

_But who am I to take orders from him…? _She wondered, her eyes glazing over the cooking show in front of her. _I'm a teenager, and nobody has ever ordered me around before and gotten away with it…what hold does he have on me anyway? It's not like I'm a hostage anymore… _

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp ringing of the phone, which was mounted on the wall in the kitchen. She rose to answer it, frowning as she did. Hardly anyone rang on that phone, she guessed it came with the apartment and hardly anyone had the need for it, everyone used their cell phones. She was positive she was the only one who even knew the number.

"Hello?" She answered.

"_Madeline!"_ a shrill voice answered on the other end. Mushi froze, blinking in alarm. She knew that voice… "_Where you been young'in? You still with us? You haven't been showing up for shifts…" _

"Irma!" She bit her lip. "Y-yeah, I'm so sorry, I've been having issues with my family and we had to move and-"

"_Yeah, yeah…" _Irma rolled her eyes carelessly. "_Francine warned me 'bout your life, hun. I knew that when I hired 'ya. My main point is that I finally got a hold o' 'ya, and I need another gal on…you want a shift today?"_

Mushi hesitated, looking around the bland, empty apartment complex with boredom. She was stuck here- with nobody. She didn't even know if Trent was home, he seemed to come and go as he pleased. Same with the girls, who were always out doing their own thing. Bandit always came into her mind, but it seemed as though even if they shared mutual affections for each other, he was avoiding her too. It was as if she was a trend that had gone out of style, everyone just walked around her now, even Trent- her supposed 'boyfriend' was treating her like a wall ornament. Who would she be to take orders from people who didn't even appreciate her?

Not Mushi Sanban, that's for sure.

She heaved herself to her feet, stomping over defiantly to her room and grabbing her uniform. As her eyes flicked to her empty bed, she wasn't sure what to make of it. Biting her lip she wandered into the hallway, where she ran smack-bang into Bonny, whose eyes widened in alarm.

"Uh, Mushi!" She squeaked, immediately hiding the crumpled pieces of paper behind her back. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh!" Mushi quickly hid the uniform behind her back. "Nothing…"

The two girls stood side by side in the hallway, their hands held awkwardly behind their backs. Finally Bonny let out a sigh, flicking her shoulder length brown hair and giving the teenager a knowing look.

"I won't tell…" She mumbled, a sly smirk working its way onto her face. "If you won't."

Mushi grinned, and for that split second she was reminded of Kuki, and the sisterly bond the two shared- keeping secrets, looking out for each other. For that moment it was as if Bonny's sly grin was Kuki's, those kind, knowing eyes were Kuki's…

"Thanks, Bonny." Mushi relaxed with relief, sighing happily. Bonny grinned back, tapping her nose as she opened the front door.

"You too, Moosh."

* * *

Bandit blinked those doleful navy blue eyes up at Trent's bare back, his pouty bottom lips trembling dangerously. He clenched at the blankets around him anxiously, bt refused to back down, despite repeated warnings from his best friend to stop it.

Trent slid his shirt over his head, his face crumpled in annoyance as he attempted to ignore the almost piercing sensation prickling his skin. He couldn't. he whirled around, his arms folded sternly across his chest as he glared down at those ocean blue eyes, hoping his expression carried the burning anger and frustration within his system. He growled as Bandit blinked back, unaffected.

"I said stop it." Trent growled at him. "I mean it, Bando. Don't make me say it again."

"Why?" Bandit mumbled, still with those puppy dog eyes burning bright. "Because you can't look me in the eye?"

"Jus- Just…_enough, okay?" _Trent hissed at him, closing the distance between the two as Trent tried as hard as he could to keep his face straight, his eyes narrowing. "Just forget it."

"Something happened." Bandit hissed back. "I can't forget that Trent. Something happened."

"Enough!" Trent snapped at him under his breath. "You're my best mate, Bando-"

"Don't call me that!" Bandit suddenly snarled harshly, those usually serene blue eyes rippling with raw emotion. "That's Dodge and Dingo's name for me! Y-you get your own!"

Trent twisted his lips in frustration, his hands tightening into dangerous fists.

"Well _that _name is _tainted _now _isn't it?" _He rasped, every word cutting into Bandit like a whip. Bandit's eyes suddenly widened and he withdrew, his shield now down. Trent immediately faltered as Bandit broke away, his eyes filling with thick tears and his fingers tightening against the bed sheets, his eyes closing-

"That was low." Trent whispered, more to himself than anything. Before he knew it he'd sat back on the soft sheets, already craving those eyes to look at him. His throat tightened as he realised just how much he'd hurt him, he couldn't stand that guilty feeling- not again. Trent had already closed the distance between them before he'd even been aware of it. He was taken, filled with emotions he'd repressed for so many years, it was as if giving into a drug…unlike anything he'd ever felt before… Nobody else could make him this passive and desperate.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, shameful. "Believe me, I am. I'm sorry. It just…came out-"

"_Just admit it…" _Bandit choked out thickly, burying his face into his knees as he fought back sobs. "_You believe that, it's the truth! You-you think I-I'm-"_

"I _don't." _Trent growled at him, before he knew it his arms were wrapped around him, his eyes gazing at him hard. "I'm sorry, alright? That was a fucked thing to say Band, you're still my mate…" Trent sighed, his nose nuzzling into Bandit's shoulder as he forced the words. He wasn't used to being so truthful, but it was as if Bandit blocked those defensive receptors in his brain, and he was left vulnerable to anything Bandit threw at him.

"I…I was always jealous." He mumbled. "Okay? It was hard for me to accept that you were someone else's. You were always mine and… I guess I'm still not over it."

He withdrew his arms and Bandit pouted at the loss of warmth, his tear stained face rising to see Trent had stood up, walking to the door with finality. Bandit immediately felt regret. Those words had hit him hard, and he had to admit he did put it on a little bit for some of Trent's attention…

"Trent…" Bandit whimpered. Trent froze with his hand on the doorknob, but he knew out there somewhere was a girl who honestly believed they were together… and even the pleading voice from the bed- the one he couldn't resist- couldn't block that common sense.

"I'm sorry." Trent mumbled, without turning, and without another word he opened the door, closing it sharply behind him.

* * *

Wallabee was sure to give both his mother and father a hug as he left for Kuki's in the morning. He wanted to let them know there were no hard feelings. After all, the whole situation would have occurred even if they hadn't known…and all he could concentrate on was how his best friend and own brother had betrayed his trust, he couldn't comprehend his parents as well.

He walked up to her dorm in high spirits, already cheering up at the thought of seeing his girl. As he knocked on the door, a fluttery, tingling sensation seemed to flow through him- he still got those butterflies at the thought of seeing her.

The door opened and as soon as Wallabee caught a glimpse of those bright violet eyes he beamed, Kuki beaming in return. She'd been consumed with horrifying nerves as soon as she'd woken up, and seeing her strong blonde Viking at the door, that was enough to cheer her up completely.

"Wally!" She grinned, almost jumping for joy. "Thank goodness you're here!"

Wally smirked in return, lifting at the thought of being needed. He pulled out his gift from behind his back, offering them to his girl. Kuki's eyes bulged at the sight of the large bouquet of yellow roses.

"For my star." he grinned at her. "I didn't want to get the cliché red…" He smirked. "Besides, apparently yellow means everlasting love."

"I love them!" Kuki squealed, her smile only widening as she threw her arms around him, gripping the flowers lovingly in her arms. her heart warmed as the sweet scent calmed her. "Thank you, Wally…"

Wally beamed as he stepped inside, closing the door as Kuki bustled off to find a vase to put them in, chatting excitingly as she went. But Wally's smile soon faded as he looked around the apartment, and he sighed grumpily as he took in the surroundings…_oh…right _he seemed to snarl to himself. _This is Abby's apartment too… _

"Are you okay?"

Kuki's concerned tone hit him like a ton of bricks, and Wally turned his head to see she'd placed his bouquet in a vase, a generous amount of water at the bottom. She placed them on the table, her violet eyes twinkling worriedly at her boyfriend. She skipped over, her arms wrapping around him. He gratefully accepted the hug, drawing her in and inhaling her sweet lavender perfume, mixed with roses too…

"I'm fine." He assured her, giving her a swift peck on her temple. Kuki frowned, her eyebrows raising as she looked up at him.

"You can't lie to me…" She teased, reaching up to stroke at his cheek. Wally snarled with frustration, but still leaned into her touch. His family drama was even starting to seep into his relationship with Kuki…was there no escaping his totally screwed up family tree.

"Guess I'm still upset…" Wally attempted to sound careless, but Kuki could hear the obvious hurt in his voice as though he was shouting it. "You know, like…the kid an-and Abby and stuff…and my brother-"

"You have a right to be upset." Kuki frowned, looking up into his face. "Why wouldn't you be?"

"Doesn't change anything…" Wally snarled. "I talked to my family, and I understand…why he hates me and all. My family has a history of hating each other…it gives him an excuse… but I still don't wanna see him- _either _of them. But it doesn't matter if I'm sad about it. They're still together. Abby's still knocked up. You know, its still going to happen if I accept it or not-"

"But you still have to let it out!" Kuki urged, sounding genuinely concerned as her arms tightened around him. "I'm here for you Wally…you know that right?"

"I know." He sighed into her hair, holding her close as he closed his eyes. "Feels like you're the only thing real, really."

"I feel awful…" Kuki's face drooped, her cheek grazing his shirt as she snuggled against him sadly. "I think maybe I'm taking this contest too seriously…I should be a better girlfriend and be there for you-"

"Aw Kooks!" Wally talked over her, scoffing as he pulled her in even closer, murmuring into her forehead sweetly as he kissed her. "You're always helping other people, and I really wanna hear you sing. It's the only thing I'm really excited for in the near future, to be honest." He cupped at her chin, forcing her to look up into those deep, twinkling emerald green eyes. "Just you."

Kuki smiled, dazed under those sparkling green irises. The two were locked in a loving embrace for what felt like an eternity. A peaceful silence was between them, and the two felt so close and whole neither of them wanted to let go. It felt like a record scratching, however, when the door suddenly burst open and a high pitched squeal seemed to cut through the couple, the two jumping apart and looking wildly around for the noise.

"_Kuki!" _The sound screeched again, and Hollie skipped into the room, her eyes lined so dark and thick she resembled a raccoon and her ginger hair a wild mess. She flailed her hands, fanning her acrylic nails worriedly as she ran into the apartment. _"Oh my Gawd! You are not going to buh-leive- oh…" _She broke, halting mid-skip and stumbling to a stop as she eyed the couple, clearly only just realising she'd barged in on a tender moment. "Uh…" She gave them an awkward look, nibbling her lip. "Soz?"

Wally glanced over at her, but still couldn't muster up a smile. Sure, he'd accepted that his girlfriend needed to help someone in need…but he still couldn't look at the girl who he'd once had his lips all over… he still didn't trust her, after her all over him, on Dingo's orders, the fact she was Dingo's ex, she'd known him since they were kids…the whole sight of her made him slightly sick, and even though he'd accepted her as friend and not foe, he still just wanted to see the back of her.

"Oh hey Hollie." Kuki was better in masking her disappointment as she approached the girl, giving her a quick hug as her kind way of welcoming. Hollie accepted, giving Wally an apologetic look before returning to Kuki.

"Sorry to barge in…" Hollie mumbled, nibbling on her bottom lip. "But Bonny looked up flights this morning, and the only flight we could get on such short notice for so soon was _tonight."_

"Tonight?" Kuki repeated, her eyes wide. "Are you sure that's all you could get?"

"It's holidays soon back home…" Hollie groaned, nervously tugging at her hair. "Its at 11:30, we have some time to make it after the show, but there's no guarantee! And even if we do win I can't get the money straight away! Unless you know a bank who would cash a big fake check at 11 o'clock at night…" Hollie looked thoroughly miserable, looking more saddened by the second. "The next flight we could grab was two weeks from now…I can't wait that long when he's after me now, and I can't afford to stay anywhere else-"

"Stop." Kuki held her arm, looking deep into the girl's face. Hollie sheepishly met her gaze. "We'll win, okay? You'll get the money to go home and you will get home…even if I have to pay for the flight myself."

Wally gaped, as did Hollie as she stared at the girl with awe.

"Oh, Kuki- I-I couldn't do that-"

"We're gonna win anyway!" Kuki gave her a confident smile "I have some money saved in my account, I can give you a check today as long as you're there for the concert tonight. And we'll win, and you can easily pay me back."

Hollie blinked at the sweet girl before her, overcome with the fact that _anybody _would be this nice to her. Hollie had never been the nicest girl, because she'd never been surrounded by nice people. Kuki was the first girl who had ever completely generous to her, and Hollie still couldn't believe their whole relationship started because Hollie was out to destroy her. All the girl could do was gasp, and throw her arms around the girl she felt so thankful for.

"Oh my god!" She found herself sobbing. "You'd do that, for me? You're so sweet Kuki! I'm forever in your debt! You need anything, sweetie! ANYTHING! You can call!"

"Uh…" Kuki had to smirk at her boyfriend's horrified expression as she embraced the girl back, but winced slightly at the grip. "You could…allow me to…breathe-"

"Oh!" Hollie quickly withdrew, still flustered. "Sorry! But-but thank you Kuki! I'll repay the favour one day, I swear!"

"Don't mention it…" Kuki smiled, and genuinely she felt it. She truly felt for the fiery Aussie girl, she really did. Her story had captured her, and she already felt Hollie had enough emotional scars, she didn't need yet another one. "Just…let's kick butt tonight ok? Sing our heart out?"

"Of course!" Hollie beamed, trembling with excitement. "Yeah! Of course! Just let me call Bon, and we'll book the flight!"

Kuki grinned as Hollie bustled off, brimming with joy at finally escaping. Wally seemed to givfe his girl a lecturing look, but Kuki raised her eyebrows knowingly.

"I just want what's best…" She mumbled. "She really needs to get out of the country, Wally."

"As long as its for the right reasons…" Wally grumbled, frowning. He knew Kuki had a giving, sweet nature, and it was very easy for people to take advantage of her…which made his blood boil at the very thought. "Not for drugs, or anything…"

"I believe her." Kuki said, determined. "Can you trust me on that?"

Wally sighed, winding his arms around her shoulders. "In that case…if you wanna say goodbye, ya know…I can drive you straight after the show."

Kuki's eyes widened.

"Then…then they can make it- they won't be rushing for the flight." Wally shrugged. "If you wanna-"

But Kuki had already swept him up in a kiss, tightening her grip as she embraced her man, grateful as she could clearly see the trust he placed with her.

* * *

"I keep telling you!" Lizzie snarled viciously at the two boys sitting in front of her. "I'm not a dealer!"

Dread clawed at his jeans, trying to distract himself by digging his fingers into his own legs than around her fat neck. Girls had always been a great annoyance for him- only useful when they didn't talk- but _this _one was really trying his patience. When he'd first laid eyes on her he knew the type- annoying and whiny…He'd cringed at the very sight of her. Sure, he'd fucked girls before…but this is why he preferred guys. Her beady eyes, pudgy face, stupid glasses and whiny voice were straining against his patience…and he was never a tolerant person.

Jayden was slightly more enduring, but not by much. He was, however, able to hold back a furious retort to swallow calmly, tilting his head curiously at the girl as he gulped down his drink, resisting the urge to smash the empty glass into her face.

"We're just curious, that's all…" He muttered delicately. "We're thinking it may lead us to someone we know-"

"I have no relationships with _druggies." _Lizzie sniffed snootily, her eyes rolling towards the ceiling as she sipped daintily at her drink. She had only come to this meeting with the threat that she'd be exposed as a druggie…which totally was _not _true. The only reason she was involved with scum such as this is because of _one _deal, and that was only to recruit someone to get back at her Nigel. But _she had to admit_… She watched them over her glass as she thought this. _…these were some fine looking guys…_

Dread twitched, his fingers flexing as though practicing the action on her neck- and Jayden sensed danger, grabbing his wrist under the table and flashing Lizzie a sweet smirk.

"Excuse us…" he simpered, dragging his friend from the booth and leading him down the aisle before either of them could commit a felony. Lizzie watched them go, her teeth grazing at her bottom lip as she held back a smug grin. Jayden dragged his partner through the restaurant, pulling him to a halt outside the mens room, where they were hidden from her prying gaze.

"I'm _done." _Dread hissed as soon as they were out of earshot. "You fuckin' hear me mate? I ain't putting up with her crap anymore- stick a knife to her throat and get her in the goddamn car!"

Jayden rounded on him, his grey eyes narrowed.

"Would you _relax?" _He purred, but his eyes flashed with the same bloodlust. "This bitch is _easy. _She's practically undressing you with her eyes-"

"Don't make me _sick." _Dread spat with hatred, his eyes narrowing viciously. "I'm _this _close to ripping every hair out of her fat head."

Jayden rolled his eyes, reaching over and grabbing his friend's shirt, dragging him closer to glare darkly into his face. "You're not _getting it." _He snarled into his face, and Dread stared back murderously. He hated being told what to do. "We gotta get info outta this bitch and nobody can trust what anyone says under threat."

"Nah!" Dread snarled back, twitching violently. "Fuck that- she'd be so scared shitless she'd sell her own mother's soul when I'm done with her-"

"Shutup." Jayden hissed back. Dread narrowed his eyes, looking ready to hit _him. _Jayden raise his eyebrows. "Have I ever led you astray?"

Dread snarled at him but kept silent, folding his arms and growling like a child throwing a silent tantrum. Jayden rolled his eyes, yanking him even closer.

"I know bitches like this…" Jayden rasped in his ear. "And trust me, you gotta drown them in sugar to get any results…"

"Fine." Dread snarled hatefully, looking murderous as he glared into his friend's eyes, as if trying to stare him down. "So what are you gonna do to get her home?"

"What am _I _gonna do?" Jayden simpered, sniggering as he cocked an eyebrow suggestively. Dread froze, his lips twisting maliciously. "Oh no, bro…_you're _the one who she has eyes for…"

Dread's eyes widened, flashing dangerously as he gaped at his best friend, shoving him roughly into the opposite wall as Jayden stifled his smug laughter.

"Shutup!" Dread snarled. "That ain't fuckin' funny, Jay!"

"You wanna find your Bambi, or not?" Jayden snickered, his eyebrows rising. "Besides, you're the one who's already sayin' you're _bi, _not _gay."_

"I am." Dread mumbled angrily. "But not…" He shivered. "_That." _

"That's what vodka's for…" Jayden said chirpily, pushing passed him with a smirk. "Whatever, dude, I'm gonna do anything to get Hollie, but if you don't want Bambi that badly…" He left on that note, looking over his shoulder to wink at the horrified look on his best friend's face. Dread glared at his retreating back, stomping and jumping up and down for a few seconds angrily before he scrunched up his fists and face, taking a few deep breaths as his tantrum subsided.

"Fine." He spat under his breath, his eyes flashing scathingly as he relaxed, following his friend back to the table. "_Fine." _

* * *

"_Honestly, _Patton." Hoagie snarled into the phone as he slammed his car door closed, rolling his eyes as he made his way across the car park. "I don't know why you're obsessed with getting me a girlfriend when you're pretty much it! You're more annoying than one and take up as much time as one!"

"Shutup!" Patton growled into his phone, narrowing his eyes. "I'm just indecisive that's all! And I just want you to know that I hate all forms of mayonnaise, I don't feel like chicken OR sesame seeds, or-"

"Yeah, yeah!" Hoagie sighed, making his way into the diner. "You've reminded me of that FOUR times! I'll get you something you like!"

"If you'd just read me the menu…" Patton whined into the receiver.

"I'll get you something you like!" Hoagie again tried to shake him off, snarling into the phone as he made to close it. "Just relax! And go do some work!"

"But-!"

Hoagie quickly ended the call, shoving the cell phone back into his pocket to quickly be forgotten. He was just finally relieved to have somewhat of a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere about him, even when the air was thick with the smell of bacon grease, he still felt a familiar, warm energy around the diner, and immediately he was re-energized and ready to face the busy day ahead.

He approached the counter and slumped against it, sighing in relief as he grabbed a menu, scanning through the contents even though he knew every item by heart.

"_Hi…" _A soft voice seemed to whisper to him. _"What can I get you?"_

"I need something to go-" Hoagie looked up, and immediately lost all train of thought as he found himself staring into a familiar, pale, youthful face. A pair of innocent eyes gazed back at him almost dream-like, before widening in alarm as she too gazed into a familiar pair of deep eyes. "Mushi?"

"Hoagie?" Mushi gaped, stepping back in alarm. Immediately all she felt was humiliation- caught at work, her fingers covered in grease, draped in a dumpy waitress uniform. Her pale cheeks dulled to a deep pink, and her eyes flicked backwards and forwards to find a quick exit. But there was none.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her, frowning. "You work here?"

"Obviously…" Mushi sighed, knowing the jig was up. "Just for some extra cash-"

"I hope it's got nothing to do with…" Hoagie gave her a knowing look, his eyes cold as he watched her protectively. Mushi bit her lip. She knew what he was talking about.

"Just don't worry about it, I promise I'll fill you in later." Mushi promised, those innocent eyes gazing up at him. Hoagie sighed, but knew he couldn't resist her angel-like stare. She still seemed so cute and sweet, he had trouble doubting her word. She looked nervously over to Irma, who was watching her close, and she pulled out her pad and pen and looked into Hoagie's face as though he was a complete stranger. "Right now…I gotta take your order."

Hoagie still gave her a disapproving look, but with one last pleading glance he gave in, sighing as he repeated all of the orders the group of friends had given him to deliver back to the hall. Mushi took them all down, promised him it would only be a minute and disappeared into the kitchen. Hoagie watched her go, looking thoroughly suspicious. He really did feel like Mushi was his little sister, that he had to look out for her and protect her. It made him sad to think that she may be in danger, facing things normal sixteen year olds shouldn't have to deal with.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned lazily, only to do a double take and almost fall of his chair when he stared into a familiar pair of piercing, deep dark brown eyes.

"We have to talk." Bonny snarled at him, and without waiting for an answer she marched over to the far side of the diner, sliding into a booth and waiting for her ex boyfriend without another word. Hoagie wordlessly followed, too taken aback by her sudden appearance to muster up a response. He slid in opposite her, a guarded expression on his face at the sight of her. If it was one thing he gathered about Bonny in the short time they were together- it was that she was a manipulator.

"I'm going to be blunt with you…" She said carefully, trying to keep her voice steady. She was trying to ignore the fact her heart was pelting angrily against her chest. In truth Bonny was a nervous wreck. Since she was a little girl she was positive she'd be a great mother, but she also thought whoever was the father of that baby would want to be with her forever and ever, probably riding on a noble steed into a sunset… but I guess that was fantasy, and this was her cruel reality that she had to deal with. Because even when Bonny was trying her hardest to be sincere, she could still see the hate and distrust locked within her ex boyfriend's eyes. She sighed, blurting it out before she got the chance to chicken out.

"I'm pregnant."

There was a very thick silence. Hoagie felt numb.

"Uh…" A quick burst of panic seemed to rise up his throat, and he felt lightheaded- almost like he needed to puke. "What?" Was all he could manage.

"I'm pregnant." Bonny confirmed, her face steady and her eyes sincere. There was no trace of a joke in her face, all Hoagie was hit with was blunt truth, and the poor guy just stared at her, Bonny readily staring back. "I need your help."

"I can't…" Hoagie's heart was racing, and he could scarcely breathe. A _kid? _a _baby? HIM? BONNY? _He wasn't ready, he didn't want Bonny in his life, much less a baby! He felt the room start to slip, and Bonny's cold hand clenched around his arm, her dark solid eyes grounding him.

"Don't worry." She mumbled, her eyes wide with concern. "You won't be held responsible, I'm not ready to be a mother…I just need some money to go back home and take care of it."

"Take care…" Hoagie broke off, his throat dry. "I…what do you mean by that?"

"Don't worry." Bonny soothed him. "I'll take care of it. All I need is money to get home. You'll never have to see me again, I'll be out of your life!"

Hoagie's heartbeat gradually returned and he gripped at the table, the room coming back to him as visions of freedom seemed to spark in his eyes. _There was hope…this was not the end…_

"O…oh…" He suddenly rasped, speechless. "You-you mean-"

"I've got no money." Bonny mumbled, becoming impatient at how long this was taking. She had no idea how this was effecting Hoagie, all she cared about was getting her and Hollie home to safety. "I need a grant, check if you've got it."

"I…" Hoagie frowned, still pale and shaken. "Bonny…we-we should talk about…this…I mean- I'd feel bad just shipping you out-"

"Trust me it's better this way." Bonny said bluntly. "I just want to get out of here. I just want money."

"Oh…" Hoagie looked downcast. "Well…if you think it's the best…"

"It is." Bonny nodded, her eyes wide. "Definitely."

Hoagie sighed. He shouldn't complain…he knew he shouldn't. He'd dodged a real bullet, so to speak. But the thought of being a father, a baby born somewhere with his and Bonny's genes…that was something he couldn't escape. He couldn't just forget about it… but at the same time, he didn't want to be anywhere near Bonny. It wasn't what he wanted.

"Ok…" He sighed, gathering his composure and trying to stop himself from shaking. "Ok." he looked up at her, his eyes solid and daring. Even Bonny tensed. "But I never want to see you again."

Bonny winced at that. She felt horrible.

"…Deal…" She mumbled, but all she felt was empty and hollow as Hoagie complied with her wishes.

* * *

Jayden had to handle it to Dread- he sure had a way of charming people. Whatever the sex, whatever the class, Dread was a natural master in the ways of manipulating and flirting- able to get anything he wanted with a few smirks and witty lines. Even when drunk, high, off his face or even covered in vomit Dread could still lull anyone into his arms and snatch anyone into his clutches. Even when Jayden could tell Dread practically gagged at the sight of the chubby, plain looking brunette, he still managed to charm Lizzie into becoming a giggling schoolgirl, following him wherever he went in the hopes she'd get even a _look _from him.

Lizzie's eyes scanned the room doubtfully as the door slammed behind her, but still she remained calm and in control with that sultry, confident grin on her face- a look that Dread loathed. He slammed the door shut behind him, leaning against it as he flicked the numerous locks closed- the rusty clicks echoing in the large dingy room. Lizzie turned back to look at him- the shadowy figure leaning against the locked door, those deep black eyes gazing at her emptily- a knowing smirk planted on his face. A shiver went through her spine. She couldn't help it…he seemed so eerie, like he belonged in a world so out of her depth…

"So…" She began innocently, hating the way her voice cracked with nerves. Usually she was so in control, she'd done this so many times before with so many other guys who had the hots for her… She bit her lip, eyelashes fluttering once more at the still figure. "Are you going to tell me your name?"

He shoved himself off the door roughly, keys slipping into one of his pockets. He pulled out a cigarette with the other, lighting it with the flicker of his lighter before slipping it into his mouth. Lizzie found herself freezing with fear again, stuck to the floor as he made his way over to her slowly, the flickering ember reflecting in those empty, solid black eyes.

"Believe me…" He said silkily, his tone as rough as sandpaper and velvety smoke escaping his lips as he leered at her, smirking with obvious power. "You don't wanna know…_doll." _

She flinched, the smoke scratching at her eyes as she tried to retain her dignity, frowning with annoyance.

"Suppose I do…" She grumbled back, a childish pout on her face. Clearly, she wasn't used to being spoken to with such authority. Dread smirked. A challenge…

"Oh really?" he cooed to her, his lips stretching into a wicked grin. "You wanna know my name, Toots?"

She folded her arms angrily, already tired with the slow games he was playing. "Yeah, I do!"

Dread smirked, chuckling lightly and inhaling another lungful of harsh, bitter nicotine. "'Spect you'll be screaming it soon enough…"

Lizzie scoffed, her eyes widening. "Don't get cocky." She dismissed. She was being manipulated, and she hated that feeling…like she was a little kid being bossed around. _She _was the boss, _she _was always in control…nobody else. And with the dark handsome stranger, leering over her like that with obvious power and influence, with that stupid freaky grin and those big empty black eyes…she couldn't help but think she had suddenly buried herself in a situation that she couldn't get out of.

He stepped towards her, their noses almost touching as he lowered his face to hers. She could smell the smoke on his lips, feel the intensity of that cocky, amused stare, and as he scoffed at her- she felt the strange coolness of his breath, and it caused goosebumps to bubble on her skin.

"It's Dread." He answered softly. "My name…it's Dread. Dread Mathers."

"Dread?" Lizzie grinned, hoping to catch a flash of laughter in his eyes when he said that- a sign he was joking. There was none, Dread stood still and silent, his eyes wide and expectant- as if daring him to say something. Her smile faded, and her eyebrows curled into a frown again. "Why would you change your name to that?"

"I didn't." He answered simply, and then his still expression broke into a grin again. "My Dad knew where I was headed before I could even open my eyes."

Lizzie's own eyes widened as she noticed the stranger closing the distance between them, and she couldn't help but step back. "W…what?"

"I take after my father…" He murmured to her softly, reaching out and running a rough finger down her cheek. She winced, but couldn't pull away from the seemingly 'loving' gesture. He continued talking, his cold breath chilling her skin. "In every way… his eyes, his face, his voice…" He turned back to her, those dark eyes drilling into hers. "His desires…his beliefs…he was rotten to the core…" he grinned again, looking manic. "And so am I."

Lizzie swallowed, a lump rising in her throat as she stepped back again, but was only met with a cold, brick wall.

"The only difference is…" He simpered sweetly, pushing his body to lock hers against the solid wall. "He didn't get what he wanted…and I always..._always _get what I want."

She shifted, feeling uncomfortable at the close proximity- especially with that flickering cigarette so close to her skin, but both hands shot out either side of her shoulders-trapping her and locking his harsh gaze with hers. She whimpered, but quickly jumped and whirled around at the sound of another door opening, and the other stranger- the guy with dyed hair and grey eyes- walked out of a door, clutching at a video camera and looking indifferent.

"Um…" Lizzie's eyes widened with horror. "Oh thank god…uh, a little help? Please!"

Jayden grinned at the scene, sending Dread a sly glance as he sidled over to the couple, and Lizzie's hopes quickly faded as Dread returned the smirk.

"What's going on?" She demanded of the pair, her eyes wide.

"I told you, pet." Dread snarled at her, suddenly grabbing her arm. "I always get what I want."

Before she could open her mouth the boys grabbed the now squirming Lizzie, dragging her into the room behind them. She gasped as she met with a springy, soft surface and she looked up at the pair, realising she was on a bed. Dread locked the door behind them as the other watched her with amusement, a cackle escaping his lips as anger seared through Lizzie's body. Her mouth opened with a fury of accusations ready on her tongue-

"Don't bother." Jayden talked over her with ease. "This room is sealed shut." He looked over to his friend, grinning with malice. "Wouldn't you say Dread?"

"Looks Soundproof to me." Dread smirked, rapping against the black walls with his knuckles. Lizzie's eyes flicked around, and she realised their hint was right- no windows, just black, thick walls surrounding her. Only a bed, bedside table with a flickering lamp and a laptop- sitting open beside the door on the bedside table- were the only pieces of furniture in the room. She was virtually suffocated. Dread's eyes still flashed maliciously. "But still, can't hurt to test the theory…"

Jayden cackled, pulling something out of his pocket. Lizzie's heart jumped into her throat as she let out a squeak- suddenly staring down the barrel of a small pistol that was locked in Jayden's tight grip.

"Your Facebook, bitch." He growled, still smirking. Lizzie blinked, looking up with amazement.

"Wh…what?" She stuttered.

"Your FACEBOOK!" Jayden snarled angrily, his eyes narrowing. "Don't make me ask again."

Lizzie gulped, her breath coming in quick, hurried pants as she struggled to find her voice. Her brain scrambled for an answer.

"Er…Um…L-Lizzie…Lizzie Devine…" She stammered, gulping with fear. "I-I'm on my college group a-and fr-friends with-"

"Email and password!" Jayden growled. Lizzie's eyes flickered over to the laptop resting by the door, and Dread quickly tapping at the keys. She turned back to Jayden, whose grey eyes watched her threateningly. She mumbled it, blushing as she did so.

"H-hot girl Liz at hotmail…." She choked out. "A-and the password i-is I love Nigel13…"

"Cute." Jayden spat, his head tilting curiously as she watched Dread type it in, smirking as it was confirmed. He turned back to her, tucking the gun back into his jeans as Dread straightened to stand beside him, the two gazing at their hostage with amusement. Jayden tapped at the keys, his eyes narrowed with determination as he looked over at Dread, nodding. "Passwords changed."

"Good." Dread grinned, and with that he pulled a switchblade from his pocket, the blade flicking out and glinting maliciously in the limited light. Lizzie eyed it nervously, her heart pounding in her ears.

"I..I don't have anything to gi-give you…" She began to plead, desperate tears cascading down her cheeks.

Lizzie froze with fear as she realised she was looking up into the flash of the camera on her phone, Jayden recording her beneath him with those dark, cruel grey eyes flashing mischievously at her.

"This records pretty well…" He smirked, grinning at his best friend slyly as the two exchanged looks.

"And uploads straight to the internet too…" Dread added silkily. "Straight to Facebook as well…to all your friends."

"And your Mum." Jayden snickered, raising his eyebrows. "You got your Mum on here too, right? Karen Devine? Is that it? It's alright, ya know, I bet she'd _love _to see you in this light!"

Lizzie whimpered under the harsh light, and she could see the two boys laughing with glee at the thought of it. She knew exactly what they were threatening her with, and her chest clenched uncomfortably as her heart pounded in her chest, the anxiety overwhelming her. She was already well aware Jayden's thighs were straddling her more tightly, and Dread's fingers around her shoulders were gripping her shirt so tightly she knew the material would rip at any second, and she knew every second- every little emotion- every explicit detail- would be caught on her own camera.

"What do you want?" She pleaded with them, her voice high with fright. "P-please…" She begged. "I'll tell you a-anything…"

"You know what we wanna hear!" Dread growled, a hand clasping at her throat tightly. Lizzie yelped, beginning to cry. "The guy you sold the stuff too! What's his name?"

"I told you I don't know!" Lizzie sobbed. In one quick movement Dread grabbed at the collar of her shirt and jerked his arm and Lizzie gasped as she felt the material be ripped clear off her chest, leaving her in just her bra. She sobbed harder, struggling in vain to get her arms free of Jayden's legs, but failing. "I really don't!" She insisted. "He w-wouldn't t-tell me!"

"Quit 'ya fuckin' cryin'!" Dread snarled at her, giving her a fierce backhand across the cheek. Lizzie winced with sudden pain, a singing sting cutting into her skin. She let out a choked sob, feeling Dread's strong grip clasp around her throat. She struggled to breath, wheezing and rasping as she looked up into that pair of dead, depthless black eyes. "What'd he look like?"

"OH-OKAY!" She gave in, trembling as she racked her brain, trying to think. "He-he had b-black hair- and b-blue eyes- k-kinda skinny an-and on something- on heroin, he had all the-the scars-"

Dread's heart leapt as the familiar image sparked in his mind. He tightened his grip and Lizzie whimpered with pain.

"Name, bitch!" He demanded, snarling into her face. "What was his fuckin' name?"

Lizzie began to sob. "S-some other gu-guy came in- he called him a name! It-it was-" She wracked her brain desperately, thinking back to the humiliating experience. "It-it- was th-thief or something-"

"Bandit?" Dread demanded, a low growl. Lizzie nodded, her eyes widening as she recognised the name. Dread's face lit up, his dark eyes flashing with excitement. Jayden returned the smirk. Some good news.

"I've told you everything!" Lizzie screamed as Dread's fingers continued to constrict her air flow. "P-please stop! I've told you everything! Just let me go!"

"We gotta have some leverage…" Dread cooed to her in a sing-song voice. "After we leave you what's stopping you from telling the cops about us? Nuh uh, sweetie. We're gonna take a view videos, and if we hear you've been blabbing, your face won't be the only thing splashed on Facebook…or any porn site for that matter."

"What!" Lizzie squeaked, shaking under the rough hands.

"Shouldn't have tried fucking around with us, babe." Jayden leered over her, getting to his knees as he gripped her hair roughly. He pulled her head to see the video camera propped up by the bed, the recording light flashing threateningly. "Cause now, you're the one who's about to get fucked."

"And unless you want your family and friends to see the whole show…" Dread grinned, his depthless eyes gazing into hers mercilessly. "You'll just sit back, take it and shut up…least try and have a little fun while we have ours…" He leaned in closer, his teeth bared in an evil smirk. "_Babe." _

* * *

Maurice pushed through the double doors of the station, ready to finally drop off the last bit of paper work onto his desk before he could head off with his new wife to their honeymoon destination. But as he entered his familiar office, he immediately could feel the silence and tension in the air, and he knew something was very wrong.

"Maurice!"

He whirled around at the sound of his name, and an ash-faced Chad came to greet him, clad in casual clothing. A troubled frown graced his boyish face, and Maurice was now positive something was up.

"What are you doing here? We thought you'd left on your honeymoon…"

"Not 'til tomorrow…" Maurice reminded him, frowning as he looked at his partner up and down. "What are you doing? Why are you out of uniform?"

Chad sighed, looking thoroughly depressed as his baby blue eyes gazed guiltily into Maurice's solid ones. "We…were hoping not to drop this on you to wreck your honeymoon…" He mumbled. "But…well, you have a right to know…" He swallowed, looking towards the floor as he struggled to get the words out.

"Brian's dead."

Maurice's heart sank.

"What?"

"Some psychos stabbed him…then torched him and the squad car…" Chad mumbled, severely saddened by the entire ordeal. It was he who had found him in the first place and with everything alight he had no mode of contacting any of the other members of his team or anyone for help, all he could do was watch and flag down the first car that drove past. He also felt severely guilty at the entire ordeal, but he knew if he was in that car too he probably would have been killed as well- many had already said the attack was deliberate and planned.

Maurice mirrored that same look of depression. Brian was his partner, and had been for about six months. They went to the same police academy, were always in the same unit, and he couldn't forget all those nights on night duty with him. The fact he was gone he had trouble grasping, especially when he was gone using such malicious and terrifying methods…

"It's sad you're not going to be here for the funeral…" Chad mumbled, and it cut into Maurice to see Chad look so deflated. Usually he was so cocky and in control, so confident, but the event seemed to have seriously scarred him. "But you go have fun dude, I mean…we need something cheerful in here."

Maurice sighed. He was right, even when Brian was his partner, he wasn't even supposed to be here…

"Yeah, yeah." He muttered, running a few fingers through his hair. Chad growled, kicking at the nearest cubicle wall as he folded his arms.

"We're gonna catch the dicks who did this though…" he scowled. "Mark my words man, when they're caught I'll be at their throats so fast…"

"_Excuse me…"_

The two looked around to see a pretty, petite brunette staring at them wide-eyed, a piece of ripped paper clutched in her hands. her eyes lit up as she looked up at Maurice, finding just the man she was looking for.

"But I need to speak with you…" She simpered, smiling sweetly. "In private…if you could…"

Maurice frowned. He knew this girl from _somewhere. _Turning to Chad for support, he noticed Chad's baby blue eyes widen at the sight of her, before he turned around, going back to the group behind him. Maurice sighed, realising he was alone with this one. He turned to go back into the hallway, Bonny following behind him.

"Alright…" he sighed, leaning against the wall as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose, attempting to calm his thoughts. He'd just found out one of his close friends and workmates had been murdered, he had his honeymoon in the morning, he didn't need some stranger wasting his time. "So...what's up?" he looked up, frowning at her once more. "Have we met?"

Bonny sighed. "Yes, we have." She sat on the bench in the hall, twisting her lips as she began. She hated doing this once more, she felt horrible at what she was about to do…but she thought of her friend, of Jayden, and how much they desperately needed that plane ticket…both her and Holly, and the baby inside of her…

"Well, we met on your bachelor night…" She began slowly. "And…er…well…" She sighed again, finding this difficult. "Well, I was-"

"That dancer." Maurice finished, his eyes widening. Of course- she was hard to recognise with so many clothes on. "Uh…yeah, I remember…kind of…"

"Well, I wasn't completely honest with you that night." Bonny blurted out, her throat tightening and her stomach churning at what she was about to do. "I…well, we did…sleep together…and…I'm pregnant."

There was a horrible silence that engulfed the pair, Maurice's heart completely dropping in alarm at the weight of the words. His marriage, his love for Cree, his job, his friends, family, the death of his friend…everything was overturned with those few words.

"But I won't hold you responsible!" Bonny finished, her eyes widening as she saw his mocha skin pale to a sickly grey. "I…I just need money, to leave the country. Her eyes narrowed with determination. "I'll be out of here and never speak to you ever again. I'll take care of it, and I'll forget you." to rub this in, she tore up the address and phone number she had used to find him, the pieces falling to the floor. "Check, if you could."

Maurice looked up at her in bewilderment, unable to take it in. Only a minute ago he found out his partner at work had met a mysterious, horrible death…and now this girl was saying she was carrying his baby? She was _bribing _him? Maurice buried his fingers deep into his dreads, closing his eyes and shaking his head- hoping soon he'd wake up.

"Maurice!" Bonny snapped, and Maurice's eyes snapped upwards to see she had lowered to his level, and her expression had softened somewhat, but still carried that same ferocity.

"I know this is hard…" She tried to reason. "And believe me, it's hard too. But listen- _you will never see me again. _It was a mistake to come here- I'm going back home, where you'll never have to contact me. Ever. It's better this way. I'm thousands and thousands of miles away, you'll never have to think of me again. Continue your life. For me. I don't want to wreck it, that's why I need this money…a fresh start for me, to start over."

"Fine!" Maurice blurted out, unable to take it anymore. _Anything _to make her shut up and go away. _anything _to make him forget this ever happened. "I'll…" He sagged, defeated as he went to trudge back to his desk. "I'll get my checkbook, okay?"

Bonny twisted her lips. Of course, this was what she wanted…it was all going to plan, but she still felt horrible. Like a common whore, being bought off for her silence.

"That's fine." She agreed, nodding. "I'll wait here."

Maurice trudged off back into the office and Bonny hugged at her arms, sighing as once again she was left with silence.

_It's for the best. _She kept telling herself. _It's for the best… _

* * *

_**To be continued…**_


	26. Chapter 26: When Night Falls

_I hope all of you appreciate what I sacrificed for this…I don't care abot the 6 uni assignments I have to complete within 2 weeks and the 3 assigments before that…BUT I'M WATCHING STATE OF ORIGIN! :D And I still manage to write…that's dedication right there, folks._

_NSW ftw! :P _

…

_OH ^$%&#* YOU QLD! *Sulky face*_

_(There's my state of origin commentary) :D _

_But seriously folks, I went through a lot to get this chapter done- I still have 3 assignments to do by Wednesday- but I couldn't rest until I got this chapter out! It was haunting me (: _

_Uh… a warning…_

_Character Death :\_

_Moving on!_

* * *

Laurie43: Aww thank you doll :) your reviews always make me smile! I love to hear your take on my characters and plots, makes me think of what I'm doing next ;) I hope you like this update just as much! Enjoy! (: x

1000GreenSun: Hehe thank you! :D But…this one's longer! :0! So grab something to eat and drink…and I hope you like! :D

comicfan209: Aw yay! :D Thank you so much! And to answer your question by the way- I have heard Judas by Lady Gaga and I love it :) though I have to admit I'm just more attached to her older stuff, seeing her in concert just gave me that attachment (: And don't worry! 9 Months is coming soon! I just had to get this out of the way x

Hey Jessi; YAY! Happy Birthday for the other day! :D :D Hope you had a great day, and thank you for your reviews! I'm glad someone caught my Outsiders reference…I was watching it and had a moment of creativity (it happens rarely) hehe! Your reviews make me smile :D Thank you so much! Hope you like my update lovey! x

Justadreamer15: Naw, I hope its not that hard to get through :D I'm so glad you like though! Yay! Hope you like the update (:

NinjaxTurtles: Aw, trust me- even Dread and Jayden scare me- their creater :| eep. Thank you! :D That means so much! *Sniff* :D let me know what you think! Hope you liiike :P

Apples Go Boom; BOOM. hehe. And prepare for more badass-ness. hehe I love your reviews- so full of energy and BOOM! :D Love reading your feedback! I hope this chapter is just as good! Enjoy! x

JustWriting7:Hehe thank you :D yes I love my evil characters…even they freak me out and I'm supposed to control them! :| scary. hehe. Well I hope you catch this update, and better, I hope you love it! :D x

numbuh310alltheway: Naw! You're so sweet (: That means so much! I hope you like my update and I love your sweet reviews :D they make my day! Enjoyyy! x

Kuchiki-san urahara: Aw thank you (: Yeah…even I was starting to pity Lizzie..and that worries me :\ I'm glad you're liking it! Enjoy my update and let me know what you think :P

PowerGirl: Hehe yes I do go overboard with my chapters ;) I'm glad you like my story! And I'm sorry you thought that… this chapter may disappoint you then :|! But don't worry! I'm anxious for Mushi to have her happy ending (:

Heather: Naw thank you :D Means so much! I hope you like the update!

Sam: naw thank you! :D I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'm glad Dread and Jayden are fulfilling their purpose! ;) Enjoy!

* * *

"_It is finally a RELIEF that you're done hanging out with that heroin addict." Jade wrinkled her nose as she held the door open for her friend, who glumly followed through, staring at her McDonalds 30c cone instead of her friend. "I mean, you'll be so much better off, we're so glad to have you back, Em."_

_Emma trudged after her friends sadly, trying to smile at their attempt to get her 'back in the game'. But she couldn't help it, she hadn't seen her 'best friend' in a couple of months, and as much as the girls were overjoyed at that fact she was starting to worry, they'd had a huge fight the last time they met and she was worried he'd gotten into even more trouble than the last time she'd seen him. He was already heading in a bad direction moving so far away with that guy…_

"_Oh no…" Her other friend, Chelsea, suddenly stopped, wrinkling her nose distastefully and glaring off into the direction of the train station- which was an end of the line station situated directly next to McDonalds car park. Emma almost ran into her, and she straightened awkwardly, holding her ice cream delicately as she followed her friend's glares, her eyes immediately lighting up at the sight of the awkward figure at the foot of the steps, staring shyly at the group of gaping girls. Two of them glowered, Emma just stared, her face blank. _

_He had changed, but not so much she couldn't recognise him. He had, if possible, grown even skinnier. At 18 now his face still hadn't looked like it'd matured, he still had that wide eyed, innocent look with those ocean blue eyes- still glassy with emotion. His skin looked especially pale in the Autumn sun, his skinny jeans were tightly secured with a studded belt that hung off his scrawny hips and he was virtually being swallowed by his shirt- a black _Amity Affliction _concert tee that Emma frowned at, her stern glare going back to his face. He flinched, fidgeting nervously. She noticed he had a backpack on. _

"_Come on, Em…" Chelsea grumbled, tugging at her friend's sleeve. "Let's go."_

"_Wait…" Emma mumbled in defeat, nibbling on her lip as she cast her friend's an apologetic stare. "You guys go on without me."_

_Her two friends gave her a lecturing glare, their eyes flashing with anger, but she shook her head. "I'll only be a sec…" She added, grumbling. "It's okay..."_

_The two girls gave up, resentfully turning on their heels and stalking off, muttering at each other under their breath as they passed the boy, who they took turns snarling at as they walked by. Bandit watched them go, his eyes wide with nerves, before turning back to Emma, his face lighting up with glee. _

"_Thanks, Belle…" He gave her a shy smile, his voice still cracking weakly as he approached her eagerly. "I knew you'd-" He stopped, wincing at the stony look in his friend's eyes. He held back, entwining his pale, thin fingers nervously. _

"_It doesn't mean I've forgiven you." She grumbled at him, her eyes narrowing but her form weakening all the same. She could never stay mad at Bambi for long. "I haven't forgotten what you said."_

"_You know I didn't mean it." Bandit whimpered, his eyes wide. "But I mean it this time- me and Dread are completely through-"_

"_That's what you said last time." Emma growled over him, her anger rising. "And the time before that, and the time before that, **and** the time before that! Oh, and that Christmas before that when I spent my Christmas eve on the phone with you crying, missing my family that flew in from Perth, only to have you get back together by Boxing Day!"_

"_I know! I know!" Bandit squeaked, those ocean blue eyes filling with tears as he heard the obvious exasperation in his friend's voice. He looked down at the ground, trying to hold back from breaking down and bawling. He felt awful coming back when he had so many times before, and so many times he had run out on his friends, thinking he was doing them a favour by getting out of their hair…only to come back the same pathetic Bandit. This time he didn't want to do that…he __**had **__to prove he had changed… It wasn't the same as the many times before, this was it. "But…But It's not like that anymore…Dread's gone too far-"_

"_What gave you THAT idea?" Emma spat at him. "When he dragged you away from your friends? When he threatened me? When he threatened my family? When he threatened you? When he refused to let you leave the house? When he got you fired? When he bashed you into a coma last-"_

"_I know!" Bandit pleaded with her. _

"_-Or the time he –"_

"_I know Belle! I know!" Bandit whimpered, and this time he was really crying. Emma broke off, twisting her lips angrily but her kind, motherly eyes washing over him sympathetically. Bandit sniffed, kicking at the ground with his worn converse sneakers. "I…I could find excuses for all that…he said he loved me…" He gave a small, shaky sigh. "But…this time it was too much. I couldn't find an excuse this time." _

"_Why?" And just like that all anger had gone, and Emma's hand was on his arm as she gazed into those cerulean blue eyes she loved so much- no matter how clear the situation was for them, Emma still loved the boy in front of her, more than he could imagine. She couldn't shake the schoolgirl crush, and no matter what happened between them Emma knew she'd always be a sucker for those eyes…she would give anything to have one chance with him, for him to see her as he saw Dread. _

"_He cheated on me, Belle…" Bandit whimpered, sniffling weakly before shaking his head, his voice rising. "So…so I said that was it, he said he'd come for me if I ran…but I had to! So…so I packed up what I could while he was out and bolted." He pouted, holding out his arms. "This was all I had."_

_Emma raised her eyebrows. _

"_And…the shirt's Dread's…" Bandit added. "But I had no other clothes! All I have are these jeans, my trusted connies and these…" He pulled off his backpack and unzipped it, showing Emma the contents. Emma had to smirk. All that Bandit had in his bag was his iPod, his video camera, a bag of black jellybeans and a miniature Pokémon Pikachu soft toy. _

"_At least you got Pikachu." Emma muttered, giving him a shy smile. _

"_I wasn't leaving him behind." Bandit snarled, throwing the pack back on his shoulder. Emma bit her lip, hesitating. _

"_Have you talked to Dodge yet? Or Dingo? Or…"_

"_I don't wanna see the guys yet…" Bandit mumbled sheepishly. "They're not as nice as you…I'll never hear the end of how stupid and pathetic I am…"_

_Emma gave him a smile. "Well…cheer up! You can tell them tomorrow…and…tonight you can hang out with me! We can joyride and listen to All Time Low…like old times!" Her smile grew as Bandit's eyes lit up, giving her that sweet, innocent glee she had missed so much. He grinned at her, grateful for the understanding she could give. He was so lucky to have her as a friend. _

"_Aw, Belle!" Before she knew it he had embraced her, giving her a strong hug. "It'll be the best night ever!" _

* * *

Dread chewed angrily on his bottom lip as his black eyes scanned the paper in front of him rapidly, his pupils darting backwards and forwards across the page so fast they were almost a blur, as was the page whenever he tipped it to the other side, revolving it around clockwise then anti clockwise. Jayden watched him anxiously, his eyes narrowed with caution as he finally cleared his throat, reaching out his hand to help.

"Cunt, let me-"

He withdrew his hand and jumped back like a zookeeper from a sick lion's cage as Dread tore the map into small pieces, throwing around the ripped shards of paper as if they were confetti. They littered the front seat of the hummer ceremoniously, and Jayden scrunched up his face in repressed anger as he felt the tiny scraps of what once was a functioning map land in his hair.

Dread glared at him, as if daring him to say anything about his navigation skills, as the last bits of paper fluttered to the interior.

"_Okay…" _Jayden managed to mumble calmly, his eyes fluttering open as he managed not to strangle his dangerous friend. "We'll find the College another way."

"It shouldn't be that hard to find!" Dread snapped at him angrily. "It's a fuckin' uni, it's gotta be huge! The ones back at home have signs everywhere!"

"Pretty sure it was back that way." Jayden mumbled in return, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. He put the SUV into gear and maneuvered a U-turn, snarling under his breath so his partner couldn't hear._"Around the time you got the map…"_

Dread didn't seem to hear, he was too busy glaring out of the window at the scenery around him. He had a dark frown etched on his face, his neutral expression of looking moody and forbidding. He didn't have a natural, innocent expression. In fact Dread doubted if he could ever look innocent at all. Even when he smiled it was a warning sign. He glared at everything outside, his sharp eyes darting from the sidewalk to the road signs, to the buildings to the people… He wrinkled his nose, his eyes darting to the sky.

"This ain't like back home…" He muttered out loud. "It's way different, I thought it'd be the same."

"It's a different country, idiot." Jayden scoffed. "Of course it's gonna be different."

Dread gave him a dangerous snarl, but Jayden was too busy noticing halfway through an intersection that there was a sign that pointed towards the direction of the State university. He gave a triumphant grin, and without another thought changed direction and skidded through the intersection, earning a lot of beeping and shouting from the vehicles and pedestrians around them. Dread took joy in flipping them off, before turning to Jayden again with an angry glare.

"When can I drive, fuckwit? You drive like-"

"Dread." Jayden snarled at him. "Unless ya want me to mention ya map skills, shut up."

Dread narrowed his eyes at him once more but let it slide. After all, Jay was the only human being he allowed to insult him- purely in the fact they were best mates, been through thick and thin, and Jayden was just as bad as him.

"Fuckin' hate that four eyed bitch…" Dread muttered again after a long silence. "Took us ages to get outta her where she found 'im, and she didn't even tell us where the fuck he was-"

"She was hard to crack." Jayden agreed, turning again into the direction of the College. "But we haven't failed yet, ay?"

"True…" Dread mumbled, cocking his head. Suddenly he sat up in his seat, furiously throwing out his arm into his friend's chest as he stared wide eyed out the window, jolting in shock. "STOP!"

Jayden slammed on the brakes as he was winded by the blow, and he had to smile in relief as Dread went flying forward into the dashboard, smacking his head on the hard plastic. He tried to reduce his grin as Dread slapped his hands to his forehead, cursing him in every word he knew.

"The fuck is it?" Jayden managed to snarl after he'd regained his composure. "What?"

Dread gave a final hiss of pain as he pointed sharply into the direction of the sidewalk, and without another word he threw open his door and stumbled onto the street, Jayden having no choice but to grit his teeth in frustration, put on his indicator and park in an illegal zone, but at least he was off the road. He shut off the car and ran after his friend, making a mental note to strangle him for being so impulsive.

"What?" He asked again when he reached Dread's side. He looked around expectantly, unable to see the emergency in the hasty stop. "What?"

"There!" Dread pointed, and Jayden frowned as he followed his friend's indication. He could see a crowd of people waiting around a stand, where students were handing out flyers and jabbering excitedly. Jayden quickly slackened, a wave of relief washing over him as he realised Dread was at least useful for _something. _The sign taped over the table read- _UNIVERSITY TALENT SHOW- TONIGHT_

The two boys pushed through eagerly, reaching the table in no time at all.

"Hi!" A girl with braces grinned at the two, holding out a flyer eagerly. "We're hosting a talent show tonight for the-"

"Yeah yeah yeah." Dread quickly snapped over her, while Jayden grabbed the paper eagerly and scanned over it. "When and where, toots?"

The girl, who immediately frowned at being spoken to so harshly, startled, shaking herself from the shock only to issue them with a stern glare. She was only doing this because Rachel told her it would get a bigger audience in, and they needed the money for the college, otherwise the entire event would be a failure, and it would rest on _her _shoulders.

"Tonight." She muttered. "And it's at the college."

Dread tilted his head, his black, empty eyes narrowing dangerously as he leered over the girl threateningly. "And where is _that?" _He snarled at her.

She sighed, biting back a furious retort at the obvious way he was talking down to her. "Down the street, second right." She muttered, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder. "And it's $5 entry fee, for a lot of great acts."

"Yeah…" Dread rolled his eyes. "Sure."

She'd had enough, and walked to great other members of the public. Dread grinned eagerly. They finally had found the place. A sharp nudge in his shoulder jolted him back to reality, and he snarled as he whirled around, jumping back at having the flyer shoved in his face. Jayden blinked at him, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Dude!" He rasped, and Dread blinked in shock as he saw the glee spreading over his best friend's face. "It's _Holly!" _

* * *

Dodge wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist, drawing her closer for a hug. She giggled, her thick pink lips pouting in annoyance but eventually curling into a smile, her fingers tightening against his tanned skin. He kissed at her face, her neck, all over her skin greedily, grinning widely at her weak struggling against his loving gestures. She eventually shrugged him off, only to whirl around and stand on her toes, kissing him even more passionately. Hoagie wrinkled his nose, and as Dodge went to wrap his arms around her slim waist and lift her athletic figure off the ground, he knew he couldn't take any more of the couple's cutesy, lovey behaviour. he never thought he'd see _Fanny Fullbright, _of all people, all over a guy, letting _him _get all over _her. _All that kept flashing through his mind was that fateful night in the club…to think, if he could have just thrown Bonny off, Dodge never would have gotten a chance…

_And you would never be in this mess._

He shook his head roughly, pushing himself off the ground where he'd been working on the lighting fixtures with the stagehand. He had to get out.

"Hey Hoags." Rachel reached his side, grinning tiredly as she flicked through her clipboard. "How are those lights? Dimming ok?"

"They seem fine to me now, just a lose wire…" Hoagie muttered, wiping at his brow. "Should hold alright with that tape I used."

"Good." Rachel heaved a relived sigh. "At least _something's _going right around here. But the team promoting on the street says they've had a lot of good feedback, so we may have a profitable night after all!"

"Thanks to you, Rach." Hoagie had to smile at her. He quickly glanced at his phone- no new messages but he managed to feign interest anyway. "Listen, I gotta go…" He muttered, nibbling on his bottom lip. He tried hard to find another excuse besides '_I just found out my ex is pregnant and I can't stand looking at the girl I left and her perfect relationship'. _"I promised my mom I'd help her with-"

"Oh go right ahead, Hoags." The blonde grinned at him sweetly. "You've done more than enough, I owe you one!"

Hoagie grinned sheepishly. "Thanks. Good luck with everything!" He gave her a cheeky thumbs up before walking off, stiffening when he heard Rachel call his name.

"Hey Hoags…" She bit her lip, nodding her head into the direction he was glaring at only moments before. "Take care, okay?"

"Oh…" He blushed, and Rachel gave him a subtle wink before turning away, leaving Hoagie grumbling to himself as he exited the hall.

He had to start being more subtle with his death glares.

* * *

Trent twirled the wrench within his fingers, watching the way the light glistened off the polished metal and reflected against the wall. He sighed, dropping the tool with a clang and instead cradling his face in his hands, rubbing at his tired eyes. He couldn't get it out of his mind, he couldn't stop that single thought.

"Fucking Bandit…" He grumbled hatefully, kicking at the couch before plonking down and sinking into it, arms folded stubbornly. That stupid baby. That stupid little moron, playing on his mind like that again. He thought he'd shook him off long ago…

He shook his head. But when Bandit had come back…he knew once again with that sliver of news his life turned back upside down…he realised he was just as bad as Dread…he lived with that horrible guilt for so long, and even if he did ever get Bandit back (which was just wrong to think about…) He could never live with that guilt…that he had done what he did…and what it had led to…

Bandit…Bambi…would never forgive him if he knew…

Trent snarled again, closing his eyes and leaning back into the chair. But he knew he'd screwed up once more. He had kissed Bandit, he'd started up a flame he thought he'd previously exstinguish, now he was just back to leading his friend on, wanting him all to himself but knowing they could never be together. Not if Bandit knew the truth, not if he really knew what Trent was…

"_JACK!" _

Trent sat up in alarm, looking around wildly. Mack leaned against the doorframe, smoking his familiar cigar and giving him a smirk.

"What are you doin' here so early?" He muttered gruffly. "Are you even on today?"

Trent snarled at him automatically, but knew there was no holding back now. Might as well be honest.

"I couldn't stay at the apartment." Trent mumbled darkly, doing all that he could to avoid eye contact. "I…I just couldn't…I felt too guilty about…stuff."

Mack raised his eyebrows. "Care to elaborate?"

Trent scowled. "I got relationship issues, alright?"

"Join the club…" Mack grumbled, collapsing onto the couch next to him. Trent blinked, stiffening in alarm. He'd always seen his middle aged boss as just a…boss. Never before had it struck him that Mack could actually have feelings…or even a _life. _

"I'll share mine if you share yours." Mack said gruffly, puffing on his cigar. Trent gave an awkward smile, sighing. No way could he share _everything _with this guy. Mack would kick them both out onto the street before he could get the full story out. But…he knew from experience talking _did _make somewhat of a difference.

"I…I got this…_girl…" _He put delicately. "And she…well, we have a history. We should never have been together but…we gave it a go, but I kinda chickened out and ditched…her." He wrinkled his nose. It sounded so weird. "And h-she fell in with a real dickhead who hit her and stuff…I wanted her back but I didn't want her to think I wanted us to be together again, I mean…" He glanced at his boss. "I _guess _I love her-"

"Sounds like you do."

Trent gave him a warning look. "Well whatever. It doesn't matter. Anyway she was in a bad way, and kept going back to him, and I felt so horrible and guilty at pushing hi-_her _away. So I…well…I did something…I really, _really _regret." Trent's face fell, and Mack could see his shoulders weighed down with the words. "I…screwed things up, I got him- I mean _her _into real trouble and…something horrible happened…and she has no idea I'm to blame…and if she ever knew she'd never want to be with me, but I don't have the guts to tell hi-her!"

Mack shrugged. "She really mean that much to you?"

Trent pouted. "I…guess she really does…can't get it out of my head."

"It's up to you if you can put up with the guilt then…" Mack smirked. "You can keep it to yourself if you think its gonna hurt her, but if you can't live with lying to her then you gotta come clean."

Trent scowled. He was afraid of that.

"Ok now spill." He grumbled. "I gotta have someone else's problem on my mind."

"Well…" Mack stiffened, and Trent had to attempt a double take to make sure his eyes didn't deceive him. Was Mack actually looking… _emotional? _"I well , I _like _this um, girl, and well, it could be very complicated if we were ever, not to work?"

"Why are you already thinking about if it's not going to work?" Trent scoffed. "You ain't the most positive person, ain't ya Mack?"

He broke into snickers but that resulted in a sharp elbow to the side, Trent wincing as Mack carried on, still staring straight ahead as if nothing had happened. "After three failed marriages, you get like that. But…it'll be pretty hard if it never works out, ya know? And ya know, maybe she'll want something more exciting-"

"_Mack." _Trent snarled, rubbing his ribs. "If ya go through life worrying about what happens if you fail, you'll never get anywhere. If you want something you go for it- if it fails fuck it. If ya succeed, it could be the greatest feeling in the world. but you'll never know that feeling if ya don't at least _try."_

Mack paused, seeming to process this. He finally rose to his feet, sticking his cigar back into his mouth. "You actually got a point, Dundee."

Trent rolled his eyes. All of the guys were referred to as 'Dundee' for their Aussie accents, and they grew tired of brushing Mack off for it. He now only did it to annoy them, anyway. Except Dingo, who when called it started stalking around the shop with a wrench held like a spear, sneaking behind the guys sneering _'you call that a knife?' _It had deserved a few well-placed punches to the face by Trent, especially the time when his friend had taken it upon himself to tackle him across the staff room and wrestling him like a croc.

"Yeah, yeah." Trent muttered. "We don't know her anyway, so we can't tease you if it fails. So just take a chance, Mate."

Mack smirked. The kid had a point.

"Ya know." He pointed his cigar at him as he made his way to the door. "I could say the same to you."

* * *

Dingo unlocked his front door casually, his mind drifting off aimlessly as he strolled across the threshold, but immediately he blinked in horror, taking in the scene before him with wide eyes. He fell back to reality with the blast of a well known theme song.

Jake was jumping across the couch shirtless, his jeans held up by a belt that contained a large sword holder, and within his hand he fiercely wielded a sword, his eyes narrowed as he jabbed and sliced through the air, leaping from armchair to armchair with his other arm outstretched, his black hair held up by a red scarf. Dingo's lip dropped as he heard the _Pirates of the Caribbean _remix blasting through the speakers, his own father jumping to the tune of the music, ducking and leaping as though he was actually fighting against a real pirate opponent, moving with the grace and agility of a Will Turner and the moves of a Jack Sparrow. Dingo blinked again, taking in the scene.

"DAD!" He finally screamed over the music. "OI!"

Jake looked over his shoulder, unfazed. He turned on his heel (still balanced on the cushion of the sofa) and held out his sword, his eyes narrowed.

"Ah!" he smirked joyfully. "Hector!"

"_And people wonder why I'm screwed up…"_ Dingo hissed under his breath, fiercely stomping over and shutting off the music. Jake seemed to pout, twirling his sword around in his fingers as Dingo turned to glare at him sternly. "That better not be real."

"Relax…." Jake scoffed, tucking the sword back into his belt and snickering sneakily. "It's plastic. What kind of father do you think I am?"

Dingo chose not to answer that, he merely settled for a shake of the head as he took in his father again, who began to leap over onto the armchair as though the ground was hot lava.

"How much have you been _drinking?" _Dingo scoffed at him, stomping off into the kitchen. Jake grinned slyly, tugging his bandana tighter around his head.

"Only rum!"

"Of course…" Dingo mumbled under his breath darkly, reaching into the fridge for a beer. Jake finally leapt off the couch, casting his son a stern look as he cornered him, folding his arms across his chest. Dingo quickly realised his father meant business, Jake had his 'serious glare' on. But Dingo couldn't help but smirk at how quickly the roles reversed in his household. "What?"

"Shouldn't you be…out with Abby or something?" Jake asked, cocking an eyebrow as he surveyed his son closely. "I mean, it's quite a drama…"

"Yeah, but she said she'd sort it out…" Dingo sighed. "It's probably better if he hears it from her anyway…"

Jake's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

Dingo took a gulp of beer, his face cringing. But it wasn't at the taste…

"Him…" Dingo grumbled, not wanting to say the name. "You know…_Wally."_

Jake suddenly frowned, and it took a couple of seconds for the complete situation to sink in.

"Dingo…" Jake growled. "Wallabee knows about you guys."

Dingo promptly choked on the beer he was drinking, spluttering most of it onto the floor. Jake seemed to tense at that, his eyes widening at the loss of alcohol. Dingo's shouts immediately brought his attention back.

"WHAT?" Dingo gasped, his eyes widening in shock. _Shit_. "B…But HOW?"

"I dunno!" Jake snarled. "But I was over there last night and he came over, fucking pissed off and angry, and I had to tell him to calm the fuck down before he talked to you…I thought he had!" he brought out his plastic sword again. "I thought a good pillaging would cheer you up-"

"N-no!" Dingo moaned, running a hand through his hair. "Abby doesn't know! I dunno how he found out…shit…" He groaned again. "Well…Abby's got that out of the way then, she's got it under contro-"

Dingo yelped with sudden pain as a blunt object had hit him upside his head once again, and he winced as he managed to glare at his father, who held his plastic sword threateningly, aiming for another blow.

"HEY!" Dingo snarled at him, rubbing at his scalp. "WHAT THE-"

"Are you a real pirate, or not?" Jake growled under his breath fiercely. Dingo answered him with a wide eyed glare, his eyes watering in pain. Jake shook his head, eyes narrowing once more. "Where's ya sense of decency? Where's ya _pride, _ya nobility! Ya gonna let ya missus deal with problems _you _caused! Take responsibility, Ya WANKER!"

"Hey!" Dingo pouted, but felt a sense of guilt creep on him as he continued to rub at his head. "I…It takes two to tango…" He mumbled sulkily. Jake narrowed his eyes fiercely and Dingo tensed, immediately taking a step back. It reminded him of how nervous he used to be at school or in the security office at his local department store…when his father was called and he practically wet his pants just waiting for Jake to come bursting through the door with a wooden spoon, ready to tan his hide.

"I never got ta' know you 'til you were two!" Jake growled at him. "Take responsibility for ya actions, ya moron! Ya got that lass pregnant, and now ya leaving her alone?"

"I'm not leaving her alone, she asked me to go! And…and I'll kill him if he gets near her!" Dingo suddenly growled, narrowing his eyes. "_YOU _can talk! You beat up your fuckin' brother every time he's around! that's how I feel about _him! _She wants to deal with it civilly, I can't." He folded his arms with finality. "I don't want to blow their…" He wrinkled his nose with disgust as he spat it out. _"Friendship." _

"For fuck's sakes, Dingo!" His father snarled at him, narrowing his eyes. Dingo frowned but nevertheless met his gaze. He hated the way his father could so easily make him feel like a little kid. "Have I taught ya _nuthin'? _Just act _rational, _for crying out loud! You're about to become a fuckin' father, you need to get some sense, act responsibly and be smarter about what you do!When did I ever tell ya to back away from a challenge? You gonna keep fighting with ya brother ya whole life, or are ya gonna stand up to him and actually talk about the fuckin' problem like a man? I mean I talked to Derek already!" He snarled. "I hated every second, but I did!"

Dingo raised his eyebrows. He could see right through Jake's determined glare. "Liar."

Jake growled at him. "Yeah, well…" Before Dingo could even flinch Jake had grabbed the back of his shirt, directing him to the door. "I don't wanna see you make the same mistakes I did."

With that he threw Dingo roughly into the hallway, slamming the door and barricading it as he felt Dingo pound against it in protest.

"BUT _DAD!" _Dingo growled, suddenly alight with panic and slamming against the wood. "Abby said she'd take care of it! She'll KILL ME if I get involved!"

"TRUST ME!" Jake merely shouted back. "If Abby doesn't kill you, soon enough- I WILL!"

* * *

_Trent glumly stepped up to the front porch, hoping his thick sunglasses didn't give away how upset he was. He needed to talk to _someone_ about Bandit being back and not speaking to him- but all he could think of was Dodge- one of the most caring guys he knew and who already was aware about the situation between him and Bandit… It was awkward, though…he had just gotten back onto good terms with Dingo and Dodge, the two believing he had a part in Bandit moving in with Dread. He'd only just managed to admit to them he missed Bandit as much as they did. He felt guilty, but just relieved enough having his friends back. _

_Before he could knock on the peeling door, however, Dodge had opened it, the two reflected in each other's thick sunglasses. Dodge gave him a tired, knowing smirk, jerking his thumb towards the garage. _

"_Hey, man. I was just goin' to pick D up." He snorted, jingling his keys around his finger as he passed him. "The idiot stayed at the party last night and got himself totally drunk, then hung-over, so he decided to start drinkin' again at 5 in the morning." Trent followed him, giving his friend a smirk. It wasn't even noon yet. "So he's drunk…again." _

"_Trust D." Trent mumbled, shoving his fists in his pockets as Dodge rolled up the garage door, turning to give his friend a casual glance. _

"_So, you comin'?"_

_Trent gave a grateful grin, heading for the passenger seat of Dodge's treasured Dodge. "Sure."_

_The two friends drove along in awkward silence, only broken by the choked sounds of Dodge's suffering motor. The car was old and practically dead, in Trent's opinion. The three had scoffed when Dodge had bought it in the first place, but Dodge liked a challenge, and a car with his name on it, so he was fixing it up. _

"_Bandit's back." Trent blurted out when they'd reached a set of traffic lights. He winced as he stared out the window, but loosened as he looked over to see Dodge had hardly reacted. _

"_Yeah I know." He muttered, chewing on a piece of gum. "Dread's looking for him."_

"_Did they…" Trent swallowed, trying to morph his voice into one of uncaring. "Break up?"_

_Dodge scoffed, but he looked sad behind his sunglasses as he accelerated. "You know Dread. They'll never break up. In Dread's words, they'll never be 'apart'. Not if Dread has anything to say about it…" He narrowed his eyes, cocking his head thoughtfully. "God I hate him…"_

"_I can't believe Band stayed with him for this long…" Trent mumbled, more to himself than anything. "I didn't mean to push him away…" Dodge gave him a glare out of the corner of his eye, but eventually sighed. It wasn't all Trent's fault, and he knew Trent was taking it hard. _

"_It wasn't all you, I bet Bandit had no choice." Dodge muttered. "Dread fuckin' cheated on him all the time, he wouldn't let Bandit go. Bandit always called me to call him off- Dread physically wouldn't let him out of the door. Bandit was too dedicated to him, was willing to do anything for him. You think Dread would let that go easily? Nah, Dread made it hard, I'm surprised Bandit left- I bet Dread will track him down and try to drag him back, that's why I'm ready to fight Dread off once and for all…" He sighed again, looking miserable. "But if Bandit does make it to us, I ain't gonna let him go back." _

_Trent remained silent. He'd seen Bandit that morning, he knew he'd made it…but he was with Emma, not with any of them…and he had a way to call them too. But there must be a reason, and Trent didn't want to screw things up more than he already had, so he let it go. Bandit would go to him if he wanted to… _

_But he still scrunched his fists up in annoyance. He hated Dread too…more than words could say. He held Bandit hostage and claimed _Trent _used him? While Dread went and fucked anything that moved? And when Bandit found out he wouldn't let him leave? Trent snarled. If only Dread knew Bandit wasn't his little pet…that they had been together before…that Dread wasn't so special…Bandit was never his first, he was just a replacement-_

_Trent stiffened, giving a cautious glance to Dodge. But Dread didn't know that… _

_Dodge pulled up to a house and got out of the car, looking cautiously over the roof to check it out. The boys didn't have to wait long before two figures stumbled out of the front door- one a very ragged and inebriated Dingo. Dodge groaned, shaking his head, while the other tried to hold him up straight. _

"_I'm sorry, Dodge…" Daniel was saying, trying to hold Dingo upright while Dingo hovered dangerously above the flowerbed. "I tried to tell him Southern Comfort isn't his strong point, but-"_

"_Just gimmie…" Dodge groaned, grabbing his best friend and throwing him in the backseat. Dingo groaned, sitting up in the seat and giving Trent a suspicious glare before breaking into a goofy grin. _

"_JACK!" He shouted loudly, ruffling Trent's hair roughly as he attempted to sit up straight. "Maaaaaate…." _

_Trent wrinkled his nose as a wave of whisky- drenched breath washed over him. "…Hey D."_

"_I'ma…still a lil' tipsy…" Dingo sniggered as he leaned against the seat. "But don' you worry!" He poked Trent's cheek sloppily. "The nights young!"_

_Dodge slammed the diver's side door, yanking his seatbelt into place as he gave Dingo a lecturing glare over his shoulder before staring the car. "It's not dark, you moron!" He snarled. "It's the middle of the day!"_

_He started towards the main road as Dingo pouted, looking upset as he slunk back into the backseat. "Y'ur so mean to me…"_

"_Deal with it." Dodge muttered, checking his fuel gage. "I gotta get to a petrol station-"_

"_Some people call me the space cowboy…" Dingo began to drawl, bopping his head to the rhythm of the iPod he found on Dodge's backseat. Dodge groaned loudly. "Some call me the gangster of loooove…"_

"_Take the headphones off him…" Dodge snarled. But Trent couldn't stop laughing, watching the drunk Dingo draped over the backseat, kicking out his feet with the song. _

"_Some people call me Maurice!" He giggled. "WOO WEEW!" He sat up, his hair wild. "This is for you Dodge! MY Bestie!" He tried to drape his arms around him, but Dodge slapped him off, trying to concentrate on the road ahead. He growled, turning into a petrol station. _

"_I gotta get fuel…" He grumbled, stepping out again. Trent jumped as Dingo threw himself forward over the console, smacking his head on the dashboard as he went. He didn't appear to notice, and climbed after Dodge anyway, his sneakers flying around dangerously. _

"_Waiiit!" He slurred. "I GOTTA GET SOME RED FROGS!" _

_Dodge groaned, the two making their way into the station. Trent was left alone in the car, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. Even when he was hanging out with the gang like old times, he couldn't deny Bandit was still playing on his mind. To think- he may be back home and he wasn't contacting him! Maybe Dread got to him again…maybe Dread was after him now! His fingers tightened on the plastic leather seats as he snarled, looking venomous. He suddenly stiffened._

_Dodge's mobile phone stared at him from the cup holders, and Trent attempted to look away. He couldn't. He quickly grabbed at his phone and flicked through his contacts, opened his own phone, and immediately copied Dread's number into his phone, throwing Dodge's back into the console within seconds. He bit his lip._

_He was doing the right thing…right? _

* * *

Abby entered the hall, hoisting her bag higher onto her shoulder as she tried to ignore the whispers that immediately followed her arrival. She could already see people diving behind their hands and point to her subtly as she wandered through the crowds of people, dodging the masses of those still frantic about the talent show plans. She tried her best to ignore them all, all the while glancing around anxiously for any signs of golden blonde hair. A flash of it brought her attention to the right of the stage and she quickly made a beeline for her, knowing that at least half the pair of eyes in the hall were on her stomach. Her reputation proceeded her…

"Abs!" Rachel ran up to her, grabbing her friend into a hug. She stepped back, her hazel eyes wide at her friend's expanding stomach. "Woah!"

"Don't remind me." Abby muttered, but smirked all the same. She was only six months, but it seemed as though ever since she told Wally the news she had popped straight out of her jeans, wearing dresses to hide her growing baby bump. But still her stomach seemed to grab lots of attention- sticking out just as much as her boobs did. "He won't stop kicking either."

"He's gonna be a soccer player." Rachel smirked. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just…" Abby broke off, nibbling on her lip nervously as she clutched at her books. "I just came back from class and was wondering if you'd…maybe…seen Wally?"

"Oh…" Rachel swallowed, shaking her head sadly. "No, I haven't. Sorry."

Abby nodded, but still her stomach churned. She hated the thought of just 'running into' Wallabee on campus, she couldn't imagine how horrible and awkward it would seem of her to just launch into a conversation like that. She'd rather plan it…but he wasn't answering his phone.

"That's okay…" Abby shrugged, feeling like all she wanted to do was go back to her dorm, crawl into bed and never come out again. "Maybe he's with Kuki…up in the dorm…I better…yeah…"

Rachel pouted. She truly felt for her friend, she couldn't judge her when she looked so lost and torn like that. she couldn't stand seeing her so upset, and embraced her in another hug, which Abby gratefully accepted.

"It'll be okay, Abs." Rachel promised her. "It'll be fine, really."

"Thanks.." Abby sighed. "I hope so, Rach."

"So how about this guy, anyhow?" Rachel asked eagerly when the two let go, Rachel's eyes widening hopefully. "You guys a couple? Are you going to come to the talent show tonight?"

"Well…we…" Abby had to smirk. "Well, I guess we're kinda together…we…he met my parents last night…" A familiar echo of guilt flowed through her, but she pushed it aside to allow the girlish excitement to blossom. "So yeah…I guess we're together now. I'll come and see the show!" Her smile faded into a scoff. "But I doubt Dingo will…he's not really into…coupley stuff…"

"Buy him a ticket anyway." Rachel dismissed, smirking. "We need the dough. And if he doesn't show it's a great place to put your feet up!"

"Ha, ha!' Abby smirked, her tongue between her teeth. "Point taken, I'll catch you later."

"Good luck!" Rachel added helpfully. Abby shrugged, a pained smile on her face, but waved all the same as she headed off to class, just thankful she had at least one friend still left.

* * *

Hoagie trudged up the steps and flung the door open, grateful for the predictable faint _ding _that echoed around his favourite diner. He remembered the days when he used to come here just to get away from the fiery Aussie workers that ostracized him at the garage- just for a glimpse of a familiar freckled face and ginger hair. He knew those days were long gone. Who knew that one would soon be the boyfriend of that familiar face and the other would be a father to his best friend's baby?

He stomped up to the counter and stole a chair, his head held by his hands as he sank onto the counter. He felt like such a failure- one deicison had made all the difference.

_What if _he had given Fanny a chance- he'd pushed Bonny away instead of pulling her closer? He'd never have gotten her pregnant, that's for sure. Dodge would have never gotten his hands on Fanny, that's a given. Maybe they'd be happy, getting along- a happy couple just like Wally and Kuki, or Nigel and Rachel…

He frowned, nibbling on his lip. Or maybe they'd be unhappy… like Wally and Abby were. He, always thinking about Abby, and her, maybe thinking about Dodge…or Patton even. He swallowed. He'd never know.

…Maybe it was better that way…

He heard another _ding _and felt a body sit beside him. He hardly noticed until a familiar voice asked, in the same rough, tired voice he possessed, _"Shit day too?"_

Hoagie turned, a tired smile crossing his face as he saw Maurice staring back at him, his dark eyes half lidded. He already looked wrecked from married life. Hoagie sighed, nodding his head.

"You can say that again…" Hoagie mumbled. "As horrible as you can get."

"Tell me about it." Maurice snarled. He nodded to the back of the diner. "Wanna get a table?"

Hoagie shrugged. He did need _someone_ to talk to. "Sure."

* * *

"Just lengthen that final note a bit…" Hollie bit her lip, giving Kuki an encouraging smile as Kuki finished, anxiously waiting for judgment. "You have a great voice you know, and you carry it beautifully. You just gotta strengthen it and get a bit more confidence!"

Kuki's porcelain cheeks flushed bubblegum pink, hiding her blush all the same, nodding her head in agreement. "But…pretty good for someone who hasn't sung in public for like…ten years…"

"Oh yeah you're rockin' it don't worry about that." Hollie smirked, taking a sip of water from her large water bottle. She'd surprised Kuki with a last minute rehearsal at her dorm, and Kuki had been thrilled when she saw the redhead had visited her favourite takeout place, but immediately had to hide her disappointment when she saw Hollie had only brought what singers needed to clear their vocal chords- and that means no soda, milk, sugary, oily, or high in fat foods…all of which were Kuki's favourites.

Kuki picked at her dry salad though, trying to stay positive. She wanted to perfect her technique, so then there was no chance of stage fright and there was a clear shot at winning the money for Hollie. A perfect singing voice was needed.

"We should go down to the hall soon." Hollie grinned, biting into a carrot stick. Kuki frowned, glancing at her clock to make sure she was correct.

"But…there's still like, 3 hours until we have to be there…" Kuki mumbled.

Hollie scoffed, waving her hand busily at the bewildered Japanese girl. "Kuki, we have to make sure everything's in order…we can't have any last minute plans or you have no chance of getting your money back!" Her face fell, even with her winning smile she was unable to hide the fear in her face. "And I can't get home…"

"You'll get home." Kuki said, determined. She gave her new friend a grin, throwing the rest of her salad in the trashcan. "I promise."

Hollie smiled up at the girl, who held out her hand as an offer to help her into a standing position. Hollie took it, beaming. She was positive she had found someone she could trust, even after all these years of promising herself she could never trust a living soul ever again. She stiffened, feeling a familiar vibe up her leg. Her phone was ringing.

"Just a sec!" She muttered, flipping it open with her eyes wide. "Hello? Bon?"

"_I got the money!" _She could hear her friend blurt out with relief. _"Don't ask me how, but I did! And the tickets are reserved! Last plane outta here tonight!"_

"YES!" Hollie beamed, grinning from ear to ear. She was out of here, free! From the drama, the fear, the worry- "Thanks, Bon! Meet us at the end of the show with our stuff, yeah?"

"_No problem." _Bonny grinned happily herself. "I'll see you then, Holl!"

Hollie hung up, immediately throwing her arms around Kuki and hugging her close, her body shaking with relief. She had been so tense about the entire situation, it seemed almost unreal for it to be solved just like that. But she had to believe that just once, her plans had gone to her liking, and she was finally free.

* * *

Hoagie stared deeply into the depths of his black coffee, watching it swirl around the stained china as he held it with both hands, loving the way it warmed his cold skin. Maurice watched him silently, getting the feeling the youth needed to talk. Hoagie finally sighed.

"Isn't it funny…" He mumbled. "How life can change so fast? Like…in a moment, everything around you can change?"

"All it takes is a second." Maurice added, nodding in agreement. He tilted his head. "What's up Hoagie? You're not yourself…"

Hoagie shook his head, sighing as he leaned his head against his palm, groaning.

"Doesn't matter…" He grumbled. "I wouldn't know where to begin, anyway…"

"Try me." Maurice grinned, raising his mug in mock cheer. "I haven't had the best day, either."

"Yeah…" Hoagie sighed, but he could still feel it clawing within his chest, as if dying to get out. "When an ex walks in, says she's pregnant and demands a payout… that kinda messes up your day…"

He slurped at his coffee, his eyes widening at what he had just vocalized. The waitress that had just walked passed gave him a funny look over her shoulder, and Hoagie could feel his cheeks burn as his throat closed, realising what he had actually practically _vomited _out in front of Maurice, who was sitting there wide eyed, completely in disbelief.

"_Sorry…" _Hoagie practically choked out, his coffee burning his throat. He looked sheepish as he avoided eye contact. "It…It just came out-"

"No…" Maurice mumbled, and Hoagie froze at the calmness in his tone, and he looked over to see his friend had gone still, his bottom lip drooping in realisation. "It's just…that…happened to me, today too…"

A thick silence fell onto the pair, and Hoagie returned his friend's strange look as the two glanced at each other, their eyes locking in an understanding, empathetic way…as if they could suddenly understand what the other was feeling. It was a strange feeling, but suddenly Hoagie felt the urge to let out a laugh as he realised what a mess both of them were in, and what a strange life it was turning out to be. Maurice had to give a tired smirk too, and the two of them ordered another coffee.

* * *

_Dread sat around his friend's living room, slumped across the couch while still twitching from whatever substances were running through his veins. He'd taken so much last night, washed down with tequila, that he could scarcely remember how much of what he'd taken…yet he still remembered arriving home to an empty apartment_.

"_Just forget it." His friend, Shane, snarled at him. "He's gone. Your pet's run off. There's no use in running after him if he's just gonna bolt at the next chance."_

"_I know where he's gone, though!" Dread hissed, his lips twitching as he attempted to growl. "I-I just gotta talk to him, he'll come back-"_

"_Mate…" Jayden began carefully, observing his best friend closely as he chose his words. "He's…been through a lot…you know, maybe this newest thing with Natasha was just the last straw with him-"_

"_That's just it!" Dread shouted at him hatefully, leering over the couch to glare at all of them. "You fuckers don't get it! Bambi's MINE. I can do whatever I want to him and he still comes back, he's still there every fucking day when I get home. That bitch worships me, and I do the same for him. It's never BEEN that way with ANYONE else, he's fuckin' devoted to me, I was his fuckin' first and his ONLY love and that shit, that shit never dies…" His eyes darted from side to side as he tried to hold himself together, trying not to look too anxious. "He'll come back, Bandit always comes back. He fuckin' loves me."_

"_Not when you're fucking someone else…" Shane added snidely. Dread twitched, and Shane only had time to winch before Dread had thrown himself onto him, cursing and yelling at him to take it back. Jayden launched into action and threw him off, shoving Shane back onto the couch and giving him a warning glare. He should know better. _

_Dread punched at the wall, letting out his frustration on the plaster instead of his friend's face. He'd fucked up, and he knew it. But if there was one person in the world who always took him back it was Bambi…but Bambi was gone. _

"_I gotta find him…" he mumbled anxiously, already heading for the door. "I've gotta find him, I'll find him, I'll-"_

"_Dread." Jayden snarled at him. "You serious? You said he'd come back, why are you running after him for? It's probably what he wants…"_

"_No, If I don't get him somebody will take him from me!"D read snarled, tugging himself out of his friend's grip. "My fucking brother will get to him, they don't want us to be together, they'll fuck him up and he won't come back-" He stopped, standing dangerously still as his eyes went wide. "That fuckin' bitch has got him. That fucking Belle or whatever. The chick who wants to fuck him. She'll fucking seduce him or some shit, I gotta go-"_

"_DREAD!" Jayden shouted, yanking him back from virtually clawing at the door. "Relax!" Bandit isn't going to fuck ANYONE. All his stuffs at your house, ain't it? And you're the only one with the key. He'll come back, okay?"_

"_Unless they won't LET him come back." Dread growled._

"_For fuck's sakes…" Jayden snarled. "It's half an hour away by train. He can get here." _

_Dread finally seemed to relax, as his form slackened in Jayden's grip he gave his friend a long, thoughtful look. "Y-yeah…" He finally mumbled, tugging at his hair awkwardly. "I guess you're right…Me and Bam…we got a connection and everything…he wouldn't leave me forever…we…he loves me, right?"_

"_Yeah mate." Jayden sighed, relieved he'd calmed down. "He won't- Bandit's just probably gone out 'cause he needs some space about the whole thing. He'll come back when he's calmed down."_

_Dread nodded, lulled back into calmness as he allowed Jayden to shove him back into the chair. "Just relax mate, kay? If you remain calm Bandit will come to you." _

_Dread nodded rapidly, still buzzing from last night's rush. It had been just a regular fight, but he knew this time Bandit had really meant it when he said he was leaving… He never should have left him alone, Bambi had slipped right through his fingers. He'd woken up to an empty bed, and he couldn't deny he felt empty, like something was missing. Without Bambi loyally beside him, willing to take whatever Dread threw at him…Dread couldn't live without that- he needed that ounce of sanity in his life, that sliver of support and the closest thing to love he could get… _

_He needed Bandit. His Bambi. _

_He stiffened, glancing at the buzzing phone he'd pulled out of his pocket, his eyes widening as he hoped to see Bandit's familiar number. He frowned. _

_Unknown number calling…_

* * *

"I can't believe we both got screwed by the same girl…" Hoagie snarled under his breath, still shaking his head. Maurice sighed in agreement. He couldn't believe it, neither of them could. Such emotion and panic had occurred within them both at such an emotional suggestion- a life changing sentence that had hit them both…by the same girl. Hoagie was still reeling. He was still young, he could hardly believe it could have happened to him, he hadn't even processed it, now he'd just found out it was all a joke, a cruel rouse just to get some money. He growled, suddenly gritting his teeth in frustration.

And Maurice- he was newly married, a fresh start free of mistakes and errors. His whole world had been turned upside down at the very suggestion too, spoken so easily out of Bonny's lips. The two men looked at each other once more, and knew exactly what the other had been through- what they were thinking, what they were feeling.

"It happens." Maurice sighed. "At least I know now it was all a scam…"

"Yeah." Hoagie grumbled. Still, he felt empty. Bonny did mean something to him…he still couldn't believe she had done something so heartless. _Drop the bomb on me she's pregnant? Have me pay her out, and disappear from my life with my kid? Then turn around and do the same to my friend? _

He shuddered, feeling hollow. He could hardly believe it.

"I need a drink." He snarled harshly, glaring at his empty coffee cup with frustration. Maurice gave hjim a small smile.

"I can get you your money back." He promised. "You just gotta cancel the check you gave her. You can call up your bank- they'll still be open."

Hoagie wrinkled his lips. It wasn't the money, he knew that. It was the principle- that once again he'd been had by a girl. But…he knew the money was a small mercy. To have Bonny monetarily pay for what she'd put him through…

_Yeah…that'll do._

"Alright…" he muttered. "Yeah…sure." he glanced at his watch as he reached for his cell phone, and sighed as he remembered his everyday duties, what he'd been happily doing before his whole life had seemingly been turned upside down and shaken to pieces. "I gotta get to this talent show though…I better do it on the way…"

Maurice looked at his watch too, and downed the last gulp of coffee in his cup before he stood, giving Hoagie a short sigh. He was relieved, of course, that it turned out the whole thing was just a sham for money. He didn't even know if he and the girl had ever slept together, anyway. All he knew was that he wanted to let it go- never think about it again if he could. He felt for Hoagie, both of them taken by the same trick. An entire emotional rollercoaster only to discover it was a mean trick- merely an illusion.

"Just forget it, Hoags." He muttered. "That's what I'm gonna do. Get my money back and forget it ever happened. Just forget her."

Hoagie sighed, giving him a pained smile. It was all he could think of to do. "Way ahead of 'ya."

* * *

Jayden squinted at the flimsy piece of paper in front of him- which was ripped in numerous places thanks to his best friend's aggressive nature- swiping it whenever he felt Jayden had made a mistake. Jayden watched him beadily, his grey eyes glinting in the dark light of the car.

"This should be it." He grumbled, glaring out at the window to watch the lit hall in front of them. Students were filing in, as well as kids and other adults, all chatting and laughing excitedly, entering under a large banner labeled '_TALENT SHOW-TONIGHT!' _It seemed as Rachel's quick promotion techniques had worked, and tickets were sold out. "Think this is the one."

"You think?" Dread snarled, but smirked as Jayden cast him a warning glare. "I kid! Relax, man."

"Fuck…" Jayden snarled, hissing under his breath as he turned his attention back to that obnoxious banner. "If Holly thinks she can get away like this…"

Dread flicked his lighter, trying not to get his own anger get the better of him. Sure, Jayden snarled and growled every now and then, and when cornered he can thrash around in a fight like a rapid raccoon…but Dread was the angry one- he had a reputation by twelve that he could take care of himself in a fight…and in his neighbourhood you had to take care of yourself. By thirteen he'd had a few scars to show that he wasn't a person to mess with, but still by fourteen he had climbed to the top, sneaking into a bar and knifing a dickhead who had started mouthing off online about him. After that- nobody was brave enough to rub Dread Mathers the wrong way. Jayden jokingly called him bipolar, but everybody secretly knew he was exactly that- pleasant and casual one second, but one wrong word and he was likely to sink his teeth into your cheek. He was one sick puppy, as his Dad frequently said.

"We won't let her get away…" Dread muttered darkly, his eyes narrowing. "Trust me on that one."

"Mm…" Jayden chewed on the insides of his mouth- the taste of his gums and the promising sting of pain distracting him from the task at hand. He couldn't believe Hollie was so close- the girl that had sent him to prison, who had caused him so much drama. He hated her. He wanted to make her pay… But still something was standing in the way.

Sure, he trusted Dread- he trusted him more than he could trust anyone else- but still there were doubts on his mind, even he got out of control at the wrong moments, and he was suddenly reminded of the pact the best friends had made back in prison, when they first went in swearing revenge. "You…you remember our pact, right?"

Dread twitched, his dark eyes narrowing with confusion before a sly grin grew on his face. "Oh yeah!" He smirked. "No problem man, you know me, I honour pacts."

"As long as you remember…" Jayden reminded him, his own smirk glinting in the dark light of the car.

"Like I'd forget…" Dread sighed, rolling his eyes. "It applies to you too, you know."

Jayden scoffed, crossing his legs as he rested them against the dashboard- leaning back into his seat.

"Just remember…" He smirked. "Only blood kills blood."

"I won't kill or even harm your precious little mutt for a brother…" Dread snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously at the mention of _him. _As much as he hated saying it, he knew he had to stick by it. "As long as you do the same for mine."

"Wittle Dodgem…" Jayden snickered, mocking. "Who would dream of hurting that angel face?"

Dread snarled spitefully, folding his arms almost in a tantrum. Everyone used to say that to him in high school, when it became a common sight for both of them to be seen with bruises and markings. But generally people were concerned for Dodge- who's angelic eyes and sweet expression became a natural sight, but with Dread his harsh snarl and familiar black eyes the bruises and cuts almost looked natural.

"I stick by my word, Jay." Dread muttered darkly. "You of all people should know that."

* * *

"Abby!"

Abby looked over her shoulder in alarm as she saw Dingo running towards her through the crowds, his wild black hair windswept and his deep green eyes wide. She froze as she could immediately tell something was wrong, and she gnawed her lip nervously as Dingo halted, the same worried expression crossing his face.

"He already knows…" He blurted out, looking sheepish. "I had to tell you babe, I dunno how but he already knows…"

"Who-" Abby closed her eyes, wincing as the panicked thought entered her head. "You mean Wally-"

"Uh huh…" Dingo mumbled. "He knows…about us. An…And I don't know…probably the baby too."

Abby opened her eyes, and Dingo was immediately weighed down with guilt when he saw his girl's big beautiful brown eyes filled with thick tears. He snuck his arms around her waist, pulling her close into a reassuring hug.

"Don't cry, Bub…" he cooed in her ear, swallowing nervously as Abby gave a telltale sniff. "It'll be okay, I promise…"

"H-he already knows…" Abby whispered, the fact hitting her with immediate harshness. She began to shake. She couldn't believe it, her ex boyfriend, one of her best friends and who she'd been so close with for over a decade…he _knew _she betrayed him with his own _brother. _She never even got a chance to tell him…he had been holding it in this entire time- knowing about the baby and everything…and she knew what he was like… explosive, emotional, impulsive…just like Dingo. Her stomach was churning with nerves and she had a suspicion she was about to throw up with the tumbling emotions dwelling within her. "What are we gonna do?" She added, her voice reduced to an anxious squeak.

She knew she and Dingo were in big, big trouble… And this time she could see no upside.

Dingo frowned, his chin resting on her head. He hated the fact that his little brother could cause so much hassle and worry with Abby…he hated the fact he still had that emotional effect… but he pushed aside his frustrations enough to give her a sweet kiss on her forehead, knowing that the quickest way to fix this drama was act… like he _wouldn't_ usually act…

Act _rational. _He could remember his father snarling at him. _You're about to become a father, you need to get some sense, act responsibly and be smarter about what you do! _

_Hypocritical…coming from him…_ Dingo couldn't help but snarl to himself, who remembered his father getting into a bar brawl while Dingo- at three years old- held his peanuts for him as he sat on the counter, but shook himself out of this mindset, glancing around the campus instead and focusing on his girl.

"Don't worry." He said firmly, reaching for her chin and Abby could feel her head being lifted, so she could gaze into those dark, mystifying emerald eyes. "We'll face this together, if he already knows the shock's already gone- he'll- he'll just want a reason now, and without you being the first to tell him, he'll be pissed but…but I'm with you this time. You can't face it alone." He added, determined of that fact.

"I…" Abby tried to match his determined glare, but all she could feel was that she was falling apart, and she gripped him closer as she felt a new wave of tears overcome her- fears of her friends abandoning her coming to mind…friends she had since childhood… "I…I just wish I could have been the one to tell him!" She burbled pathetically, dissolving into sobs. "I don't wanna lose him as a friend, I never w-wanted to- to hurt h-him!"

"Baby…" Dingo held his broken girlfriend to him as she sobbed into his jacket, and all he could feel was failure. Those miserable cries seemed to slash into him, and all he could do was droop and hold her close as she club to him. "Don't cry…I hate it when you cry…"

* * *

Wally zigzagged through the crowds of students milling outside the hall, chatting excitedly about the talent show they'd "_Heard nothing about until today!" _It sounded as though Rachel had done a thorough job in promoting the event as far as it could, and all the students around him could talk about was the one night only talent show and how they couldn't wait to get in. He smirked, noting the effort his friend had put in with the decorations and spreading the word, knowing they'd be around here somewhere, Hoagie, Patton and Nigel too, and he pulled out his phone to text them, wanting a good seat so he could see his girl up close.

He squeezed through the various faces of students and friends, his eyes scanning for somebody he could recognise. He found the door and made a beeline for it, when a familiar face crossed his vision and he stopped- his heart thudding dangerously fast and hard in his chest.

A couple was talking close to the door, the girl- a head shorter than the boy- gazing up at him with pleading, crying eyes as he held onto her shoulders, talking low into her ear, reassuring her. A simple couple- nothing too out of the ordinary about them- the girl clung to his jacket with one hand, her stomach with the other. Neither of them noticed him. Wally couldn't stop himself, his feet trudged across the wet grass before his mind had even realised what was going on. He was tense, he was furious, his blood pumped thickly through his veins as his skin crawled with pure venom. he had his target, and he wanted to see _pain_ for what his brother had done to him.

"_So." _He spat at the couple before he could stop himself. Immediately he could feel all eyes on him, but the only ones that mattered were the matching narrowed emerald irises belonging to his brother, who looked up from the girl to glare at him. _"How long has THIS been goin' on, huh!" _

Abby gasped, looking up into Wallabee's expression of contempt with immediate fear. Before she could do nothing but gape in horror Dingo lightly pushed her aside, shielding her from his spiteful snarl.

"Back the fuck off, _bro." _Dingo immediately launched into defence-mode, spitting the last word with obvious derision. "She ain't a fuckin' part of this, she's got nothing to do with-"

"It's EVERYTHING to do with it!" Wally exploded, launching forward to growl into his brother's face. Dingo stared his ground, itching for a fight. "You two have been FUCKING around behind my BACK! How long have you been screwin' around with me?" He whirled around to glare at Abby, who flinched. _This _was what she'd been dreading over the last couple of months- and it was all exploding in her face. "How long you been lyin' to me, _Abs?" _

"Leave her out of it!" Dingo leered at him, the two standing their ground. "I won't tell 'ya again."

"Dingo…" Abby whimpered, tugging on his jacket. People were gathering around to gawk at the trio, and she could feel herself trembling. "Please…"

"YOU TWO DESERVE EACH OTHER!" Wally screamed suddenly, exploding as his patience did. "You're both a pair of fucking liars and cheaters! You're a fucking rejected psycho freak and she's a liar and a faker! You both deserve each other, fucking around behind my back! I hope you two are FUCKING happy together with your fucking BASTARD of a kid!"

Dingo's eyes widened as his heart raced in his chest, and he grew dangerously silent. "You…You…" he lurched forward, shoving his brother roughly. "TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT FUCKING BACK YOU PIECE OF SHIT! NOBODY TALKS ABOUT MY BABY THAT WAY!"

"IT'S THE TRUTH AND YOU KNOW IT!" Wallabee merely hollered back, quickly regaining himself and shoving his brother back, harder. He was ready to fight- he was ready to smash his brother into the ground if he had to. All the pain, all the anger, they all longed to be thrown at the guy responsible. The two began screaming at each other, Dingo throwing everything at him and Wallabee meeting his screams, the two causing a huge scene as they prepared to fight. Abby merely stood back, horrified.

"_You always fucking hated me, you had to steal my girlfriend to PROVE IT!"_

"_It ain't my fuckin' fault you can't give her what she needs MATE!"_

"_You stupid prick! You knew it wouldn't last so you had to knock her up just to KEEP HER!"_

"_TAKE IT THE FUCK BACK! DON'T TALK ABOUT MY KID THAT WAY!"_

"_I'll TALK how I WANT! She lead me to believe it was MY kid anyway! How many other guys has she convinced!"_

"_THAT'S IT!" _Dingo stepped forward to grab him, ready to tear him apart._ "I'LL FUCK YOU UP!"_

Abby's eyes were welded shut, her hands were fists. She couldn't take it anymore, and as the tears leaked from her closed eyes down her cheeks, the pressure was only building. She could feel the people around her gaping, yet the yelling- Wally's shouts and Dingo's fierce retorts, still cut into her like sharp knives, and she suddenly stiffened, her eyes peeling open. She let out a choked sob, sick of all of it. She could feel her baby rolling within her stomach once again, and she wondered how long it would be before it was born, and would it be caught within this cross fire of hated and hurt? Would it have to suffer too? She gritted her teeth, bubbling heat suddenly filling her. _She could only take so much, all these months, all these secrets, all this fear, all the anger, the guilt, the sadness…_

Abby didn't know whether it was hanging around Dingo too much or if she had just finally taken all she could take, but suddenly something within her snapped.

She turned and grabbed Dingo harshly, throwing him back into the crowd and entering the circle instead, and before she'd known what she was doing she'd taken both hands and shoved them roughly into Wally's chest, knocking him backwards.

Wally stumbled, completely taken aback by the fierce movement. He gaped at her, his eyes wide, as a silence fell on the crowd, only broken by Abby's fierce pants as her anger only grew, her hands tightening into defensive fists and standing solid beside her, her deep brown eyes flashing furiously. Wally had never seen her so fierce- Dingo stood, blinking in shock, as did the rest of her friends around her. It was just Abby and Wally… in the centre, face to face, nose to nose.

"What the _fuck _do you want from me?" Abby suddenly sneered, her eyes narrowed as she demanded an answer. "Huh! Just what do you WANT?"

"I…" Wally was completely shocked. Abby had never spoken to _anyone _this way. "Abby, are you _serious_?" His anger quickly returned, and his own emerald eyes narrowed. "You _betrayed_ me! You _cheated_ on me! We-"

"Don't give me that!" Abby snapped over him, and he was stunned into silence once more as Abby stomped closer, looking up at him but making up for her height with those defiant, burning eyes. She pointed a finger in his face, raising her voice. "Don't you stand there all high and mighty and tell ME who cheated on who! I mean I knew you never loved me, Wallabee, but I never thought you'd run back to your _love _as soon as she was within distance! You're not so PERFECT so don't lecture ME about betrayal!"

"Are you SERIOUS?" Wally defended, his frown deepening. Dingo growled at his raised voice and started towards him, but Dodge, who had been drawn to the scene, quickly yanked him back just in time, growling into his ear.

"_She's got this." _He snarled. Dingo reluctantly fell back, but still stiffened at seeing someone yell at his girl. Yet Abby stood strong, her face fierce as Wally shouted back at her.

"YOU SLEPT WITH MY BROTHER!" Wally screamed at her. "You have any idea how much that hurts, Abby? You're supposed to be my friend!"

"I'm well aware what I DID!" Abby snarled back, just as fierce. Wally was still shocked, as was the rest of the crowd. None of them were expecting a reaction like this. Abby wasn't backing down, and she only grew fiercer as she faced him, a demanding look in those deep eyes. "I'm well aware, Wally. I know what I did. What do you want me to do? I can't take it back, it's DONE! And you know what? I don't regret it! Do _you, _Wallabee-" And with this, her voice lowered to a growl. "Do _you _know what it's like, loving someone who will never love you back? You can't be the person they want you to be, no matter how much you try? Do you know- _do you know how much THAT hurts?"_

"I…" Wally was speechless, his throat and chest tightening with frustration as Abby refused to back down, hissing and snarling with uncontrollable anger as she poured her heart out. "I-!"

"I _LOVED _YOU!" Abby suddenly screamed, and everyone seemed to jump at that. "YOU KNOW THAT? I LOVED YOU, YOU SELFISH ASSHOLE!" Abby snarled, her teeth bared. "My whole teenage life I loved you, ever since you asked me out I loved you! And I had to live with knowing I was a just a poor substitute for who you really loved! You know how much THAT hurts? And then to have her come back and you automatically run to her? For me to be proven right that I wasn't loved by who I loved? My own _friends? _You know THAT pain, Wally! Do you know THAT hurt?" She panted, her anger seeming to simmer as she gave him a fierce growl, tears forming in her eyes as her emotions seemed to weigh down on her, Wally's blank, shocked stare only fuelling her.

"I…Finding someone who loved me…for who I really was, not just because I was _convenient…" _Abby sniffed, her voice lowering to no more than a whisper. Her eyes seemed to widen at her ex-boyfriend, as if pleading with him. "That's all I wanted, Wallabee… Wally, I love Dingo…" At this, she turned around to gaze at him, and that only proved her statement true as she turned back, ready to defend once again. "I love him just like you love Kuki." She said strongly, her chin rising so she looked him dead in the eyes. "You couldn't help your love for Kuki, just like I couldn't help falling for Dingo. You couldn't force yourself to love me, just like I couldn't force myself to _not _love Dingo. I'm sorry." She sniffed again, but her lips twisted angrily. "But neither of us did it to hurt you."

Wally stared at her, so many emotions running through him. The anger and betrayal still burned brightly, and he still longed to yell, scream, hit, kick, cause pain…but Abby's speech had stumped him. She seemed so upset and heartfelt the friendship that had existed within him for so long wanted to comfort her, knowing that friendship had clearly overpowered the lust and love between them all these years… something that was evident when he'd seen Kuki again. He knew she was right, he'd never felt love for Abby….she was never Kuki…she was the closest thing to Kuki… But she still betrayed him, and in the worst way…with the worst person… He could only silently fume, watching the way Abby stared back at him, fuming silently as well.

She turned before he had a chance to say anything, stomping back to Dingo and grabbing him by the hand, dragging him behind her as she began to cry. He hesitated, knowing it felt right to charge forward and immediately lock his fist onto his younger brother's face, or anybody who made his baby girl cry, but eventually he followed, knowing that his girl needed him, but he still glared over his shoulder at his brother, and as both fuming emerald eyes met both of the brothers knew it wasn't over between them…

Not by a long shot.

* * *

I hate myself right now…" Abby cried, her shoulders shaking as she wiped at her face with a tissue.

"Don't hate yourself…" Dingo grumbled at her, giving her a loving smirk. "You were amazing, babe. You said what needed to be said. Nobody's wrong and right, nothing's black and white…it needed to be all out in the open."

Abby nodded, throwing the tissues in a nearby bin as she heaved a deep sigh, her body still trembling at the aftermath of the explosion. Dingo looked at her pitifully, wrapping his arms around her in comfort and letting her nuzzle into his jacket. He smiled at that, he loved knowing she still needed him…even though she could take care of herself…

"I never knew a girl who could stand up for herself like that, get so fired up…" He grinned at her lazily. Abby sighed, giving him a shy smile.

"Thanks." She mumbled. "I guess I got a bit carried away-"

"Fuck that!" Dingo scoffed over her, his eyes widening in amazement. "It was _hot_! It got me going…" He cast her a thoughtful look, looking over his shoulder. They were at the far end of the building, and a crowd about 30 feet away was making their way into the doors for the talent show. He gave her a sly grin, nodding to the dark shadows that were behind them- near the back doors leading to backstage. "You think we can-"

"No!" Abby scoffed, slapping him on the arm as she gaped at him. He pouted at her, nuzzling into her neck as he hugged her tighter.

"But we can-"

"No." Abby snarled, her eyes wide.

"But I'm so-"

"_No!" _Abby had to smirk at her boyfriend's one track mind. Dingo growled, his hands lowering to cup at her butt.

"Your feisty-ness only turns me on more…" Dingo reminded her in a sing-song voice, his eyes lighting up hopefully once again. Abby only narrowed her eyes at him, and he pouted at her. "Fine…" he mumbled grumpily. "But I'm gonna be thinking about it all through this thing…" He bit his lip, trying again. "Can you at least sit on my lap?"

He broke off, Abby giving him a knowing glare, her eyebrow cocked. He sighed, but allowed her to lead him towards the doors to go in.

"Worth a try…" He pouted.

* * *

Wally panted in unbelievable anger, fury pounding through his veins at alarming speed as he struggled to maintain a regular breathing pattern. He couldn't believe it- after all the _anger, _all the _hate, _all of the betrayal he had felt- he just wanted to throw it at the very people who had caused him such grief- only for Abby to throw it right back to him! _She _was making him feel responsible? He couldn't believe her! He stomped back inside, trying to ignore all of the stares that followed him.

"Wally!" He heard a familiar voice behind him, and his anger seemed to sizzle as he felt a cool pair of hands on his back, Kuki's thin fingers trailing his tense shoulders before she turned to grin into his face, her smile fading as she saw the tense expression locked in those flashing green eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nuthin', Kooks." He mumbled angrily, anxious to forget it as he wrapped his arms around her form. "I just came to wish you good luck, that's all."

Kuki gave him a skeptical, knowing glance- her violet eyes scanning over him.

"Well…okay…" She mumbled, unsure. She didn't have time to press the issue, however, as Bonny and Hollie appeared from the stage stairs, both of their eyes shimmering with excitement.

"Kooks!" Hollie squealed. "You ready?"

"Of course!" Kuki immediately smiled, gripping Wally's hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. Wally gave her a grateful glance.

"Are you still up for driving us?" Hollie asked him, her eyes wide. "Because, like, I'd completely understand if…if you didn't want to now, you know."

Wally resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He couldn't wait for her to be out of his life- sure, she was much more tolerable now, but still she reminded him of his brother- the one thing he didn't need to be reminded of.

"Yeah, sure." He muttered. "No problem."

Kuki gave him a thankful smile as the lights seemed to dim around them, a voice magnifying over the microphone and echoing all over the auditorium for people to take their seats. Wally brought his girl into his arms again for a sweet hug, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Good luck." He grinned. "You'll do great."

Kuki blushed, looking thoroughly flustered as Hollie gripped her hand and dragged her off backstage. Wally went to find his seat, but felt Bonny grip his arm, dragging him off to follow.

"Come on." She smirked. "Front row! Closest to backstage!"

* * *

"Thanks for your help, Maddy." Irma grinned at the young girl as she shrugged on her coat. Mushi gave her a grateful smile, feeling her pockets bulge with the amount of tips she'd received. Of course, it would all go straight to Trent to pay off her 'debt' but she still felt accomplished after surviving a full day of work.

"Anytime, Irma." She grinned gratefully. "Anytime you need help just give me a call."

"'Preciate it." Irma nodded, giving the girl a smirk. "Have a good night."

"You too!" Mushi called out, giving her boss one last wave before heading out the front door and into the night, pulling her coat around her tighter. She started walking off towards the apartment, trying to form a believable story in her mind for when Trent asked her, but before she could even create a beginning she froze, looking up nervously as she could hear someone in front of her. Ever since she was cornered by Trent on their first encounter she'd been nervous walking the streets alone…and she hadn't had to since then, but now she had no choice…and her heart began to race…

She almost burst out laughing as she realised the person making the noise could be no-one other than Bandit- a slim figure who was hurrying into the garage about thirty feet away. Mushi smiled gratefully, thinking that she could at least travel with him, and made her way towards the garage, sighing with relief.

* * *

Dingo gripped onto Abby's hand as he guided her through the aisles of seats, wasting no time in finding Dodge and grabbing the seat next to him. Abby waved gratefully at Fanny, who grinned at her as the pairs sat together. Fanny at first frowned at the pair together, after all they weren't meant to be..together, after all… but when Dingo put his arm around her, and she seemed to snuggle into his touch, she put a comforting hand to her stomach, and she didn't seem so nervous about facing everyone around her. Dingo gave her a small kiss on her ear, as if silently supporting her. Fanny couldn't see any wrong with them. She sighed herself, her cheek landing on Dodge's shoulder as she closed her eyes. After a full day of helping out Rachel, it was a relief for her to sit down with her guy, finally.

On the far side of the hall Hoagie snuck in with Patton, the two taking a seat up the back of the hall to sit together. By the stage Rachel finally slunk down the stairs, feeling bitter about the entire situation. She'd had a hard day of bossing everyone around, and the final result was a success. But all she wanted was-

She snarled, freezing as she felt herself collide with a hard body. She glared up in annoyance, ready to run over anyone who got in her way. But to her surprise a pair of knowing brown eyes gazed down at her sweetly, and Nigel Uno grinned at her.

"Figured you'd want to get out of here…" He smirked. "Rather than watch the result of your stress, after all."

Rachel sighed, grinning as she folded her arms at her boyfriend. "You know me so well."

"I try." Nigel shrugged, but couldn't hold back a smug smile as he pulled a bouquet of lilies behind his back. "Thought I'd congratulate you on your performance."

Rachel's hazel eyes widened at the gesture, and she couldn't help but give a girlish giggle at her boyfriend's romance, her previously tired grin only glistening with joy as she took the gift, knowing they were her favourite flowers.

"Aw…" She pouted. "You're too cute."

"Come on…" Nigel smirked, offering his arm. "Let's sneak you out of here."

Rachel took his arm, smiling brightly as she left with her boyfriend just as the show began. One thing was for certain, she was grateful to get out of _there. _

* * *

Kuki was close to hyperventilating as she sat backstage, wringing her hands as other acts performed. Dance troupes, bands, even magic tricks! How could she and Hollie compete with _that? _Wasn't it stupid to think they just had this in the bag? They were going to fail, she knew it!

"Stop panicking." Hollie grumbled, as if she could read her partner's mind. "We'll do fine, I promise."

"it's just…" Kuki bit her lip. Hollie looked pretty intimidating, she was dolled up and in a tight, revealing dress that showed her curves nicely. Kuki tried to compete, but she couldn't help but feel self conscious. "What if we don't win? What if-"

"Stop." Hollie snarled, holding up her hand. Kuki stared at it, completely taken aback. "Don 't think about that. Just think- _we will win. _Got that?"

"We…will…win." Kuki repeated, nodding. "Right."

"We're the best."

"We're the best?"

"Like you mean it."

"We ARE the best." Kuki chanted, growing confidence. "Okay."

"Nobody can compete with us!" Hollie smirked, holding up her fist. "We got this in the _bag!"_

"Nobody can compete with us!" Kuki said, now sure. "We got this!"

"Good!" Hollie grinned. "Now let's kick some ass!"

Kuki grinned, blind with the energy Hollie seemed to be radiating as she psyched up her teammate. "Let's do this!"

"_Act 9!" _Someone shouted to them, gesturing to the stage. "You're up!"

Hollie, her head held high, stalked off to the stage, already flexing her fingers in preparation. Kuki followed, trying to keep those positive thoughts in mind. Everything was in slow motion, the bright stage- the head from the lights, the applause of a darkened crowd, Hollie gliding over to the piano, a warm smile, the music starting, and her hands gripping the microphone-

All she could do was sing her heart out.

* * *

Trent worked slowly at the engine before him, slowly changing the oil of an old station wagon. A simple enough job, so his mind began to wander. It was getting dark outside and he was here way overtime- and he knew he wasn't going to get paid for it- but it was a perfect cover and Mack would never say no to free labour. He tightened the last one with a final sigh, disappointed at finding nothing else to distract him. he leaned forward, his hands gently resting on the open hood.

Bandit made his way sneakily inside the door, nibbling on his bottom lip as his eyes immediately found Trent's lean, muscular body stretched out over a car- his dark ginger brown hair ruffled and stiff with sweat, falling into his face sexily, his usually fierce face wilted and crumpled with confusion… it looked cute to him. The sleeves of his long sleeved grey shirt were rolled up passed his elbows and his jeans hung low on his hips, exposing a delicate line of skin when he stretched. Bandit shakily stood himself from his daydream, heaving a steady breath and stomping over with determination, his nose in the air defiantly.

"Trent." He muttered sharply, his hands going to his hips in the hopes of achieving a dominant stance. Trent looked over, his sharp, dreamy grey eyes falling onto his, and Bandit could feel his chest flutter with excitement, his heart leaping in his chest as his eyes widened with immediate nerves. He winced, cursing at his body for letting him down.

"What, Bandit?" Trent drawled, turning back to the engine as though it actually interested him. He swore to himself, slamming the hood down as he realised he'd run out of excuses- he had to face his best friend sooner or later. Of course Bandit would chase him… he was the only one who would. He could hear his sneakers squeaking across the concrete as Bandit tripped over in his haste to follow him.

"I…you know- you know why I'm here!" Bandit squeaked, those pleading eyes widening further as he gazed at his best friend, hoping for a clear response. "You didn't- last night- and you…you didn't-"

Trent turned, his eyebrows rising expectantly. Bandit skidded to a halt, awkwardly straightening as he turned away from those piercing grey eyes.

"I…I just…" He looked at the ground, and Trent tried to shake away the automatic thought of how cute he looked like that. "I just wanted to know…where we stand…" Bandit finished weakly, looking up into his friends face with those powerful dewy eyes. "After…what happened, you know?"

"Yeah…I know." Trent said stiffly, looking away. He couldn't bear to look into those eyes any longer. "And it hasn't changed, Bandit."

Bandit's eyes widened in warning, but Trent forced himself to ignore it.

"I mean it. You were fine before, it hasn't changed anything."

"B-but I wasn't fine before!" Bandit whimpered. "All this…ever since we've been here! It's an act! An-an you get used to wearing a mask if it seems to fit- but it still isn't me, and you-you know I'm not me…without you, Trent." He sniffed, but he still held that strong gaze. "And you proved you can't live without me last night. You can't resist me."

Trent fiercely shook his head, fed up with Bandit's stubbornness at letting go. He winced as he heard Bandit break, suddenly beginning to sob. Trent turned his head sheepishly to see Bandit had collapsed onto the couch, now weeping sorrowfully into his arms as he finally gave up.

Trent immediately sagged with guilt, his heart wilting at the sound of those pathetic sobs- it brought back so many painful memories…it broke his heart to know _he _was the cause of that distress this time. He shuffled over to Bandit's pathetic figure and he sat down beside him, just the knowledge of the two being so close again made his skin tingle with excitement, but he knew much more was at stake this time…after all, they weren't teenagers anymore…

But he still bit his lip awkwardly, raising his hand to awkwardly rub Bandit's slim shoulders, waves of heat flowing through his body as soon as the two connected. He swallowed, trying to ignore the obvious sparks.

"Bandit." He growled harshly, before he mentally slapped himself, shifting closer. "Bandit…" He tried again, cooing his name sweetly. "Bandit, come on…just…calm down, okay? It's alright…Bandit. I'm- I'm still here…Bandit…Bandit…Come on, Bandit…ple-please don't cry…" His voice rose to a plea, his cheeks darkening. Bandit's tear filled eyes suddenly appeared from behind his arm as his head rose from the couch- his face a mess of tears. Trent gazed at him with sincerity, his face softening. "I hate it when you're upset." He admitted, his other hand going to his cold arm. "Come on…"

Bandit was eventually coaxed into Trent's arms, his head drooping onto Trent's shoulder so he could sob and sniffle into his neck. Trent winced at this, but still rubbed his friend's back, trying to comfort him. He felt horribly guilty at Bandit's whimpers of sadness, but guilt also dwelled when he faintly thought back to Mushi- the poor teenager convinced Trent was head over heels for her…

"T-Trent…" Bandit hiccupped, his lips trembling as he nervously gazed up at him with wide, tear filled ocean blue eyes. Trent's attention immediately switched, and he tensed nervously as he realised how much Bandit had snuggled into his chest and how tight his own arm was around Bandit's slim shoulders. And Bandit was batting his eyes innocently; he could clearly see every tear that clung to his damp, thick eyelashes. "I want a hug…" He whimpered weakly, sniffling as one hand fisted Trent's shirt. "Give me a hug."

"Bandit…" Trent moaned weakly, about to protest, but Bandit gave a weak sob, Trent repressing a shiver as Bandit's hot, soft breath frosted his neck, Bandit's lips soon following as he begged, his lips kissing Trent's skin.

"_Please?"_

Trent bit his lip but weakly complied, wrapping his other arm around his friend and drawing him closer, so their chests were pressed together. Bandit wrapped an arm around Trent's neck but still kept his hand firmly in place, clung onto Trent's shirt possessively, right above his heart. Trent's teeth dug deeper into his skin as he began to wish he wouldn't do that, it reminded him of how they used to cling to each other in desperate need…

"Bandit, stop." Trent snarled, his grip suddenly tightening. He felt cold and somehow empty, but he pushed Bandit off him, holding him out at arm's length to deliver a hard glare with his grey eyes. "You have to stop this."

"Stop what?" Bandit mumbled pathetically, recoiling at the harsh tone. He looked sheepishly guilty, but still tried to push against Trent's grip, fighting for warmth.

"_This." _Trent growled, reluctantly pushing him back. "This, Bandit. Us."

Bandit blinked back, and Trent cringed as he saw those ocean blue eyes rippling once more with promising tears.

"I'm not doing anything…" Bandit whimpered. Trent heaved a sigh.

"Bandit, you've gotta understand, we can't do this. Too much is at stake, it's the whole reason we moved here anyway, and for you to do this to me-"

"No!" Bandit suddenly growled, and Trent stiffened as he saw something different in Bandit's eyes- a dwelling, solid ferocity that flashed within his friend's face. And Trent's grip weakened. "You don't get it. I'm not doing _anything._" He said again, but this time much more determined. "_You're _the one who opened this back up. Not. Me." He narrowed his eyes, his newfound confidence making him shake like a leaf, but he managed eye contact. He wanted this. He had to win. "Admit it, Trent. You miss me. You miss everything we used to be. Friends isn't enough for you, is it? It's killing you- just being friends. Isn't it?"

"Stop." Trent suddenly snapped, his grey eyes snapping away as he made to get up. "Just-"

"No! Look at me!" Bandit shouted, grabbing his arm and yanking him back. Trent's eyes widened. He wasn't used to this sudden assertiveness, but Bandit stared him down with determination, tears bursting in his eyes as he shook with emotion. "_I'm_ the only one who loves you for who you are. No matter what you do I still love you. I'm still here. You know that, don't you? As soon as you thought I was slipping away you chased me. Now I'm slipping again and you're the one who's making sure I don't get away. We have _something _Trent, you know that. You want that, but then you go and say _I'm _the one who won't let go?"

He let out a choked sob, Trent's own eyes looking downcast. He couldn't look Bandit in the eye. "You want me or not?" Bandit suddenly rasped out, feebly letting go of Trent's arm. "B-because…" They locked eyes again, and Bandit gave a little sniff. "I can't wait forever."

Bandit hated this. He hated the fact Trent made him forget about everything else in the world. He could only think of Trent- that was it. Never before had been so one track minded, never had one person inhabited his mind so much, made him forget about anyone else.

Trent glared at his tearstained face. Fury and anger burned in his eyes as he thought of the boy before him- everything they used to be, everything they were now, what they'd been through, what they mean to each other… He found himself hating Bandit, despising him- those stupid puppy dog eyes, that porcelain, pale skin that bruised so easily, that slim figure, his pathetic pouty lips and thick eyelashes and bony fingers and that petite frame. His unruly midnight black hair, those stupid jeans he wore all the time even when they were ripped and worn, his stupid Disney-themed mind, his pathetic iPod headphones he always seemed to have in and that needy voice of his, he hated it, he hated all of it, he hated everything…_everything _Bandit did that drove him crazy, but most of all he hated how Bandit could get to him- make him divulge his deepest feelings and thoughts, he couldn't hide anything from him. He hated how he loved that, and he hated how he couldn't stop loving him.

"I fucking hate you." Trent spat at him, tears sparking in his eyes.

"I hate you too." Bandit choked out.

The two boys sat glaring at each other heatedly, their tempers rising and their pulses quickening as blue on grey they glared and seethed, the two shaking from the intensity of the emotions within them…the tension of the room. In a split second, they snapped- launching at one another and into a passionate kiss.

Trent wrapped his hands around Bandit's waist possessively, drawing him in and up to deepen the kiss- his lips thrashing against Bandit's in a needy, passionate way that Bandit mirrored, his tongue slipping in and quickly wrapping around his, his teeth lightly nibbling at Trent's lower lip. Bandit met his embrace, his arms wrapping around Trent's neck and his fingers entangling themselves in his rust coloured hair, bringing the two even closer as they fell back against the couch, kissing and panting in a heated embrace as the two boys rekindled the love they thought they'd lost all those years ago.

Meanwhile, outside, all the wide eyed, mortified Mushi could do was back away from the window, her hand over her mouth in shock, as she had seen everything. As the unshed tears seemed to blind her she turned, stumbling out of the garage as she did all she could think of to do.

Run.

* * *

"Don't worry…" Kuki could feel Wallabee's gentle coos in her ear as he stroked her hair softly. "You were brilliant. Everyone loved you…." He gave her a gentle kiss, Kuki's cheeks growing as she gave him a genuine smile. "But not as much as I do, of course."

"You were great!" Bonny chirped, giving Hollie a hug. "Fantastic! I loved it."

"I hope it's enough." Hollie mumbled, wringing her hands. Kuki gave her a frown.

"Hey! I thought we got this, remember?"

Hollie stuck her tongue out, but still gripped her best friend's hand tightly, shaking with nerves. Bonny bit down on her own lip, knowing the plane ticket reservations in her bag were useless without the check in hand, and even though Hollie was promised payment…she wouldn't feel right taking it unless they won and she could pay Kuki back.

"We haven't been announced yet…" Hollie groaned. Third and second place had just been announced, and she nibbled on her trimmed nails anxiously as the club member grabbed the microphone for one last announcement.

"_And the winner is…"_

* * *

The two friends walked across the damp grass merrily, weaving their way through the crowd expertly and talking over the excited chatter of the people around them. When they finally broke free, the pair heaved a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank god we're outta that rabble!" Patton grumbled, grinning.

"Thank god it's over!" Hoagie added, his eyes wide.

"And I can't believe Kuki won!" Patton grinned. "She deserved it though, she was great! I never knew she could sing!"

"I didn't even know she entered!" Hoagie added, genuinely impressed. "Maybe I should start paying more attention around here…"

"I can't keep up." Patton shrugged, smirking. "So you headin' back to the dorm now?"

"I better…" Hoagie frowned, glancing across the stretch of neat green grass that shaped the campus centre. There was a pale, slim figure walking across the path, her head lowered and her mis-matched coloured hair a mess. She was wearing a familiar waitress uniform…

"I'll catch up with you later." Hoagie quickly added, turning on his heel and heading off in the opposite direction. Patton stopped, frowning as he looked over to see his friend's retreating back- stalking off determinedly to the other end. Patton shook his head, sighing as he made his way back to the dorm. he couldn't keep up with his friend's dramas.

Mushi was a mess, she couldn't stop crying. It was pathetic. Trent didn't even mean _that _much to her- even though she loved his company and did grow attached to him- after all they were almost…practically a couple! But the real betrayal was Bandit- who she always saw as an escape from the madness, his innocence and sweetness a nice change from the drama and harsh realities of Trent's life she'd been pushed into by Sandy. She couldn't trust anyone! And _Bandit and Trent? _She couldn't believe it…she could barely comprehend why…or how long….how could they do this to her…especially Bandit- when she thought he only liked her!

"_Mushi!"_

She stopped, the cold wind stinging her face as it was littered with wet tears. She must have looked a mess. She sniffed pathetically as she saw perhaps the one person she knew for sure was real.

"H-hoagie…" She mumbled, wiping at her face. "What are you-"

Hoagie halted, an immediately frown darkening his face. "What's wrong? What are you doing here?"

Mushi swallowed, a lump forming in her throat as she wished for the right words. "I…well…I-" She shook her head, her sadness seeming to fade away. _That would be typical…wouldn't it?_ She couldn't help but think. _The heartbroken teenager, upset, a victim…that's what I am. Well not anymore!_ she thought back to Sandy, all the angst and sadness she went through when he left without a word. I refuse to be upset about things I can't control! "I…" She frowned, her hands becoming fists. "I have something I need to do!" With that she completely changed course, walking back the way she came, back to the garage, with a new defiant nature, fire in her eyes. Hoagie's eyes widened, immediately following her.

"Wait! Mushi! Where do you think you're going?"

"Something I should have done…" She snarled, her teeth gritted. "A long time ago."

Hoagie frowned, nibbling his lip in contemplation before he gave in, following her. Whatever it was, he couldn't let the young girl face it alone.

* * *

"Oh my GOD!" Kuki couldn't help but laugh, clutching Hollie as the two waved and jumped for joy at the victory. The judges loved the two's chemistry, as well as their fresh choice of song and their calm, acoustic material. They also mentioned the pair's sweet voices, which made them clear for the win. Both were ecstatic, Kuki's face flushed with the attention that was on the pair, the happiness and triumph at finally winning something- recognition that she had some sort of a talent. She still loved being on stage, it took her back to the school plays when she was the star…

She missed that. It had been a long time since she had so much fun.

The two were ushered offstage and Kuki ran straight into Wally's arms, who gave her a huge hug, picking her up and swinging her around too.

"Congrats, Kooks!" Wally beamed at her, smiling himself at seeing her so happy. "You were brilliant! Both of you."

"Thank you!" Hollie beamed at him as well, her and Bonny jumping up and down with excitement. For once- something had gone to plan! Something was going their way… "We better go…" her excitement soon faded to anxiety as she bit her lip, glancing at the tickets in her friends hand. "We…our flights in an hour-"

"Come on then…" Wally mumbled, already regretting it as the two perked up. "I'll drive you to the airport."

Kuki cast him another thankful look as the two Aussies thanked him profusely, chatting away as they hurried off to get their bags. Kuki gave him a final hug, thanking him again.

"Anything to get them outta here…" He muttered under his breath.

Hollie appeared again, gripping at her bags. She and Bonny only packed what they had to have, as they'd hurried out without the guys noticing. They didn't want to draw attention to the fact they were running away, even though they doubted the boys would miss them. Even though Hollie was ecstatic at leaving the danger zone, her happiness was still laced with a touch of sorrow at leaving the guys behind. To think, they thought themselves they'd escaped from the past and would set up a whole new life here…

"Alright then…" She attempted to give a brave smile. "Let's go."

* * *

Jayden leaned against his fist boredly, his hot pants of breath creating a light mist over the driver's side window. He glanced over to see his partner's head rolled over onto his shoulder, his chest risig and forward with gentle breaths. He shoved him roughly and Dread jerked awake, his black eyes widening in alarm as he sat up, glancing around wildly.

"The fuck- I'll fuckin-_what!"_

"You were falling asleep." Jayden grumbled at him.

"Was not…"Dread snarled at him hatefully, rubbing at his eyes. "I was only resting, I was awake, and I was _comfy-"_

He was cut off as Jayden jumped forward, the car rocking with the motion as he shoved his hand roughly into his friend's chest, Dread coughing at the blow to his lungs. Jayden merely stared, noticing movement at the south end of the hall. They had a perfect view from their car space, of the side door where crowds of people were exiting, and the back door, where Jayden pointed out if Holly _was _a performer she'd come out that way. He felt his heart rise in his throat as he saw the familiar flash of red hair, and his bottom lip drooped as he saw she was accompanied by her familiar best friend. A familiar passion, warm and thick, grew in his chest, and a triumphant smirk grew on his face as Dread's own eyes widened at the sighting.

"_No way…" _Dread breathed. Jayden's wicked grin only grew.

"Jackpot." Jayden smirked with triumph, turning the car on as they saw the pair disappear into a car with another couple. "It's game on."

* * *

Trent slipped his belt back through the loops of his jeans delicately, trying to find words in the tense silence that surrounded the two boys. Bandit watched him with wide eyes, his deep blue irises swimming with emotion. Trent sheepishly glanced at him, and he couldn't see his feelings change. Bandit was sweet, almost untouchable. He still saw him as his best friend- but so much more. He couldn't deny how wrong it felt, but at the same time its all he wanted. Mushi couldn't compare, he was sure no girl could…

"I'm really sorry." Bandit quickly squeaked, his eyes wide. "I am. Please don't hate me."

He was nervous that Trent couldn't look at him. He was shaking with the aftermath of the event, but also from the anxiety of what it would be like between them now. _Mushi. _He had completely forgotten about her. He never wanted to hurt her this way…but now he knew it wouldn't be the same in the apartment between them.

But to his surprise Trent turned, cupping his face somewhat gently. Bandit looked up, awed at the sight. Trent was still shirtless, and his coloured tattooed sleeve shone menacingly in the fluorescent lighting of the staffroom. Bandit still sat on the couch, his lips parting as his friend's calloused fingers held his chin delicately.

"Don't be." He said shortly. "I don't regret it."

Bandit's eyes widened, if possible, even further. "You…you don't?" He breathed. "Really?"

Trent shook his head nervously, but his steel grey eyes were steady and sure, staring into Bandit's face with determination. "I don't regret it, Bandit. I never regretted you."

Bandit gave a shy smile, his eyes glistening with promising tears. Trent's expression slackened, however, when he looked down…and reality seemed to hit him.

"I gotta…sort this out though." he muttered. "This arrangement with Mushi…it's not gonna work."

Bandit looked away as well. "I can't…" He gulped, a few tears streaming passed his thick eyelashes. "I don't think I can…she was my friend-"

"I gotcha." Trent nodded, running a few hesitant fingesr through Bandit's thick black locks. He closed his eyes in content. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you…" Bandit mumbled, but still looked ashamed. "I'll stay here tonight."

Trent frowned. "You sure?"

Bandit nodded shyly. "Yeah…I…" he swallowed. "I gotta think about some stuff anyway."

"Yeah." Trent sighed. "Me too, I guess."

Bandit looked up at him nervously. "You still-?"

Trent gave him a small smirk, reaching down to rub his swollen lips as he pulled his hoodie over his shoulders. "Relax…okay?" he murmured. "I'll come see you tomorrow."

"Okay." Bandit breathed, and he was struck with the sharp depths of Trent's eyes staring into his, the rest of his words tumbled out without a second thought. "I love you."

Trent froze, his thumb still on Bandit's lips. Bandit stiffened.

Trent leaned in, giving his lover a sweet, brisk kiss on the cheek before turning and walking out of the shop, both boys frozen in silence. Bandit could hear the door slam, and Trent's car start up. His eyes squeezed shut, and he buried his face into his pillow.

"_Dammit…" _He hissed to himself.

* * *

Over the rumble of a passing jumbo jet overhead Kuki embraced the redhead she'd grown so close to. She could faintly remember several months ago when her and Hollie had been fighting to break each other's noses, but all that mattered now was the sisterly bond Kuki had towards the fiery Aussie, and she even felt tears in her eyes as the two shared their rushed goodbyes in the drop-off zone at the airport.

"Thank you…so much!" Hollie muttered shakily, letting go to look into her new friend's face. Her hazel eyes were blinking back tears as she bit her lip nervously, hating the thought of bailing on somebody who had just saved her hide. "I…I don't know how to thank you…without sounding so…mushy…." She looked away awkwardly. She was always used to hiding her emotions, always the tough one. Kuki laughed, and Hollie looked back with alarm.

"You don't have to say anything…" Kuki assured her, her kind smile soothing the tense atmosphere. "I had fun, and we had a deal. I hope you have a great flight…I…I really hope we can still be friends-"

She silenced immediately when Holly pulled her into another hug, giving a choked dry sob as she gave an awkward look to Wally, who was trying to ignore the emotional scene as he sat in the front seat of the car. He and Bonny shared a glance, and a small smile appeared on his face.

"Of _course!" _Hollie gushed. "I consider you one of my best friends, Kuki! You've done so much for me…and after we got off to a horrible start…" She wiped at her face, trying to tidy up her eye makeup as she sniffed, giving her new friend a sweet smile. "I'll…I'll miss you, babe. You'll see me again soon…I promise."

Kuki sighed, smiling. She truly did feel close to Holly, and she hated the thought of goodbye. "You better go…" She soothed. "You're going to miss your flight."

Hollie gave her arm another friendly squeeze, flashing her another warm smile. "Thank you…"

Kuki squeezed her hand, unable to say anything. The girls parted ways, Hollie grabbing her bag and following Bonny to the terminal, giving the couple another smile as they disappeared into the crowds. Kuki stood against the car for another few seconds, watching the bright red hair disappear into the building and out of sight. She heaved another sigh, climbing back into her boyfriend's car and buckling herself in as Wally steered out of the curb, giving his girlfriend a sly grin as Kuki wiped inconspicuously at her eyes. He couldn't help it- Kuki was so gentle, sweet, innocent and caring… He reached over to grab her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"They'll be fine." He told her, giving her a grin. "You did a good thing, Kooks."

Kuki smiled at his words, leaning over and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You always say just the right thing…" her smile lit up her face, and Wally quickly found himself mirroring her glowing expression. He gazed at her sweetly, and deep within his heart guilt seemed to grow as he realised Abby had been right… he loved Kuki with all his heart, everything she did and everything she was he loved and cherished. He never wanted to let her go and he never wanted to leave her side- if the choice arose to be with her forever and always he would take it in a heartbeat- of course.

And Abby…

Abby wasn't Kuki, and she never was.

He reached out to stroke her pale cheek, her smile nudging his palm as her dimples showed . He looked deep into her eyes, brimming with happiness at having his girl so close, and to have her…

"I love you, Kuki…" He whispered, his thumb gently stroking her skin as he cupped her glowing face. She blushed, her skin flushing a light warmth as the words touched her heart.

"I love you too…" She said back, her smile only growing.

* * *

Hollie and Bonny rushed through the huge airport, dodging the crowds of businessmen and tourists to get to the correct desk. Within no time at all (with only carry-on luggage swinging from their arms) they arrived at the desk, where only the 'final call' boarding sign blinked up at them. The two exchanged wide, relieved smiles as the flight attendant checked Hollie's reservation, Hollie's heart lifting as she gave her a bright smile.

"Thank you." She handed her back a pile of paperwork as she gestured to the gate behind her. "Enjoy your flight."

"I will!" Hollie beamed, turning around to grin at Bonny. "I'll see you in there, okay?"

"Alright." Bonny returned her smile, fishing around in her bag for the payment. She watched as Hollie disappeared through the gate onto the plane, back home to safety. She waited patiently as she heard the attendant click away at the computer, finding the other reservation Bonny had reserved that very morning. She couldn't believe it- she was so close to getting home, back where they belonged.

"I'm sorry…" Bonny froze, and her heard wilted in her chest as she saw the attendant staring at her with a stern frown in place. "But we can't process your reservation. The payment method you've chosen is invalid- it seems the checks have both been cancelled."

"_What?" _Bonny breathed, her heart thumping hard in her chest. She felt numb, as though she couldn't feel her feet connect to the floor. _Those bastards. _

But the attendant only smiled. "Would you like to pay with another method?"

Bonny gulped. "Uh…n-no…I'll go and sort this out.." She mumbled, turning away shamefully. She walked quickly and rapidly, her mind blank. She had no idea what to do. What _could _she do? She had no money, no way of getting back, no way of getting on that plane-

She bumped into someone and mumbled an apology, walking away as quickly as she could from the scene. She jumped back into place, however, when she was yanked back by the very arm she'd run into, and before she could whirl around and tell the jerk to let her go, her eyes only widened with horror and her bottom lip drooped in total panic as she stared into a pair of black, soulless eyes.

"_Hello Bonnie…" _Dread cooed at her, dragging her closer and sneering into her face. His dark eyes glared her down as he leered over her, looking as happy as a lion who had just mangled a gazelle. "Long time, no see?"

"D-D-" Bonny could only stutter in horror as she froze, feeling numb as another hand gripped her, and she turned with immediately trepidation to see another pair of cold irises eyeing her- only a harsh, metallic grey. _Shit. _Was all she could think, looking back to Dread with alarm. _Dread AND Jayden? Holly only thought Jayden… _Immediately she knew she had to warn Bandit… that was her first thought. She began to thrash around within the pair's grasp, but as easy as picking up a toddler Jayden shoved her forward, gripping her arm so the two led her, one arm each, through the airport.

"You scream and you're dead!" Jayden hissed into her ear, and Bonny trembled with fear as she felt his strong fingers dig deep into her skin, sure to leave blunt bruising. "I have no use for you, anyway."

Bonny's feet weakly complied as she stumbled along with them, keeping up with their strong strides as they lead her out of the airport, down the footpath out of the carpark. She shook violently, feeling the cold wind whip around her as she felt she was being lead to her doom. She couldn't believe this, this wasn't real…this couldn't be happening.

_Her baby._

She stiffened, immediately standing up straighter as she remembered the life inside her. She had to protect it! But…she bit her lip as Jayden took a violent turn, Dread following and Bonnie dragged behind. _I have to protect Hollie too… _She reminded herself, staring up at the strong redhead that gripped her, staring straight ahead with that cunning, determinded glare. Jayden was out to kill her best friend, she knew that. And she knew he'd do anything to get at her too. Bonny gulped. She couldn't give in.

She was thrown out of her thoughts when the pair threw her against a cold brick wall, Bonny whimpering with the impact of the brick against her skin. She landed in a heap against the concrete, wincing as she felt her skin scrape. She stilled- only the sound of her harsh, panicked breaths- as she suddenly stared into the barrel of Dread's handgun- which he held with an excited grin in place.

"Lovely to see you again, _Bon." _Jayden spat hatefully at her, his eyes narrowed. "But we only want one thing- then we'll let 'ya go."

Bonny struggled to keep calm, her mind racing and her throat dry. She could hardly breath, it was too much- the fate of her life and her baby's rested in the hands of these two maniacs- she knew them, she knew what they were capable of…she saw Bandit's pain, Hollie's grief, lost lives…

"Where's Holly?" Jayden spat, and Bonny's mind went blank as she heard the gun cock- the bullet in place. "Where the fuck is she, Bonnie? We'll let you go as soon as you tell us."

"Please don't." All Bonnie could think to do was beg, and she stared up at the identical cruel faces that hung above her- passed the gun barrel pointed at her head. "I…I'm pregnant. Please don't hurt me."

"I don't give a _fuck _who knocked you up!" Jayden hollered at her, growing angrier by the second. He was _this _close to having Holly in his arms and they'd lost her- catching Bonnie instead. That thought alone made him want to hit, kick, punch, strangle something…and the bimbo in fornt of him was right in his sights. "TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"

Dread raised the gun, smacking her across the face with it to egg her on. Bonnie held in a yelp, feeling the fresh sting of blood drip down the side of her face. She held a hand to her head- it was sticky with blood and throbbing from the blow. He smirked proudly, Bonnie froze in terror, her mind racing. She couldn't tell them…they'd kill Holly…they'd kill her best friend…

"TELL US!" Jayden prodded, reaching down and grabbing her shirt. She was forced to look into his face- into those cruel eyes. She recoiled with horror, her heart now humming with pain and blind panic. "WHREE THE FUCK IS HOLLY?" he screamed into her face.

"I WON'T TELL YOU!" She screamed back. "YOU COWARD!"

Jayden blinked, and before she knew it he threw himself on top of her, his balled fists landing onto any part of her body he could find. She sobbed, weakly trying to block the attack, but he was way too strong for her, and he gripped her head roughly before shoving it back into the concrete- earning a sickening _crack. _

"_Tell me." _He hissed darkly into her face, his eyes wild. Bonnie stared back at him. She could feel her back pressed against harsh concrete, broken glass and nails digging into her skin. His murderous glare hung above her threateningly, and she could see she was fighting a losing battle. The thick silence of his threat was broken by the rumble of a jumbo jet, and her eyes rolled further back as she could see the flickering light of a plane pass above them-disappearing into the night sky. Suddenly, Bonnie James smiled, and broke into light giggles- her body trembling under Jayden's. Both of the boys stiffened, exchanging glares as they turned back at her.

"The fuck you laughing at?" Jayden demanded, grabbing her face. That only made Bonnie laugh harder, raising her hand and pointed to the sky.

"She's far away from you now!" She laughed up at Jayden, who froze, his hand still gripping her face harshly. He followed her finger, and stared up into the night sky- where that one plane was disappearing into the atmosphere. "She's on a fucking plane, Jay! Too busy with me to notice she's gotten away from you again!" She laughed again, her giggles echoing in the lonesome alleyway as Jayden began bursting with unspeakable fury, his chest rising and falling with the anger buried within his chest. His fingers tightened on her throat, but he pushed himself from her- stomping over to his friend and grabbing the gun from his hands. Jayden aimed it at the still laughing girl on the ground- her eyes closed and her head rolled back at the joke- and pulled the trigger.

The laughter died down as the sound of the bullet echoed through the lonely street, and the two boys stared as Bonnie's eyes never opened. The girl rolled over weakly, feeling her warm life essence seep from her from the bullet wound in her chest. She knew his aim. She wouldn't make it. She refused to open her eyes- instead she lay still, only with enough strength to put her hands to her stomach, as if a silent apology, as she took a final breath. With what sounded like a small, choked sigh, Bonnie James slipped into an endless silence.

All that was left was Jayden's frantic pants, the gun still pointed at her still figure. Dread stepped forward, grabbing her bag before wordlessly stepping back towards the main street. Jayden followed him, his expression set and determined as they retraced their steps back to the car park, Bonnie's bag in hand. Rummaging as he went, Dread pulled out an old, crumpled piece ofcardboard, a business card. He narrowed his eyes- reading it in the limited light of the streetlamps above them. He gave an excited smirk as he read the clue before him.

_Mack's Garage..._

This night hadn't been a total waste after all.

* * *

...

_*Ahem* And...in case there was any doubt- Bonnie is...indeed...gone. :( _

_And it is...To be continued... _

_Until next time! x :)_


	27. Chapter 27: Hide and Seek

_Hey guys! Long time no see, huh? Sorry this took so long (Well…long on my diagnosis) and I apologise for its shortness (16,000 words is short for this story) but this chapter was hell- I tell you. It includes the one scene I was SO SURE about for months and months now- the true turning point in the story where the 'good' guys are completely and utterly screwed. It was always going to be this way- but because I've been planning it for so long I wanted it perfect- and so many rewrites! Oh, the rewrites! *Faints* _

_Ahem. Anyway I would greatly appreciate feedback :) it was a hard chapter to write, a necessary turning point in the story that will lead up to the big climax(s) that will lead to the conclusion :P People have asked when this story will end- if all goes to plan the story shouldn't have more than 40 chapters- the original plan was 35 but I hate constraining myself (especially when you all know how much I can write :\) _

_My life is a complete drama at the moment too- it doesn't help that about 4 guys in my life at the moment are making it a complete dramafest (one in a good way *Lovestruck :D*) but gah! I almost got into one of my fictitious brawls :S . Writing- we had an understanding! You're supposed to be my ESCAPE! :P Anyway….enough about me…_

* * *

comicfan209: _Naw thank you hun! :D I appreciate it! I hope you like this update :P Let me know what you think (:_

Laurie43: _It's a gift of mine- haha! Drama…it's what I do ;) thank you hun! I'm glad you're still with me after all this time :) I truly appreciate the time you take to review for me, it helps a lot! :D Sorry about the wait, but I hope it was worth it! :D x_

Anonymous: _Naw, I know what you mean :( thank you for your heartfelt review :D I'm glad my characters will be missed- its one of the best things a writer can hear :) Hope you like the review doll (:_

Sam: _Naw thank you! :D I'm glad you liked it! This chapter will deal with…more drama, of course :P I hope you like the update, let me know what you think hun ;)_

UnknownPen: _Haha! I get the same exhaustion when dealing with my characters :P Yay indeed! Thank you so much :D I'm glad you liked it- I really love the feedback :P I hope you like the update, let me know what you think love ;) _

A New Side Of Awesome: _Naw thank you! :D I'm glad you liked it, Sorry for the long wait- but I hope you like this chapter just as much (: let me know what you think hun! :D_

Justadreamer15: _Yes indeed…Bonnie is really gone, and the baby was a mystery that died with her. In all honesty I didn't have the heart to put a finality on the parent of her baby- it could have been either one and neither of the boys needed that pressue :) but they're about to have a lot more stress coming… :) thank you for the review love! Hope you like my update :D_

Kuchiki-san urahara: _don't worry- torture's coming! :D Yep. Drama is one of my many middle names :P Thank you hun! I hope you like the update too, and good luck with your own story! (Which is going fantabulous, of course) :P Enjoy! _

Hey Jessi: _Yes…oddly enough hey? :P I love your take on all of the scenes, it gets me excited and hyped up about my writing :D makes me wanna write more straight away! Squee! I love All Time Low! I made them the official band of Bambi/Belle and their sweet teenage moments- sums up my teenagerhood too :P And Pokemon (well..who doesn't love Pokemon?) And of course Pirates :D eee! I'm gonna go watch it now :P I love your fangirl review- don't worry and don't hold back! reviews like yours keep me going :D! Hope you enjoy my update :) let me know what you think! _

PowerGirl: _Aw, don't worry- my Bonnie will be avenged :D And so will Mushi…in…a weird way… kinda. Don't want to give too much away :P Good point Dingo giving up everything for Abby and I put him drinking- that was in my head but I thought 'eh' better bring him up for that… ;P Lizzie is…well…you'll find out. *evil laughter* (*cough* she's alive :P) Thank you for the lovely review, and I hope you like my update :P _

Suicide King and One Eyed Jack: _Naw Don't worry! I truly don't mean it! :) give it time, and every character will have its time… KND just lacks villains is all- and my villains take over like every villain has a tendency to.. :P thank you for the feedback though! I appreciate it :)_

numbuh310alltheway: _naw! :( I'm glad someone appreciated Bonnie, but I truly thought she was the least liked character- especially when not many people are happy with all of my OCs taking over *nervous laugh* but don't worry! her death will be avenged! (*Jaws theme*) But yes…Pirates make everything better :) love the pirates. Jake is the true comic relief here :D Hope you like the update!_

Apples Go Boom_: *GASP!* I'm out! *Evil laughter and Dr. Evil music play* muhahaha! But yes… yes I know :P I'm quite evil, but I don't mean to be! I hope this update makes up for it :) And don't worry – I love my murdering psychos too… in a kinda *put a muzzle on them before I pat them* kind of way ;P YEE I'm glad someone likes my flashbacks XD I love your hyped up reviews! Whenever I read them I'm like yeeyaywoogottawriterightnow! :D (if that makes sense…) :P So lemme know what you think Dollface! :P _

_JustWriting7__: Yes- murder I wrote! :P haha yes. And many more coming! :| but I'm not too excited for that… don't worry! I don't have the heart to kill my mains…hurt, perhaps, but kill- never! Don't worry- I love happy endings :) I may end the chapter cruelly every time- but the end of this story will not have a cruel ending ;) I hope you like the update! _

NinjaxTurtles: _Naw I'm guilty for loving fluff too :P A refreshing difference from the blood and gore that will be coming :|. Sorry to leave you hanging :P I'm guilty for that too! I hope you enjoy hun ;) Let me know what you think- gotta love your high energy reviews :D get me so hyped up and excited!1!1yee!one! _

Heather: _YAY :D Scaryness! :D Naw thank you :) I do love writing Bandit and Trent, but I love writing all the little romances- I try for at least a little every chapter ;) And don't worry! Distraction is my middle name! :P Enjoy lovely!_

MidniteCurse4Eternity: _Aw thank you :D! That means a lot! It's an honour to have you aboard :P And don't worry- I love rambling! It is my native tongue :D Well that's what I try and do with my writing- heart stopping rampages of emotion! :D (but no heart attacks…my insurance does not cover it :| And thank you :D I appreciate the feedback a whole lot! It makes my day :P I hope you like the update love! (: _

* * *

"_Dodge?"_

Dodge stiffened, looking over his shoulder as he saw the sliding glass door sneak open, and Fanny's freckled face appeared through the gap, her eyes wide. "You okay?"

Dodge flicked the butt of his cigarette over the balcony, staring back into the empty quad beneath him. Usually, the flickering city lights offered him some sort of calm- but he was at Fanny's dorm- where only quiet reigned and darkness washed over- only one or two students crawling across the grounds after dark. Once again, he couldn't sleep.

Fanny stepped out onto the cold tiles, closing the door behind her. All she was wearing was one of his plain, grey shirts, and it only just slipped over the very tops of her creamy thighs. She shivered in the cold, but wasted no time in wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's waist, feeling how tense he was. Dodge wrapped an arm around her, tilting his head back to snuggle into her warmth.

"Just can't sleep." he grunted, annoyed.

Fanny stared up at him, her face sitting on his chest. She reached up to place a hand over his heart, feeling his rapid, panicked heartbeat strum loudly against her palm.

"Nightmare?"

"Something like that…" he whispered back, frowning as he stared off into the night. "I…I hate getting them-"

"It'll be okay…" Fanny smiled sweetly, lowering her hand to entwine with his. "Just trust me."

Dodge hesitated, feeling sheepish. He felt stupid- like a little kid being pushed back into bed by his mother. "I…I didn't want to wake you…" he muttered. Fanny sighed, pulling at his hand.

"Don't you trust me?" She asked, cocking her head. Dodge nodded, and finally allowed his girlfriend to lead him back to the warmth of her bed. He still felt it, though… that coldness that washed over him…the fear that didn't seem to leave. He grimaced uncomfortably as he tried to shake it off once again, snuggling into Fanny's warmth as it crept over him. It was as though it was trying to warn him, his paranoia getting the better of him. It made her want to grip onto his girl- everything that made him happy- and never let go.

He couldn't shake it.

The feeling of Dread.

* * *

"FUCK YOU HOLLY!"

Dread had to smirk as he heard the pounding of metal. Jayden punched fiercely at the door, lashing out on the unfortunate car as he hit it over and over again, snarling and cursing. He couldn't believe it- he'd only _just _missed his girl- his target. It seemed as though he'd come for nothing. The only thing that was giving him the tiniest bit of gratification was the familiar sting of pain as his bare knuckles smashed into the vehicle. Over and over. Dread rolled his eyes, tilting his head lazily to give his friend a knowing look. His black eyes were flickering maliciously- as if still alight from the sight of blood splatter. He couldn't help it- doing something so forbidden, illegal, it got his heart racing…setting him off.

"That ain't gonna help, Jay." He reminded him in a quick growl, his sharp canines digging into his bottom lip to prevent a wide grin.

"So _WHAT_?" Jayden hissed, his eyes narrowed. "I fucking missed her, Dread! I fucking missed her! That bitch got away!" He gave the door another slam with his fist before collapsing on it, closing his eyes as he panted into the cold panel. "And…that fucking bitch…"

Dread froze, recognizing the signs. He quickly hurried over, his eyes narrowed as he shoved a hand roughly into his friend's shoulder. "Mate- stop thinkin' bout it." He knew the feeling- it had been the first time his friend had ever killed someone- a living thing- and he was reliving it. That was the trick- not to relive it. That was why Dread was in charge of taking people out- they'd already agreed on that. Dread could do it easy. There was no trick to him- just do it. He had a cold heart and a personality to match. He was born to take lives, he was built for it…But Jayden… "We're here to get a job done. We'll find 'er- we haven't failed yet have we?"

"Yeah. Yeah." Jayden tried to shake him off. The last thing he wanted to show Dread was weakness. "I'm fine." His eyes narrowed, whirling around. Dread could only see a tiny, _tiny _flash of fear in his face. He grinned with pride. Jayden was stronger than he thought he was. Jayden growled. "But…just…_if_ we get caught- we're _here _now." He swallowed. "They got the death penalty here."

"We won't get caught."

"Dread-"

The rest of Jayden's words were suddenly swallowed as Dread glared at him- his black, coal pit eyes burning into him. He couldn't deny it- those eyes were intense and harsh, he couldn't argue with that determined glare. He only gave his friend a short nod, pushing his anxieties aside to sigh, gnawing on his bottom lip.

"S-so…what now?" He grumbled, cocking an eyebrow. Dread grinned at him, his eyes widening with sudden happiness. Jayden narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He didn't like that automatic eagerness.

"We start hunting." Dread smirked, flashing the business card knowingly. _"Here"_

Jayden raised his eyebrows, searching the business card for any sign that could lead them to their targets. Glancing back at his friend's face- a malicious, twisted smirk in place- he sighed.

"Mate- this is just a card for a garage…" He muttered. "So she got something fixed here, or knew someone there- doesn't mean the guys are there."

"They're _mechanics." _Dread growled. "It makes sense. Now head there!"

"After I get food…" Jayden snarled."I need takeout- and in _this _country- it shouldn't take too long." He sighed, his fingers clawing at the handle of the car door. He needed something to calm his nerves, to set him straight.

"Fine." Dread snarled, but his blood was already racing at the prospect of getting close to his Bambi. After all, he had to practically drag Bandit away from that stupid mechanics back home- it's natural for him to travel back there- and for Bonnie to have a business card for one in her purse? Too perfect. His smirk grew as his fingers twitched, longing to reach for his pistol. "But I at least need to get in the mood." He grabbed for his iPod, switching it on as Jayden searched the highway for food. He smirked with sudden joy as one of his favourite songs came on- the song that stood for Bandit too! It must have been a sign.

"Fuck yes!" he hissed happily, grinning as he drummed on the dashboard. He sang along, his pitch perfect as he concentrated on the lyrics he knew so well, and his eyes wide as he stared out of the window- only thinking of what he wanted, what he wouldn't rest to get…

"_Love's the funeral of hearts…" _He mumbled, grinning to himself. _"And an ode for cruelty…" _He leaned his head against the window, his rapid, excited heartbeat strumming against his chest, his fingers twitching in anticipation. _"When angels cry blood…on flowers of evil, in bloom…"_

_I'll find you Bambi… _He couldn't help but think along with their song. _Don't think you can hide from me forever…_

With his thick pants and singing fogging against the window, Dread reached up to trace a heart against the window, his breath misting the glass as the symbol shone strongly, his eyes flashing darkly.

"You're mine Bambi…" Dread growled under his breath, watching as the drawn heart began to fade.

* * *

"Mushi!" Hoagie grunted, trotting after the teenager as she stormed ahead in front of him. Hoagie tried again, reaching out for her arm. "Mushi, hey! Calm down. Talk to me. What the Hell is-"

"I don't have _time _to tell you the whole story!" Mushi shouted back, yanking her arm out of his grip as she continued up the sidewalk. Her sneakers stomped determinedly against the cement, her face set as she retraced her steps back to her workplace. All that was running through her mind was the image of Bandit and Trent together- the betrayal and sadness had faded, only anger and fury replaced it. She was sick of being tossed around like a ragdoll- first Sandy then Trent- she felt used and tossed aside,and here she was thinking Bandit was her _friend- _someone she could _trust. _

"You gotta calm down, Mushi!" Hoagie insisted, grabbing her arm once again and whirling her around. Mushi squirmed to escape his protective gasp, but couldn't ignore those wide pair of deep, serious eyes that were gazing into hers. She stilled, a cold gust of wind whipping around them and stinging her tearstained cheeks. She blinked, sniffing stupidly as Hoagie held her close.

"You have to tell me, Mushi." He mumbled to her. "No more secrets, ok? I've covered for you enough." He let her go, folding his arms as he gave her an intense glare. Mushi swallowed awkwardly, gazing up at him. He loomed over her, the two standing silently by themselves on the empty sidewalk, the stars twinkling above them as they stared at each other. Mushi sighed glumly, her shoulders sagging as she blurted out the entire story.

"I just…I've been hurt, okay?" Mushi mumbled angrily. "That's all you need to know. You don't have to _follow _me or anything, in fact it's none of your business… I just need to sort some stuff out." She narrowed her eyes, shaking her head so her glossy hair fanned out over her waitress uniform. "People I thought were my friends…"

"Let me guess." Hoagie snarled, raising his eyebrows. "Trent, right?" He knew he couldn't trust those guys, and the second he saw her with the gang he could sense trouble. Mushi nodded, before turning on her heel and once again stalking off. Hoagie growled in annoyance. He had to admit, she was a stubborn one. But he followed her anyway, flipping his hood up against the cold as he went. He knew, deep down, he still was the only one who could protect her.

* * *

Bandit fiddled with the headphones of his music player, entwining the leads around his fingers and back around again as his favourite playlist pounded in his ears. Lying back against the sagging couch, he attempted to once again make himself comfortable under the buzzing fluorescent lights. He couldn't stand the silence, so instead he tried to concentrate on the music pulsating through his mind. But he couldn't help letting the memories flood back, and tears sparked in his eyes as he remembered the very person he used to play this song with- memories he could never get back.

_'My ship went down,_  
_In a sea of sound,_  
_When I woke up alone I had everything…'_

_Bandit's greasy fingers grazed the bottom of the carton as he fished out the last of the crispy takeout chips, licking his pierced lips excitedly as he finished them off, throwing them in the back of the car with the other garbage. He heard a giggle, and looked over to the driver's side of the car with a smile. _

_'…A handful of moments I wished I could change,_  
_And a tongue like a nightmare that cut like a blade…'_

"_You always know how to trash my car in record timing." Belle laughed, throwing her own burger wrapper in the backseat. The two were engulfed in darkness, parked in a local lookout that overlooked the town. It was about 10'o'clock at night, and the two friends were only just finishing their McDonalds binge in Belle's car while chatting away about times long gone, anything to calm Bandit's mind about recent drama. Their favourite tracks were playing through her car's CD player, and Bandit was comfortable once more, leaning back into the door as he folded his legs across the cheap car seats, sipping up the last of his large coke. He pouted at her._

_'In a city of fools, I was careful and cool,_  
_But they tore me apart like a hurricane…'_

"_You helped!" He whined back, but still smirked all the same. His snakebite piercings shimmered from the light of the stereo, and Emma could just make out his silhouetted figure as he dug around for his abandoned sundae. She tilted her head as the song on the tracklist continued to play, and she sighed as she knew how much it reminded her of him._

_'A handful of moments, I wished I could change_  
_But I was carried away…_'

_She was head over heels for him in a stupid teenage dreamlike way. But she was soon to be eighteen- a real life adult out of school- she knew she needed to stop thinking that way. Bandit just saw her as a great friend…that was it. She bit her lip, and the two of them jumped as Bandit's phone buzzed yet again- the screen lighting up the dark car as Bandit shoved it away with his sneaker again. _

"_Aren't you going to answer it?" Belle asked, her eyes shifting sideways to avoid contact. She hated him to see the jealous look in her eyes. "It might be-" She broke off, silencing as Bandit turned to face her, his brilliant blue eyes sparkling at her earnestly. _

"_But I'm with you." Bandit remarked happily, beaming. "That's all that matters." _

_Belle had to smirk at that, blushing a deep red that she was thankful the night hid. "But…what about your friends? What about…" She bit her lip. "Trent?"_

_Bandit shifted his shoulders, trying his hardest to seem careless about the situation that made his heart flutter in both excitement and fear. "It doesn't matter…" he mumbled. "I think he's forgotten anyway- and Dread never found out- so its like it never happened."_

_Belle's face crinkled into a pitying look, and she pouted at her friend as she tried to get him to smile. "Cheer up, Bambi." She mumbled. "You'll find someone great someday."_

"_Poor them." Bandit muttered, his eyebrows rising in contemplation. The two friends shared a snicker, before Bandit suddenly stiffened at the song that was playing, it had always reminded him of Dread…how unpredictable yet tragic he was- it was always his pitying play towards Bandit, what always brought him back. Guilt began to flow back into him, and he reached out and changed the song before he started tearing up. But his eyes suddenly darkened as he heard the new song play. It sounded familiar yet daunting, and he growled at his friend as he gave her a questioning look. _

_'Love's the funeral of hearts…_  
_And an ode for cruelty,_  
_When angels cry blood._  
_On flowers of evil, in bloom…'_

"_Why have you got _that _song for?" He snarled at her. "You know it's Dread's song for me...us…"_

"_I didn't know that!" Belle muttered, tilting her head. "I just love the band HIM, that's all. Why on earth would _this _be your song?"_

"_I dunno…" Bandit mumbled, his teeth digging into his bottom lip as he stared down at his lap. "It seemed to…suit us, that's all."_

"_Never thought Dread would be right about something." Belle added scathingly, before giving her friend her familiar pitying look. Bandit only shook his head, sighing. _

_'The funeral of hearts,_  
_And a plea for mercy,_  
_When love is a gun_  
_Separating me from you…'_

"_I miss him." He mumbled. "What he used to be like…" He stared up at his friend pathetically, his eyes quickly filling with tears. "I miss Trent too…I miss all the guys, what we were like before…before I came out, and all-"_

"_It's not your fault, Bambi!" Belle suddenly scolded, her hand securing onto arm supportively. "It'll all work out- I know it."_

_'She was the sun_  
_Shining upon_  
_The tomb of your hopes and dreams so frail_  
_He was the moon, Painting you_  
_With it's glow so vulnerable and pale…'_

"_It can't work out without me screwing it up." Bandit pouted, sighing to himself knowingly. _

"_Don't say that." Emma growled at him. "Shutup, B." She reached over and ruffled his soft hair, and his eyes flickered up to face her, glistening with promising tears. She sighed to herself. She wished she could do something, but she had to admit- Bandit was like a magnet for trouble. He couldn't help it, he tended to fall for people who promised to let him down. And once he was had, nobody could let him go. he was pushed and pulled, practically torn apart by who wanted him and who wanted to use him. Her heart swelled with want and hurt, as she knew wanting him was only hurting him more. _

_'Love's the funeral of hearts,_  
_And an ode for cruelty_  
_When angels cry blood_  
_And flowers of evil in bloom…'_

_Bandit watched her eyes suddenly narrow, her eyebrows contract as a worrying expression filled her face, and a bright light suddenly illuminated over the car and the pair, and the couple fell into a fearful silence. _

"_Bandit…" she suddenly gasped, her eyes widening with fear as she grasped him harshly, a horrifying look on her face as she gaped at the sight over his shoulder. "It's-"_

_..._

Bandit jolted awake, his chest heaving with labored breaths and his skin shining with a thin layer of sweat. His wide blue eyes flickered about the room as his fingers clung to the couch cushions. The memories gently trickled away as he tried to catch his breath, but already his face stung with tears. He sniffed, shaking as the song continued to play in the background, breaking the tense silence that surrounded his sobbing figure.

'_The funeral of hearts…' _His speakers blared beside him, and he blindly swatted at it to stop the song, his face crinkled in a wince. '_And a plea for mercy…when love is a gun… separating me from you-'_

The speakers silenced as he hit skip, and silence filled the garage once again as another song played. Bandit still trembled, trying to place his cheek against his folded arms to rest his head. That song- it was Dread's for him. He'd long forgotten, but for it to play again… it shook him up inside, rattled him to the core. He hated thinking about it- something that was long gone. Both of them…

"_I lost you, Belle…You're gone…"_ he mumbled croakily, sniffling into the fabric of the couch. "Now I think I'm gonna lose someone else because of my own stupidity…I'm a fuckin' jinx." His chest rattled with sobs again as he sniffed, rubbing his wet face into the sofa.

He closed his eyes once more, feeling the tears drip down his face. He tried to forget. He just tried to sleep. With his fingers grazing the carpeted floor, his skin grazed against something hard and plastic- thin yet sharp. He swallowed hard, but gripped the syringe anyway, holding it up to his face as he lay flat against the couch. With a humming heartbeat he noticed the translucent liquid within the syringe. He'd saved it- he hadn't used it all and instead hidden it under the couch. Without a second thought he twitched, grabbing the tube in his fist and stabbing the needle point into his wrist. He winced, and a choked sob escaped his wrist as he pushed down, his shoulders sinking back in defeat. The syringe clattered to the floor as the drugs began pumping through his veins, and Bandit gave a shaky sigh as his eyes flickered and twitched, the effects already taking place.

"_I miss you Belle…" _he mumbled, sighing to himself as the drugs took over. _"I'm sorry I tried to forget y-you…"_

* * *

Trent stumbled through the door of his apartment, locking it sharply behind him and leaning on it, sighing and running a hand through his tangled mess of hair. It was a relief to finally be home, but still he felt slightly empty, as if the warmth had slid off him only to leave a cold barrenness. He threw his keys down on the counter and shoved his hands in his pockets. He frowned, stopping.

His apartment was quiet…

Too quiet.

With usually five people within the three bedroom apartment the rooms were usually alive with the sounds of music and chatter, usually Bonnie and Holly screaming about something, Bandit singing his stupid iTunes shuffle playlist and Mushi laughing about something on TV. Nothing.

"Mushi?" Trent asked loudly, frowning. "Holly? Bon?"

Nothing.

He shivered, feeling a chill in the air. Something was up. More importantly, he hated silence. He quickly grabbed his keys off the counter once more and headed back out the door and up the hall, rapping on the opposite apartment door. It opened to reveal an irritated looking Dingo- his emerald eyes eyeing him beadily.

"_Jeese!" _Dingo snarled at him, opening the door to scowl at his friend. "Where's the freakin' fire, mate?"

"Nowhere." Trent scowled at him, but pushed through regardless of Dingo's death glare. "But there's nobody in the apartment and I gotta talk to someone and I need some noise-"

"The fuck's up with you?" Dingo muttered, cocking an eyebrow as Trent ranted, heading straight for the fridge where Jake's legendary supply of booze was.

"I need'a drink…" Trent scowled, already cracking a cold one open and taking a large gulp. Dingo merely raised his eyebrows as Trent wordlessly threw him one, which he caught, and Trent immediately fired up again, the fiery redhead stomping around with a dangerous glare. "I mean dude, I really fucked things up this time, I thought I had before but _obviously _not enough! Me and Bandit mate, I mean it happened so fast, we couldn't help it- I didn't mean to just _fuck _him, but it just happened! And I promised myself to stay away-"

Dingo took a large gulp of alcohol, trying to give his friend a casual, understanding nod as Trent continued to rant about he and Bandit's relationship. It was never the most comfortable subject for Dingo, and he choked on the bitter liquid as the pair looked up to see Abby and Jake staring at them, wide eyed. Trent hushed, choking on his words and blushing a bright red.

"_Okay…" _Jake mumbled, stepping backwards back out onto the balcony. _"Backing…right…away…"_

As the sliding door closed and the three could see him sniggering as he lit up another cigarette, Abby turned to glare at Dingo- eyes narrowed.

"I thought you gave up drinking." She hinted, her own eyebrows raised and her hands going to her hips. Dingo choked mid-swallow, spitting out half of it in his haste and slamming the bottle back on the counter, eyes widening innocently.

"My fault…" Trent grumbled sheepishly, sipping at his own drink. His grey eyes landed on the girl, slipping down to her telltale baby bump then back again. "So you're Abby…I've only seen you, and heard of 'ya…I guess we've never…ya know, met."

"Charmed." Abby had to snigger, giving him a sweet smile before flicking her gaze to Dingo. "I hope you've only heard good things."

"Depends on how you interpret 'good'" Trent shrugged, ignoring Dingo's warning look. "Usually your name is accompanied by a verse of the classic '_Baby got Back'_-"

"_Shut. Up!" _Dingo snarled through gritted teeth, slamming his closed fist into Trent's bicep. Trent disguised his sniggers in his beer yet again, turning away to hide his snorts. Abby merely smirked. She was used the gang's humour, and was slightly relieved that Trent was no different.

"Trust me…" She rolled her eyes. "Coming from your friends, that's a compliment." She bit her lip, as if contemplating it. "And it _is _a classic…"

"Told ya." Trent sneered at Dingo, pouting.

Dingo narrowed his eyes in warning, giving his friend another slap upside the skull. "Still!" He hissed. "Ya don't need to come skippin' in here ranting about ya freakin' relations with my mate! Especially when you're my mate! I…" He frowned. "And _especially_ when I can't drink to drown out the memories, kay?"

Abby gave him a stern look before her chocolate eyes softened on Trent, her sweet eyes giving him a thoughtful glance. "You can tell me, Trent." She encouraged him. Dingo gave her a flat shake of the head '_no' _but Trent already looked as though he was contemplating it.

"I guess I could use some advice from somebody who hasn't been married three times…" he mumbled sheepishly, looking cautious but yet sulky. But he gave in, stepping forward and tentatively talking about his issues. Dingo, busy giving his mate a warning glare, narrowed his eyes as the two fell into a deep conversation, talking in low tones and Abby's eyes wide with understanding, nodding her head with empathy as Trent began to babble about his relationship with Bandit. It seemed right to talk about it to a girl. Dingo merely rolled his eyes with a tired scowl and stomped passed them to the balcony, where Jake was busy downing the forbidden beers.

"Dad, I gotta talk to you about something." Dingo blurted out, his emerald eyes scanning the horizon instead of into his father's face. Jake's own eyes immediately narrowed- expecting the worst. He tried to catch his son's sheepish glare, swilling his beer in his hand and taking a long drag from his cigarette as he gave a curt nod.

"Okaaaay…" He mumbled. "You already got a girl pregnant, so it can't be the worst case scenario-"

"Aw Shutup." Dingo snapped at him, ignoring Jake's snort of laughter. "It's serious Dad!"

"The last time you said that you were convinced you had a fungus growing out of your nose." Jake sniggered, his tongue between his teeth. "And I'll say this now like I said it then- _lay off the cocaine_-"

"It's not that!" Dingo growled at him, his eyes narrowing. "Dad- I'm dead serious this time."

Jake sighed, blowing his fringe upwards as he struggled to regain his composure. He had to admit- his kid _was _serious- he'd changed a lot since he'd gotten his girl pregnant, and even though he had a lot to learn…he had to admit his baby had down a lot of growing up in those six months.

"Fine, D." Jake mumbled, grabbing his beer once again. "What's on your mind?"

Dingo shuffled his shoes against the balcony, kicking at the wall moodily as he tried to sum up the right words to blurt out. Jake only watched him, his eyes half lidded as he swilled his beer within the bottle, swaying from side to side as if bored. With a final sigh, he gritted his teeth one last time before the words tumbled out.

"I'm gonna…" His teeth grazed his lower lip as he stared his father directly in the eye- the two face to face. "I'm gonna ask Abby…to marry me."

Jake's eyes immediately widened, but for a long few seconds that was the only indication he gave the he'd even heard what Dingo had said. Dingo waited patiently, his heart thumping loudly and nervously in his ears as he waited for a reply. Their tense silence broke when Jake's almost empty beer bottle clattered to the floor, and Dingo winced as he waited for the fireworks.

"Ya gonna _what!" _Jake spat, horrified.

"Ask…Abby…" Dingo grumbled sheepishly. "To marry me…I'm going to…ya know…propose to her…"

"Are you out of ya mind?" Jake snarled at him, narrowing his eyes. "Has that lack of drugs gone to 'ya head, or are ya back on them?"

"What's the problem?" Dingo growled at him defensively. "I thought you liked Abby!"

"I do! It's why I'm pissed!" Jake countered back, looking furious. "Ya don't need to go screwing things up more by proposin' to her! Ya not exactly _husband _material!"

Dingo's eyes widened, his hands curling into fists as he processed those words. "The fuck you mean by _that!" _Dingo spat. "You never got married!"

"Exactly!" Jake grumbled. "I didn't see the need. Just because ya love somebody- doesn't mean ya gotta get married-"

"But I want to…" Dingo snarled, suddenly looking hurt. "I want Abby to be mine, like, legally. I want to take care of her and support her and raise a family and-"

"We had all that as a family." Jake hissed. "I didn't need 'ta grab some broad and stick a ring on 'er!"

"You're letting you and Mum blind you." Dingo spat at him, feeling more annoyed by the second. "Just cause it didn't work out with you and 'er-"

"Yeah- well you _know _that story!" Jake sneered. "But come on, you two have only just gone public- it's a fucked up situation D, why you gotta step on more toes by making it official?"

"She's having my kid!" Dingo bit back. "How more official can it get?"

Jake was ready to throw Dingo off the side of the balcony at any given second, so before he made a grab for him he heaved a sigh, uncurling his fingers and taking a few deep breaths, opening his eyes to talk to his kid calmly.

"D…" He mumbled. "A kid's gonna be a lot, you know?"

"I know it is." Dingo immediately hissed.

"No ya don't." Jake grumbled. "It's more than a lot D, it's another life. It's gonna cost a lot- not just money but time too, and you and Abs- ya gonna be stretched beyond recognition. You forced me to change, and I ain't complain'-" At this, he raised his eyebrows at his son- "But ya gotta grasp onto the fact you're getting' ya'self into something 'ya can't get out of like _that." _Dingo winced as Jake snapped his fingers, giving him a stern glare. "This is forever, D. Marriage ain't."

Dingo sighed glumly, shuffling his feet. He had to admit, his father was right. He usually was.

"But saying that…" Jake growled resentfully. "I'm glad if you end up with anyone like that it'll be Abby." He narrowed his eyes. "She's the only girl I like so far- I'm glad if you chose to impregnate anyone-"

"Thanks Dad." Dingo drawled.

"-And we all know you've had _plenty _of girls-"

"Yeah, thanks Dad!" Dingo talked over him, narrowing his eyes in warning. "Let's _not_ repeat that to Abby."

Jake gave him a sheepish smirk, and Dingo leaned against the wall behind him in defeat. He still had a lot to think about. The main drama with Abby's entire pregnancy was telling Wallabee…now what there was to think about was everything a couple was supposed to process- the fact that a baby- a living soul- was coming into their lives. They had at least 21 years ahead of them changed forever. Jake gave his son a pitying look. After all, he didn't know what he was going through. Those stages were thought of by someone else, while Jake lived his life without knowing he had a kid.

"You know…" He muttered. "You can always just…ya know…pop the question and wait for the wedding a couple of years…"

Dingo brightened at that, cocking a smile. He still had a chance to prove to his girl just how committed he was to her. "Yeah…" he smirked happily. "We could."

"And ya know ya gotta actually _talk _to your brother-slash-cousin before you do this…" Jake continued.

"I did talk to him!" Dingo snarled. Jake rolled his eyes.

"Yeah right, D. You never _talk. _You wouldn't know correct conversation if it started pluckin' ya eyebrows…" He mumbled. "Ya gotta actually _talk _without yelling-"

"How would you know?" Dingo suddenly demanded, narrowing his eyes. "You weren't-"

"Dodge told me." Jake smirked proudly, grinning in a smug way as he flicked his cigarette onto the floor, crushing it with his foot. Dingo growled lowly, rolling his eyes.

"We gotta work on the alliances of this household…" He muttered under his breath.

* * *

Hoagie couldn't take his eyes off the ebony-haired teenager, and he followed her closely as the two made their way up the road a couple of blocks- Mushi stepping fiercely ahead on the sidewalk and Hoagie right on her heels. A fierce battle went on in his mind as to whether or not to speak up- what could possibly be going wrong in the 16 year old's world. Whether or not to call Kuki… Whether or not to call _anybody… _or just help her. Be there for her. Or…to walk away…

He sighed deeply, wondering what else could go wrong today. He trotted up to meet her step, side by side. With another deep breath he tried to make a stab at conversation- trying to change that murderous expression locked in young Mushi's face. He was positive he'd seen it before when they were kids…and the consequences of that snarl weren't pretty. He already knew she'd been hurt, and he wasn't ready to face any more fights today.

"Where are we going Mushi?" He asked her in what he hoped was a calm voice. Mushi glanced his way, and had to cringe at the sweet, caring honey brown eyes that gazed at her under the streetlights. Hoagie was honestly concerned for her. She tried to shake him off, feeling even more horrible about the entire situation. She hated to drag Hoagie into it, but she had to talk to Bandit- stare into that face and demand the truth. She'd been the victim for too long- dragged on for how long- and she had to put a stop to it. She only shook her head, and with a sinking sensation in her stomach she saw her destination ahead, and raised a hand to point to it. Hoagie bit down on his lip as his eyes fell on the garage- his old workplace.

"Shit, Mushi." He couldn't help but hiss under his breath. He turned to her. "What's this about?"

"Just trust me on this." Mushi snarled in return, stomping ahead. "I need to sort this out."

"Moosh!" He growled, grabbing her arm and trying to yank her back to him. Fear ripped through his chest as he stared up at the garage- illuminated by the moon above them, and the flickering fluorescent lights brightening the sidewalk before them. He felt fear, foreboding…someone was in there…something wasn't right. "This isn't right- these guys…you don't wanna mess with these guys, okay? Just trust me-"

"Hoagie…" Mushi growled harshly, and rounded on her older friend with immediate ferocity. Hoagie winced, but instead of looking down at a twisted, fuming Mushi…instead her eyes were wide and vulnerable, her face clear of anger and instead a pleading look in those eyes- her lips twitching slightly with promising whimpers. "If you want to leave…just leave…" She whispered, so softly her words were as loud as the cool breeze whipping around them. She sighed softly, glancing back down at the ground before staring back up at her destination. "But I have to do this…between friends."

"Then I can't let you go…" Hoagie snarled, sighing as he gave in. "…By yourself."

Mushi flashed a brief, grateful smile at him before she turned around, heading up to the front door of the garage with Hoagie in tow. She had to admit, it felt good to finally have somebody beside her…like her first real friend.

* * *

"That's actually really…cute." Abby smirked sweetly as Trent scowled at her, looking sulky as his friend's girlfriend beamed at him. He had to admit- she was a looker. Like nothing Dingo had ever brought home before, she was obviously one of a kind. Her tanned skin, chocolate brown eyes…she radiated softness and natural beauty, and he never thought that was Dingo's style, but he had to admit she had a way with words, and obviously had Dingo head over heels. Her face was open and caring; hanging onto Trent's every word with a sweet, empathetic demeanor. One that Trent had never known before. He had to sigh at her, an awkward smirk in place as he finished his story. He didn't want to admit Mushi's name- just in case she was a local.

"Shutup…" He mumbled sheepishly. "But anyway, I never wanted this chick to get hurt… I never wanted her in the middle, after all. It was a mistake to bring her in- I was only…I guess…I liked her- don't get me wrong…" He nibbled on his bottom lip, his grey eyes flashing with fear. "But…I didn't wanna hurt her…I didn't wanna make her feel used or anything. I don't work that way. I never wanted that…Me and…Me and Bando…" He sighed, his chin planting on his knee. "I guess we just can't help it."

Abby gave him a sweet smile, glancing over to where Bandit was still outside with Jake. "I know exactly what you mean." Her face morphed into seriousness as she stared back at him, her fingers drumming on the couch in thought. "But when lies get into a relationship there are no peaceful moments. There's only paranoia and guilt." She sighed, rolling her eyes as she spoke from experience. "And you don't need that, Trent. Not if you can help it."

"I know- me and her-" He shook his head. He was getting confused with the amount of secrecy he already had to hide. "_Him- _we…I know deep down we're not supposed to be together- I mean it seemed like everything was standing in the way, and it was so wrong and stuff…" He bit his lip. "But…I still can't help it… It's like I can't…_survive _without him…"

Abby pouted, still with that sweet, empathetic expression gracing her soft features. "I know exactly how you feel…"

The screen door opened and Jake and Dingo stepped out, Jake stumbling slightly as he snorted to himself- still hungover from the night before. Trent and Abby hushed, looking over at them innocently as Dingo rounded on Trent, still with that confused stare at seeing Trent actually at the apartment. He wasn't exactly the most social of creatures.

"So what are you here for?" Dingo muttered at him. Abby gave him a lecturing look, but Trent only shrugged, rolling his eyes at Dingo's brash tone- it was normal to him.

"Nobody's home." Trent muttered sheepishly. "I don't wanna be there by myself…"

Dingo rolled his eyes, but Jake looked interested.

"Where's Holly and Bon?" He asked. When Trent shrugged, Abby spoke up.

"Holly was at the talent show, though." She muttered. "She should be back by now."

"Maybe she went out to celebrate her victory." Dingo snarled moodily, folding his arms. He looked annoyed. "And spend that two grand…"

"No way!" Trent almost choked on his beer again as he worked through the words, coughing a few times before trying to continue. "She won money?"

"Yeah…" Abby frowned. "With Kuki too…"

"I thought she hated her." Dingo muttered darkly, narrowing his eyes. "The last time I saw them together the Jap bitch almost broke Holl's nose-"

"Can you _not?" _Abby snapped at him, narrowing her eyes at him from the couch. She looked furious. "Her name is Kuki."

"Same diff?" Jake volunteered, snickering. Abby rolled her eyes at them, but still looked annoyed. "Why would she want the money that bad? To sing and perform with someone she hates?"

"Who fuckin' knows…" Trent growled, staring into his beverage. "But she's puttin' in for the rent this time, that's for sure…"

Abby rolled her eyes as she rose, grabbing her bag that was sitting beside her. As much as she wanted to spend all the time she could with Dingo (as they could officially act like a couple now) she knew deep down she had to get back to her regular dorm life- even when it came at the threat of seeing Kuki and Wallabee so soon, she couldn't let it affect her too much.

"Can you take me back to the dorm now?" She muttered to him irritably. Dingo gave her a slight annoyed snarl, so she sighed and gave him a pout. "_Please?"_

"Fine." Dingo huffed, looking sulky as he complied. "But I don't see why you can't just stay here-"

"Any longer here and you might as well put me on the lease." Abby scoffed, and at Dingo's sudden eyelash batting she added a firm "No."

"Fine." He snarled. "Leave me alone with _these _guys."

Jake piped up at this, his eyes widening as he scoffed, affronted. "May I point out…" He snarled at him. "That without my sperm, you would be-"

"_Please shut up." _Dingo hissed at him dangerously, issuing a furious glare. Jake stared back, blinking innocently with a proud smirk in place.

* * *

Bandit could feel it hit him- the familiar, unnatural warmth that engulfed him with such force it caused him to tremble and twitch. The drugs scooting around his veins with vigor, rushing and pulsating to his brain and causing his mind to flicker, off. On. Off. On. He watched the lights above him. Unsure of reality or imagination, he merely sunk further into the couch, trying to grasp back onto what was real. What was now. There was no use thinking back to the past… that was _long gone… _

"Gone…" He mumbled, a string of drool escaping his lips as he fingers twitched in front of him in a quick spasm. He didn't appear to notice. He suddenly stiffened, his heart leaping into his throat as he jolted awake, scrambling into the couch further. He could hear something. A noise. Someone was after him.

"T-Trent?" He whimpered hopefully, his wide eyes flickering around the room fearfully. "I-is that you?"

He shook himself from his drugged stupor, giving a whine of pain as he yanked on his hair. He couldn't believe he succumbed to his habit _again. _If Trent came back and saw him like this…

"_Bandit?"_

A door slammed and Bandit recoiled weakly, shaking as he gripped onto a pillow. His eyes trailed around the lit room, and he let out a pathetic snivel as he heard footsteps approaching. He gasped for breath, trying to still his racing heart. Like a rabbit sniffing for danger, he raised his head cautiously, looking around for the voice. It sounded familiar… He rose to his shaky feet, still clinging to the pillow for protection. The door opened, and Bandit winced, squeezing his eyes closed with fear and covering his face from whoever might see him.

Silence.

He tentatively lowered his barrier, his bright navy eyes revealing the two still figures who had arrived. Hoagie stood by the door, his dark eyes watching him carefully. He was neutral, yet cautious- watching him with care. Mushi stood beside him. Her face was stony- her usually bright eyes dark and solid- daring and fierce. He stared between them, his gaze flickering. He immediately sensed a threat, but couldn't work it out. Tugging on his hair again, he stood shivering beside the couch, gaping at the two.

"What…" He squeaked with fear. "What are you g-guys doing here?"

Mushi scowled, her eyes narrowing. She couldn't even stand the sight of him. He looked like he normally did- like she was used to seeing him. As her friend, a sweet companion who understood her childlike mind. Bandit was the only one in the entire household- the only companion she'd bonded with over the course of a few months- the only one who understood her, who perhaps cared for her and spoke to her like any adult would. Without him, she doubted she would have stayed, she wouldn't have moved on with her life after Sandy left…

And now that was all wrecked. It was all a lie.

"_You." _she fumed, her fists balled as she stomped over. Bandit froze in his spot as she advanced threateningly. _"YOU AND TRENT!"_

Hoagie reached out and grabbed her before she could make contact, and she thrashed around in his grip as Bandit stumbled back into the wall, dropping the cushion to stare at her with shock. He shook harder, gripping at the wall behind him for support. His heart dropped into his stomach, and tears burst in his eyes as he felt the full force of the betrayal.

"Mushi…" He whimpered to her, his eyes wide and pleading. "I never- we didn't mean- it wasn't supposed to-to be-"

"SHUTUP!" She screamed, and to her own alarm tears formed in her own eyes, and she had to wipe at her face as she attempted to growl at him. "I FUCKING TRUSTED YOU! I TRUSTED ALL OF YOU!"

"We didn't mean for it to happen!" Bandit begged her, his eyes wide and his face dripping with tears. "Please, Moosh…It was never to hurt you…" He sniffed, staring at the floor before flicking his gaze back to her. "Mushmonster?"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Mushi hollered, trying to pry Hoagie off as he held her tight. "YOU TOLD ME I WAS YOUR FRIEND! YOU WERE FUCKING LYING! YOU-YOU JUST USED ME TO GET TO HIM! YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU FUCKING FAG! YOU USED ME! YOU-"

"HEY!" Hoagie raised his voice, tugging her back firmly so she stumbled to stand behind him. he spoke with obvious authority, and the two stared at him with wide eyes. Mushi, shaking with anger, and Bandit- trembling from the screaming. He collapsed back onto the couch, still crying and shaking with dry sobs. Mushi wiped at her eyes from behind Hoagie's back. Hoagie scowled. There was obvious tension in the room, he could see it, he could sense it. "Yelling…" He snarled. "Isn't going to help."

He was shaking too. He had enough of the drama, and poor Hoagie had faced enough drama to last him the entire year. The heartbreak from Abby still ached in his chest, the fear in his stomach from Bonny's pregnancy still clenched tightly, and now his head was aching to think that his two ex-co-workers had gone behind a young teenager's back to hook up… it was hurting him all over. And he was done.

"Now…" He snarled darkly. "What the fuck's happened?"

"I saw them." Mushi mumbled thickly through her tears. It took all of her strength to hold back her sobs, and she found herself leaning into Hoagie's protective touch as he held her back. "They were together, behind my back!"

Bandit's head drooped guiltily. He couldn't stand those pairs of eyes on him, and he recoiled back into the couch. "I di-didn't mean t-to…" He whimpered softly, sniffling. "I p-promise-"

Mushi scowled, obvious hurt and hatred radiating from her stiff stance. Hoagie's grip loosened as he held her gently, and he gave her a stern look before he looked back towards the boy, frowning as he studied his own weakened form.

"Bandit…"He mumbled. "What have you taken?"

Bandit shook even harder, staring at the floor as the tears dropped down his face. Mushi and Hoagie exchanged hesitant looks. It was obvious Bandit was high on something- and Hoagie didn't want to deal with someone so unpredictable…

The three jumped in alarm as the phone in the staff room suddenly rang. Hoagie frowned as Bandit trembled in his seat, his fear filled dark blue eyes staring up at him questioningly. He growled, giving Mushi a warning glance as he went to answer it.

"Just watch him…" He mumbled a plea at her. She growled at him, but he tilted his head. "He's on something…"

She gave a curt nod, but still looked defensive as Bandit stole a glance at her. He whimpered, immediately looking back down. He felt horribly guilty, like a common whore. He'd broken a young girl's heart…what worser thing could he have done?

Hoagie picked up the phone, sighing before he answered. He was in no mood for small talk- he'd rather solve this problem than make it worse. Who would be calling at midnight anyway?

"Hello?" He grumbled impatiently. He could hear the sound of rustling in the background- a steady breathing against the phone.

"_Hello?"_ A voice replied cautiously. _"Is this Mack's Garage?"_

"Yeah.' Hoagie muttered. "And can you make this quick? I'm kind of in the middle of-"

"_Is there a Bambi there?"_ The voice cackled mischievously. Hoagie snarled. He was in no mood for prank calls.

"_Bambi?" _He repeated, scoffing at the voice. "Seriously? What kind of a name is that?"

He heard a gasp, and he turned to see Bandit gazing at him, his eyes- if possible- had grown even wider, his fingers whitening as he gripped onto the couch fearfully. He looked horrified, gaping at him unblinkingly. Hoagie frowned. He must have been on some serious drugs to look so horrified. The voice knocked him back into conversation. It sounded angry, and Hoagie stiffened as he began to think this wasn't a crank call.

"_Fine." _The voice seemed to snarl. It was obviously male, and sounding pissed. _"Bandit then?"_

"Bandit…" Hoagie muttered, frowning. He glanced over again to Bandit- who still hadn't moved from his eerie stillness. "Uh… yeah, he is. But he's kinda busy, I mean- odd time to call, right?"

There was a silence in the receiver, and just when Hoagie was about to hang up from being totally creeped out the voice appeared again, rasping scarily into the phone _"He's there?"_

"Yes." Hoagie snarled. "Call later. Goodbye."

"_DON'T YOU FUCKING HANG UP ON ME!"_

Hoagie almost dropped the phone for the loudness of the sudden shout, and stared wide eyed as he held the handset at arm's length, his eyes wide at the voice. His heart thumped harshly against his ribcage. Usually, he figured, it was just a phone…just a voice. But that was it- just a voice, he couldn't see who was behind the line, and that thought scared him to no end… He merely gaped, the room shoved into a thick silence.

"_PUT HIM ON YOU STUPID FUCK!" _The voice screamed out at him threateningly. A thick breath echoed through the line, and a calm tone continued. _"Or I swear…you hear me? I swear to God…I will gut you like a fucking fish, mate."_

Hoagie could hear his heart thumping in his ears, and in a split second he slammed the handset back down, his eyes wide and a cold sweat forming on his forehead. He could still hear it- the threat ringing harshly in his ears. He was shaking, and he couldn't help but gasp as he turned to see Bandit standing right behind him, those deep blue eyes wide and his face a sickly pale.

"Wh-who was that?" he squeaked, pointing a shaky finger at the phone. "Who called me Bambi?"

Hoagie stared at him wordlessly, but Bandit could feel fear overwhelm him, numbing him to the core. _Nobody _called him Bambi except Belle and Dread- Trent had given up the nickname when Dread adopted it, and only recently he called his friend that- but never to anybody else. Nobody made that name public except Dread, and it was only to rub it into people's faces. But Dread couldn't be here…he just couldn't be. Bandit rasped out a breath, trying to gulp down air as he stared down at the phone, hardly daring to believe this was reality.

"Who was that?" He whimpered.

"I dunno." Hoagie muttered, trying to shake off the fear. He put a hand to his head. "Just sit down, Band-"

"NO!" Bandit suddenly squeaked, and just like that he was thrusted into a world of terror. It must have been. It couldn't have been anyone else. That name, along with the drugs and the panic, was enough to completely throw him, and he found himself trembling with horror as he realised there was no escape this time. "Oh my god…" He began to cry, clawing at the wall as both Mushi and Hoagie gave him a wide eyed look. Bandit only stared back unable to comprehend the fate that may await them

"_He's back…"_ Bandit whispered.

* * *

"THE FUCK!" Dread suddenly screamed, shoving his fist against the dashboard. Jayden jumped in alarm, ice and soda flying as he stared, wide eyed, at his partner- who was still hollering at the closed phone in his fist, shoving it against the dashboard repeatedly. "FUCK! YOU!"

"HEY! HEY!" Jayden screamed back shoving him roughly. "The Hell, Mate! What the-"

"Bandit's there, I know he's there! He's fucking _busy, _probably bein' a fuckin' _whore, _I'll fuckin' show him, I'll Goddamn show him, the fucker- I'll-" Dread began to pant, his eyes wide and wild as he shook with fury, trembling and shaking as he snarled, throwing the phone to the floor. "Drive!"

"He's _there?" _Jayden growled, narrowing his eyes skeptically. He couldn't believe it, he seemed too perfect, too easy…Bandit was used to running away- it seemed unreal that with one simple clue Dread's number one target was within grasp. "Mate- just calm-"

"THE FUCKER SAID HE WAS!" Dread screamed loudly, his voice already hoarse. "Fuckin' drive!" He clawed at the discarded business card, eyeing the address wildly. "It's near the uni, on Riverdale Drive, it should be-"

"Just. Calm. Down." Jayden snarled, snatching the piece of cardboard from his friend's death grip. "Are you trying to tell me…" His grey eyes flashed dangerously as he eyed his friend beadily, and Dread stared readily back, twitching in anticipation. "That Bandit's there? _Right now? _Someone told you that?"

"Yes!" Dread moaned, kicking at the dashboard in distress. Jayden scoffed. He looked like a three year old throwing a fit because he couldn't get a cookie. "Just! Drive!"

"Hey!" Jayden snarled, whacking his friend upside the head with his half empty soda cup. "Settle the fuck down!"

Dread snarled at him, looking virtually homicidal. He twitched and shook with excitement, eyeing the business card in his friend's hand. He was _this close. _He remembered the voice on the other end of the line- telling him Bandit was _there. _At that very moment. And he could leave at any moment- especially now he was tipped off- he could lose him!

"Jay…" Dread growled at him, his fists shaking as he glared at his friend seriously. "He could bolt again! I mean it, Dude! You gotta believe me! He's _there!"_

Jayden gave him a skeptical look, sighing with defeat before pushing the car into gear, throwing the card back to him. "Looks like it's north." He muttered. "Back towards the uni- _that _way." He pointed over the steering wheel as he pulled out, Dread shaking with anticipation beside him. "You better be right on this one."

Dread barely heard him. He just held the card close, hardly daring to believe it. He was so close to seeing his Bandit again- and he was practically salivating at the thought.

* * *

Kuki ran a few flustered fingers through her hair as she reached the door to her dorm, fiddling around for her keys. Her head was already weighed from the events that had occurred that night, and all she wanted was a good night sleep. Wally's invitation to keep her company all night was seductive enough, but she had to admit she wanted to be alone after a whole week surrounded with people she needed some time to herself…that, and she didn't need any drama in case Abby finally came back.

She almost stumbled straight into the door when a scream suddenly reached her ears, and shakily she finished unlocking the door to burst through, running with her panicked heartbeat racing in her ears.

"Abby!" She squealed in alarm, her eyes darting around the dorm. "Is that you? What's wrong!"

She heard the scream again and rushed towards her roommate's room, where she was sure she could hear Abby's screams of terror. She burst through the door, looking around wildly for the source, but her eyes landed on Abby standing in front of her mirror, looking horrified at her reflection. Her shirt was up around her chest and she was eyeing her bulging tanned stomach, her wide brown eyes wide and panicked as she stared at her friend with a fearful expression.

"What is it!" Kuki asked, panting with the thought of a hospital visit so late at night. Abby shook her head, looking back into the reflection with newfound fear.

"A stretch mark Kuki!" She groaned loudly, looking thoroughly miserable. "LOOK!" She pointed at her hip, where a series of thin white lines radiated up her stomach line. Kuki looked, frowning. She snarled, glaring towards her friend with her eyebrows raised.

"You screamed…" She snarled. "For a stretch mark?"

Abby looked again, and gave another scream, causing Kuki to give another startled jump.

"TWO!" Abby pouted, pointing at another one she found. "I'll be a freakin' mess by the time this baby's born! I'll be stretched beyond recognition! I-"

"Abby." Kuki gave her a grateful smile. "You can barely see them."

"Not enough cocoa butter in the world can save my skin!" Abby whined, knowing pregnancy hormones were to blame for her irrationality- a trait that never existed within her before. "And I've been applying that stuff like crazy!" She looked fed up, throwing down her shirt and folding her arms. "Ugh…"

Kuki tilted her head cutely, so her long ebony hair fell down her arms. Her wide violet eyes sparkled with emotion, and she studied her friend with a newfound curiosity. Abby did look glum and upset, her body stiff with the tension she felt with her friend. After all, so much drama had been going on, and the two friends had yet to really have a heart to heart about it. Her deep dark brown eyes stayed low as she folded her arms, twisting her lips busily as she avoided eye contact. She wasn't sure what to say…Would Kuki be compassionate to her side of the story, or loyal to her boyfriend- the rightful love of her life?

"You look fine Abby." Kuki smiled at her, a sweet grin that showed no hatred or resentment towards her. Abby's heart seemed to lift as those violet eyes softened on her. "You're always gorgeous, your skin is glowing anyway."

Abby smiled back, looking down sheepishly as she stupidly felt tears dwell within her eyes. She knew her rollercoaster emotions were from her pregnancy, and she couldn't help but let them take over. Already so much craziness happening around her, she was grateful she still had a friend by her side when she needed someone the most. She couldn't help it, she jumped at her friend and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug, sniffling into her shoulder.

"Thank you, Kuki…" She mumbled. "Thank you so much…"

Kuki smirked, patting her friend's back as she returned the embrace. "It's okay, Abby." She mumbled back, and she knew her friend wasn't just talking about the compliment. "It's alright…"

* * *

Hoagie could do nothing but gape at Bandit- who began to shake and tremble violently, almost uncontrollably as he gripped the pillows of the couch, his skin paling and his brilliant bright blue eyes widening with complete horror. He reached out, gripping his arm and to his shock his friend immediately lashed out, wrestling away from him like a rabid animal.

"GET OFF ME!" Bandit screamed, wrenching his arm out of his grip and holding it to his chest, his face frozen in alarm. That wide, feral stare cut into Hoagie, who immediately grabbed Mushi to tug away from him. He didn't know how unpredictable Bandit was- but he didn't like the obvious fear in his eyes one bit. "I gotta get outta here…" Bandit whimpered, trying to move but only stumbling on his own flustered feet. "I needa- I gotta-" Hoagie heard his rapid, choked pants escaping his chest, and Hoagie could tell Bandit was going beyond a panic attack- this was extreme. "Shit…" Bandit began to tug at his hair, twitching and whimpering as he backed into the wall. "Shit. Shit. Shit…"

"Bandit! Calm down!" Hoagie begged him, his heart hammering in his chest as he approached him. "It's me, _Hoagie. _Okay? We're not gonna hurt you, Band-"

"OH GOD!" Bandit shivered, beginning to cry. He clawed at the wall behind him desperately, breaking down into sobs as he slid to the floor, his head buried within his knees and his fists beating against the ground. Something had completely taken over him- Hoagie had never seen this side of him before. "_This isn't happening…this isn't happening…nooo…."_

"Calm down!" Hoagie dropped to his knees, staring into Bandit's wild eyes with fear. he turned to Mushi, who had shrunk away into the corner and was watching them with terrified eyes- all confidence and anger gone. she'd never seen Bandit like this before. Hoagie turned back to the trembling Bandit, his eyes narrowing as he forced a calm, helpful tone. "What did you take Bandit?"

Bandit's face rose to lock on his, those deep blue eyes sparking with fright and panic. His petite figure was trembling almost uncontrollably, his teeth chattering and his pale lips shaking as he tried to force words, but all he tasted was vomit. Tears sparked from his eyes, but his mouth was dry. He could only feel trepidation- the horror of knowing the inevitable. There was no turning back now- he was a goner- trapped in a corner, those familiar memories of weakness and helplessness were rearing back up again, and he couldn't escape. This time there was nowhere to run. And he had no idea what to do- his mind was scrambled and his heart was racing. All he could do was heave dry sobs as he tried to gulp air.

"_Geh- Ge-" _Bandit wheezed, his eyes widening. "You gotta- you have t-" He clawed at the wall behind him as his feet scrambled to stand- his sneakers scraping across the carpet as he tried to escape Hoagie's judgmental stare. "JUST LEAVE!"

"We're not leaving you Bandit!" Hoagie said strongly, his hand reaching out. "Just let me-"

"NO!" Bandit screamed, half stumbling- half crawling away. "L-leave me alone! Just go…" He whimpered, grabbing onto the couch and sinking his nails in. "You gotta leave, leave me alone, I don't want- please don't- Lemme out- lemme out of here…I gotta go…he'll…he'll…he'll…find…me…" He tried to find words- but all he could remember was that past helplessness, times long gone and things that never could be taken back- His eyes fluttered as his vision filled with black, gently slipping into unconsciousness as he began to black out. He groaned, trying to shake himself awake.

"_BANDIT!" He could hear Belle scream, remembering how her face twisted with pain and her eyes bulged out in terror- blood tripping down her cheeks. He remembered being so helpless as he stared at her being tortured, his entire body bound by another person's hands as he struggled to get free. "Make him stop Bandit! Please make him stop!" _

"_NO!" _Bandit screamed, his fingers knotted through his hair as he buried his face in the couch- eyes tightly closed. "JUST DON'T!"

"That's it." Hoagie suddenly snarled, his voice filled with authority as he turned to Mushi- his panicked glare suddenly hardening as his assuring tone washed over her. "I'm calling an ambulance."

Bandit looked up, his eyes wide. "NO!" He screeched, and still on his knees he launched over to grab at Hoagie's ankle. "Don't get anyone h-here…please…" He whimpered, his face pressing into his shoe as he sobbed his heart out in blind desperation. "J-just leave…" he begged them, moaning in despair. "Get out of here. Why can't you leave…"

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what you've taken! Or what's going on!" Hoagie demanded, his eyes wide with concern. He turned to Mushi briefly before he lowered down to Bandit's level. "You should probably leave…"

Mushi snarled, following him as they knelt down on the floor at Bandit's trembling figure. Her eyes were softening as she stared at him, and all she could think of was what her own sister would do at a time like this. "No…" She finally murmured. "I'm staying."

"Just GO!" Bandit screamed at both of them, his eyes wide and pleading as he tried to rise from his position on the floor. His lips trembled with horror as he could see history repeating itself. He couldn't have anybody else die because of him. But he was torn, and he could barely grasp reality as he tried to think it through. _Dread is coming. Dread is coming. He's back. I'm dead. I'm gone. He'll kill me. He'll kill everybody…_

"Bandit." Hoagie snarled, grabbing him and hoisting him over to the couch. "You've got to trust us. You either go to hospital or you let us stay with you- but you can't be alone."

Bandit wrestled against his grip with all of his strength, kicking and attempting to punch. Mushi grabbed another side of him, and with Bandit's weak state she had no trouble holding him back from causing any damage. He let out a pathetic sob, his body twitching as he realised he had absolutely no control of the situation. Dread was coming. They were all dead. There was nothing he could do about it. He'll find them.

"You gotta listen to me…" Bandit whimpered, still feeling the rush of the drugs pounding through his system. He stared up at his former co-worker pathetically as Hoagie hovered over him on the couch, a hand over Bandit's sweaty, pale forehead. "He's coming. He'll come for me-and if you're here he'll kill you. If he finds you you're dead! And it'll be all my fault!"

"Shh…Bandit…" Mushi attempted to calm him in a soothing tone, patting his shoulder. "It'll be okay-"

"NO IT WON'T!" He screamed, pushing against the seducing comfort of the bed. "YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME!"

Hoagie gave a light grumble, grabbing him and shoving him back down again. He knew Bandit had to be on _something. _That much was obvious.

A sudden flicker of the lights caused the trio to freeze, Mushi and Hoagie exchanging startled glances as the entire workshop flickered in warning- the place engulfed in an eerie darkness before lighting up once again. Bandit gave a horrified gasp, his eyes widening as he clawed at the couch, panting for gulps of air.

"_Oh god…" _He whispered harshly, his entire mouth dry as he struggled to form words. "He kn-knows I hate the dark… He knows I do…" His voice rose to a squeak as he stumbled to his feet, looking like a petrified rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. "_Shit!' _He squeaked, "Gotta…gotta hide…" He groaned with pain and fear, but his sudden adrenaline rush kicked into his bloodstream as he jolted with energy, rushing off towards the workshop. Mushi, her eyes wide with fear, suddenly turned to Hoagie in alarm. Without another word they rushed after him.

* * *

Sandy lay in his rollaway bed, wide awake and thinking. He shivered within his thin bed sheets, his fingers clasping at his pillow and his teeth gnawing on his bottom lip. He felt so cold, and couldn't stop shaking. He was positive it wasn't just from the cold, but more from the buzz that was still pumping fresh through his body. He knew he shouldn't have taken those pills, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten. His cousins had been watching him like hawks, their sharp eyes watching out for any sign of abnormalities. But he couldn't shake it- those anxieties that longed to be calmed.

He threw off his sheets, trembling in the dark as he stumbled for the door. The house was silent, he guessed his cousins and their houseguests were out and he was left alone. At only 16, he knew he didn't fit in with the high living, fast paced lifestyle like he wished he did. He rubbed at his swollen eyes, stumbling across the cold hard floor to make his way downstairs. He was half hoping he'd find some more pills to take, anything to get his mind off the stifling silence that echoed through the whole house and rang through his ears.

He sat down glumly at the kitchen table, his dry hands cradling his chin as he struggled to stay upright. Thoughts of Mushi entered his mind- thoughts of when they were kids, innocent childhood crushes. He missed it. Now everything was messed up. _He _was messed up. He had to get her back and win back her affections- just like old times. Get them both on the right track. That was the first thing to do.

He was sick of being an adult. He wanted to be a kid again.

Tilting his head, he found himself staring at the door that led down to the lower levels of the house- the basement and garage, where their 'guests' were staying. He couldn't hear their cackling laughter or swearing, so he knew they were out. He drummed his fingers on the table, thinking. Eventually he rose and took a few cautious steps towards it, opening the door with shaky fingers.

"_Hello?" _He mumbled down the dank staircase, his unsure squeak echoing from the walls. He shut the door behind him as he made his way down, his pale bony hand gripping the rail unsurely. His eyes wide with curiosity, he gazed around the entire room with awe. It was dark and miserable, but strangely appealing- the radiation of danger seeping through the seemingly innocent looking room. No windows, only dark lighting and fading carpet, the brick walls worn and dank. He shivered in the cold, making his way down the stairs to head to one of the rooms, what he knew was used as bedrooms. Opening the door, he shivered with anxiety as he looked around cautiously, as if afraid one of them would jump out and scare him for being so nosy. He bit his lip, trying to sum up his bravery. Shakily he made his way into the room, sitting down on the bed and simply looking. He still wasn't sure why these guys fascinated yet scared him so much- but infiltrating their lair made it seem as though they were at least approachable.

He leaned back into the sagging mattress and immediately jumped back, hissing with sudden pain. Blood seeping from a fresh cut in his hand confirmed his suspicions, and he felt his entire body chill with cold as he stared at what he'd leaned against. He bit his lip, stumbling backwards.

A butcher's knife lay within the sheets, stained slightly with his blood. He winced, stepping further back from the scene. He held his hand to his chest, mopping at the dripping cut that stung as if coated with salt. All he could do was shake, looking around guiltily. He shouldn't be here. It was as if the room was against him. He heaved a glum sigh, his bare feet curling against the cold floor as he looked around more- looking timid as he held his wound close. His eyes fell on the end table by the door- an old piece of furniture that looked a minefield for splinters, but what had been used as a dumping ground for trash- gum wrappers, ash from cigarettes, old beer cans, discarded bottle of-

Sandy stiffened, his eyelids fluttering with sudden excitement.

_Pills. _

He stepped forward eagerly stilling as his common sense seemed to kick in. Any substance- why was he a sucker for any drug known to man- no matter what it is?

"This is pathetic…" He mumbled to himself, his throat dry with the words. He picked up the small bottle of capsules, rattling them around with interest, his pale eyes sparkling in awe. He flipped off the lid anyway and spilled the contents onto his hand, and before he'd even contemplated the consequences of swallowing mysterious pills he'd slammed his hand to his dry lips, sending the tablets toppling down his dry throat. He swallowed, his eyes watering from the sensation of the dry capsules slowly sliding down his throat.

"Fuck…" He mumbled dryly, coughing a few times as his stomach bubbled in rejection. He immediately felt light headed, the room blurring and suddenly spinning as he toppled backwards, his face meeting with mattress and his eyes quickly closing.

And the house was silent once more.

* * *

Rachel sighed to herself, snuggling into her boyfriend's hard, muscular chest as they lay under a brilliant night sky, her eyelids weighing down and begging for sleep. She couldn't help but snuggle closer to his warmth, the silence of the night and his own body heat giving her such relaxation she felt as though she could melt into the ground underneath her. She couldn't remember the last time her and Nigel spent any quality time together- and now after weeks of stress and worry their date was proving to be a major relief for her. It was about time she could hang with her boyfriend without the added stress of drama.

"We better be getting back soon…" Nigel mumbled back thickly, rubbing at his own eyes. His British accent still shone through his lazy grunt. Rachel moaned in protest, rubbing her face further into his chest as she cuddled him closer.

"Do we have to?" She groaned. Nigel smirked, running a few fingers through his girl's bright golden hair, which shone even under the dark night sky.

"The talent show's all over now…" He grinned. "You don't have to worry about it."

"It's not just that…" Rachel mumbled, her hazel eyes flicking up to meet his. "It's just…everything else. I know it's not their fault, but it just seems as though since we started college it's been one drama after another…" She sighed, sinking deeper into his hoodie. "I just wish we could go back to how it used to be…"

Nigel raised his eyebrows. "How it used to be?"

"Yeah…" Rachel mumbled, drawing circles on his body with her finger."You know…easy. No drama. Like when we were kids…"

"Yeah." Nigel scoffed, grinning up at the stars. "When I was with Lizzie, Kuki was gone, Abby miserable, Wally confused, Fanny always angry-"

"Yeah, yeah." Rachel muttered, smirking as she slapped him playfully. "You got a point, I'll give you that one."

"Things change, Rach." Nigel shrugged, finally sitting up and propping himself on his elbows to stare at her. "But it doesn't mean it's a bad change. Good things can come from all this crap that's been going on…" He looked off to the side, his face crinkled in annoyance. "At the very least, we'll know how to face anything when we're finally adults…"

Rachel laughed at that, leaning over and giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek. Nigel turned eagerly, deepening the kiss to a passionate lip lock. The couple were silent again as they kissed, finally able to bask in the company of each other without anybody else. It was so relaxing- an escape from the harsh realities around them. But they knew deep down, just as it had been with their friendship, they could face anything as long as they had each other to lean on.

* * *

"This is the street…" Dread snarled, his black eyes scanning the road before him forbiddingly. "I'm positive."

Jayden raised his eyebrows, feeling somewhat anxious. They'd been out all night- so much had already happened, he was doubtful this hunt would be successful. He scanned the unfamiliar street himself. They were lucky, having only been in a new country a few days and already working their way through the city streets. He grabbed the business card again, his eyes flicking back to the road. Up ahead, the flickering neon sign of a diner blinked at them, and beneath flashed a faded sign for the garage. His heart skipped a beat, and he could see Dread lean forward eagerly, his eyes widening and his lips agape. He was practically drooling.

"I don't see any cars…" Jayden muttered darkly as he parked on the street, turning the car off as he inspected the empty dark streets for any sign of a threat. "Let's just-"

"Trust me." Dread growled darkly, his hands curling into fists as he felt his blood pump thickly through his system, adrenaline fuelling his wild emotions. "He's there. My Bambi's there. I can _smell _him…"

Jayden rolled his eyes skeptically, but still gave him a thoughtful look nonetheless. Dread turned to him, his onyx eyes sparkling with life and an excited smirk growing on his face.

"The lights are on…"He cooed, tilting his head to gaze back up at the workplace. "He was always scared of the dark, after all."

Jayden's eyes widened. That was true. He couldn't believe it! Was it really this easy? Their pray so close?

"Fine." He mumbled carefully, assessing the situation ahead. He reached under the seat to wrap his fingers around the familiar cool metal of his gun, and held it pointedly as he looked around once more for witnesses. He'd done this enough for the pair to have a regular routine by now. It was flawless. "Let's just look-"

"Wait." Dread grinned, twitching with excitement as he bit down on his lip. "I have a better plan…"

"Dread…" Jayden growled cautiously. "How many times do I gotta tell you? Don't play with your food before you eat it"

"I've been waiting for this for so long…" Dread growled lustfully, his eyes burning as he gripped his own weapon. "Cut me some slack…"

"Fine." Jayden muttered, but allowed the excited smile to show on his face anyway. "I'm listening."

* * *

Hoagie now clutched at the phone in his hand, ready to dial 9-1-1 at any time. Bandit was now borderline insane, running around freaking out and panicking so much he was close to hyperventilating. His face pale, eyes wide and skin slick with sweat- it was all pointing to a drug overdose…or withdrawl, Hoagie wasn't completely sure. He just knew he would rather be _anywhere _than here- and he tried his best to push Mushi off to the side for safety. He knew how unpredictable Bandit was, and his own heart raced at the thought of having to deal with him. Especially when he kept crying with fear, the intelligent brown haired boy had never felt so helpless. He wasn't used to being a leader.

"_Bandit." _Hoagie tried once again, wrapping a hand around Bandit's arm and bringing him to a halt. Bandit stumbled into him, his face burying into his chest as he collapsed all of his weight onto him. Hoagie winced as he felt Bandit's warm tears and snot leak through his shirt, his entire body shaking against his as he tried to push him off. "Tell us what's going on!" He insisted, growling lowly. "What the Hell's going on here? What's-"

"I t-told you!" Bandit moaned, trying as hard as he could to run away. He knew there was nowhere to go, as far as he knew they were surrounded. They already knew the number of the place- that meant they must know the address too. All he could think about was the promising fate if they stayed in sight- that they at least had a chance if they hid, just like Bandit used to do. "I gotta get out-outta here…you don't understand…" His broken voice lowered to a desperate whisper, and his tear stained face stared up at Hoagie pathetically, his wide eyes begging as he sniffled sadly. "They're coming for me."

"Who is!" Hoagie demanded, grabbing Mushi's arm. "Are…what's the danger Bandit?"

Bandit only shook his head, his body still trembling as he attempted to escape the room. He stumbled across the floor, shaking and whimpering as he tried to pull himself together. All he could do was shake his head, trying to shake off everything around him and wake up from what was obviously a cruel nightmare.

"Gotta go…Gotta go…" He mumbled crazily under his breath, causing Hoagie and Mushi to exchange frightened glances. Mushi's heart was hammering, she wasn't sure what to make of this. She'd never seen Bandit act this way, but she could feel it in the air…something wasn't right. Something was about to go horribly wrong.

"Hoagie." She hissed under his breath, gripping him close. He was the closest thing to a life preserver. "I think we better leave-"

And to her surprise, Hoagie quickly nodded. "Yeah." He muttered, jerking his head towards Bandit. "We gotta get him out of here."

Mushi bit her lip. "But…Hoagie, I-"

The pair were suddenly hushed by a large gasp from Bandit, who stumbled backwards in alarm as a second later the lights flickered once more, and the room was engulfed in a thick darkness- only broken by the slight moonlight illuminating through the windows. Bandit collapsed onto the couch, gripping onto it for dear life as the pair saw his eyes widen further, his lips gasping for breath. Hoagie, as a reflex, held the phone to his ear to dial- but it was dead. Completely silent.

"The power's out..." Hoagie muttered, his heart racing as he took in the darkness, the silence on the phone. "The electricity-"

"Oh…._Fuck." _Bandit groaned in pain, shaking in alarm. This was it. It was happening- he was caught. "He knows I'm scared of the-" He broke off, panting and gaping. Without even thinking he grabbed his friend's hand, making a run for it into the workshop. With tears streaming down his eyes he threw himself onto the hard concrete, crawling across the ground and underneath a nearby car- where he lay flat. He could feel the others follow his lead, and Hoagie frowned as he placed himself next to Bandit, frowning in suspicion but his heart still racing in fear.

"Bandit…" He hissed. "What's going on? Why did the lights go out? Why are we-"

"Shhh!" Bandit begged him, turning to him with that horrified expression on his face. Hoagie could only just make out the fear in his features- illuminated by the limited light from the streetlights outside. His hands were fists, held under his chin as they lay against the cold ground. Hoagie's heart hummed, feeling the vomit crawl up his throat as Bandit whimpered, staring around the workshop in suspicion as their voices lowered, Bandit shivering as he leaned closer to gasp in his ear. "_Y-you locked the door, right?"_

Hoagie's stomach churned as he processed that, and his own teeth dug into his bottom lip as he felt Mushi's tiny hands grip at his shirt in fear. "…No."

Bandit's eyes squeezed closed, and all three stiffened under their hiding place as they stayed silence- trusting the expression on Bandit's face as well as the tense, fearful atmosphere of the garage. Then- as all three held their breath in a stifled gasp- they heard the main front door open.

"_Wh_-" Mushi's heart pounded in her throat, her dry lips hanging open as she gripped at the floor, one hand holding Hoagie's body heat close as she tried to gather what the hell was going on. The door opened- creaking, groaning, and suddenly slammed closed- causing all three to jump. Bandit let out a whimper, before shoving his hand over his mouth and closing his eyes. He shook violently, the three deathly quiet from underneath the car as they heard the footsteps approach. Mushi watched from under the car- the filthy concrete floor up close as she tried to stifle her breathing- her lungs screaming for air. She couldn't give in. Those steps were harsh, foreboding. This was no ordinary game of hide and seek. They couldn't be found. She swallowed, holding back her own frightened tears.

A scrape sounded through the shop, echoing off the walls as what sounded like someone clawing at steel reached their ears. Bandit held in another sob, shaking against the hands clasping at his face. They still remained hidden as the deathly silence around them broke. Mushi grinded her teeth together firmly- grasping onto _anything _to distract her from the malicious sound. Who was there?

A sudden voice sounded through the garage- unlike one they'd heard before. Instead of the scratching metal, a soothing, dark voice sounded- singing casually and his voice bouncing off the walls and reaching the three pairs of ears. A song…the person was singing.

"_Love's the funeral of hearts…" _The male voice mumbled, his footsteps stepping closer, nice and soft like his voice. _"And an ode for….cruelty…" _Hoagie and Mushi jumped, staring in alarm as Bandit began to cry, shaking harder as he tried to hold back his whimpers- but his moans and cries still sounded as he struggled to contain them.

The voice came closer. _"When angels cry blood…and flowers of evil…in bloom…" _Bandit let out a quiet sob, and Hoagie grabbed him, as if trying anything to quiet him. He had no idea what was going on, but that voice made him sick- and the sound of that song only caused his heart to thump painfully hard. he knew something was horribly wrong. The voice continued- even closer. It rang in his ears, stinging his brain, sending him into panic mode. Mushi gripped him harder.

"_The funeral of hearts…" _The voice sang sweetly, footsteps approaching as his volume rose. _"And a plea for…mercy…" _The voice cackled sweetly, and Hoagie's heart sank in his chest as he saw a pair of shoes approach the car they were hiding under, walking right in front of them. The voice was _much _louder now. Hoagie froze, and Bandit was now crying again, his tears wetting Hoagie's hand. _"When love is a gun…" _The feet stopped, and all three of the prisoners suddenly lurched in alarm as the shimmering blade of a knife appeared before them, turning ominously to outline all three of their horrified faces. And still Dread cooed the rest of the lyrics, a smirk spreading across his face as he leaned in front of the car. _"Separating me from you…" _

Mushi's mouth opened to scream, but before she could she was lurched backwards, a pair of hands grabbing from _behind _the pair to yank her out of the hiding place, and the boys jumped as her scream echoed through the garage, the teenager's body sliding out from beside them- her grip disappearing from Hoagie's arm. They looked around in alarm, but all they could see was Mushi's face screaming as she was pulled from view- Jayden's hands wrapped around her ankles and yanking her from her hiding place.

"MUSHI!" Hoagie screamed, launching after her and trying to grab at her hands. He crawled out from under the truck, looking around wildly for the teenager. But before he could rise from the hard ground, before he could stare around for the source of her screams, a pair of hands grabbed at his head, shoving it roughly into the car door. The world went black, and Hoagie fell to the ground limply.

"HOAGIE!" Mushi screamed, lashing out to run to her friend's body, but before she could the arms grabbed for her, and she fell too as she was knocked unconscious, falling to the ground as well.

Silence again, and all that was left was Bandit's pathetic trembling figure as he shook with fearful sobs- knowing he was well and truly trapped. He squeezed his eyes closed as he heard Mushi's screams fade, and he sobbed into his hands desperately- wishing for someone- _anyone- _to come. Dodge, Trent, Dingo, Jake, Hollie, Bonnie… He sniffed, lowering his hands so he could peek through the gaps in his fingers- and his heart stopped altogether as he stared into those black, empty eyes- staring at him so close the pair were almost nose to nose. A proud grin echoed on Dread's face, and he stared into the tearstained eyes of his long lost Bambi- his body trembling with excitement as he stared down his prey. His baby. He let out a tiny cackle, cooing in that same sing-song voice he always used on him.

"_Bambi baby…" _He growled, snickering as he let the butcher's knife twirl within his fingers. _"I found youuuuuuu..." _

* * *

Wally looked up from his magazine as he heard the dorm door open, and Nigel stepped through looking tired, but relatively happy with a happy, lazy smile growing across his face. He stepped into the room, but jumped in alarm at seeing Wally smirking up at him from a nearby armchair, a magazine across his lap and his legs across the arm of the chair.

"And where have _you _been out gallivanting?" Wally asked cockily, his eyebrows wriggling suggestively. Nigel scoffed at him, swatting at his shoes as he passed his cocky friend.

"Shutup." Nigel sniggered at him, trying for a stern lecture but instead just breaking into a smile. It had been so long since _he _was the one breaking curfew- but it did feel pretty good. He shook his head, trying to focus instead on the issue at hand. "How did things go between you and Abby?"

Wally's smile immediately froze, and his face slackened as he thought back to their 'discussion' before the show. "We kinda…didn't talk." He mumbled. At Nigel's glare, he faltered. "We instead kinda…yelled. Screamed- if you will."

"Wally…" Nigel groaned, massaging his temples in vain. "You and Abby aare never going to sort this out if you guys don't at least _talk _about it."

"I think she said what she needed to say…" Wally snarled under his breath, but his shoulders sagged with the weighing guilt he knew he felt. "We kinda…I guess what we need is time…" His lips twisted in anger and his skin prickled with heat. "I think instead- I needa talk to my fucking useless brother."

"Wally…" Nigel muttered, his eyes narrowing. "As much as I… don't trust your brother…" He wrinkled his nose as he thought back to Abby shaking with sobs, her forehead split open by the force of his hit. "I think they're both at fault here-"

"But Abby's my friend…" Wally insisted. "I…I think I'm forcing myself to hate her… I really don't. I'm kinda…relieved that the kid's not mine, and we can be friends…" He shuffled his shoulders, his fingers twisting with nerves as he tried to explain what was on his mind. "But Dingo…Dingo just went too far. Brothers don't do that to each other…that's not how family works…he hates me and-" He sighed. "I know it sounds stupid…" His emerald eyes gazed up at Nigel pathetically, and for the first time in a long time Nigel actually saw hurt and vulnerability behind those eyes. It broke his heart to see someone so strong look so broken. "But… I don't know why Dingo hates me. And I just want a reason, ya know? For what makes him seem to _want _to hurt me so much…"

He broke off, and the room was silent again. Nigel sat down on the couch, running a few fingers along his scalp. He finally gave his friend a thoughtful glance.

"You gotta talk to him, Wallabee." He mumbled. At Wally's scoff, he frowned. "_Without _resorting to punching him in the face."

"It won't work!" Wally scoffed. "It's like he was _born _hating me! I know what happened with our parents, Nigel." At this, he wrinkled his nose. "And…I guess he has his reasons…but I couldn't even talk, I couldn't even _walk _when most of the drama happened! He's grown up hating me…" Wally sighed. "It's too much to ask that he'd stop now…"

"Wally…" Nigel sighed. "You gotta remind him that there's a life involved in this. This is you and Abby's ten year friendship we're talking about. This is your nephew's life, Wal. You don't want your family ripped apart even more."

Wally bit his lip sheepishly. That's right. There was his friendship with Abby at stake- but not only that, his responsibility as an uncle. Forget the father business- now he was going to be an uncle. A flutter in his heart told him that no matter what that wouldn't go away- sooner or later there would be another member of the family, one he could hold in his arms and teach jokes and take whenever his parents were out… maybe with Kuki, it would be like their own little family member they can look after together…

His thoughts were immediately interrupted by a deep buzzing in his pocket and he pulled out his phone, his entire body tensing as he saw he had a new message from an unknown number- Dingo. A few words- but they basically said it all.

_It's Dingo. _

_We gotta talk._

_Meet me tomorrow night- ten- at the quad car park._

He frowned, studying the message closely. Nigel tilted his head cautiously. "Who's it from?"

"Nobody…" Wally mumbled carefully, closing the message and sticking his phone back into his pocket. But his mind was still whirring. Should he even go? Will it just be a another fight or will they finally talk about what needs to be discussed?

The pair's thoughts were interrupted by a brisk knock on the door, and- after exchanging confused glances- Nigel rose to get it. Opening the door, he was alarmed to see two uniformed police officers standing at the door. Wally froze, jumping to his feet to join his friend as the two officers gave the boys stern glances.

"Evening gentlemen…" One murmured softly, while the other pulled out an official looking piece of paper. Nigel eyed in warily, while Wally's heart pumped fearfully in his chest. "Would either of you be able to tell us where a Mr. Hoagie Gilligan would be?"

The two exchanged looks once again, their eyes wide.

"N-no…" Wally mumbled, but he knew by his sudden stuttering the cops didn't believe him one bit. "We haven't seen him since the talent show tonight- I-"

"Mind if we take a look?" The other growled, and without waiting for an answer he pushed through the two boys, waving the search warrant in their faces. Wally frowned, his quick temper heating up.

"Hey, wai-"

"You don't wanna get involved in this kid." The police officer scowled at him as his partner charged towards their friend's room. "It's serious business."

"What business?" Nigel frowned. "Hoagie would never do anything to-"

"You better start re-thinking that, kid." The officer growled over him. "Because your friends one of the top suspects on suspicion of murder."

* * *

**Extra note: **

_I am sorry too (once again) for the many songs that were squeezed into this chapter. :P The first was 'Therapy' a sweet song by All Time Low that my ex used to always sing to me when I was down- I made it Belle and Bambi's song because it's so sad...I heard it was about his brother's suicide :S. And the second song (Dread and Bandit's) was 'Funeral of Hearts' by HIM- it actually caused me to cry this past month because of the passing of Ryan Dunn :( it meant a lot to me and got me pretty upset- and it really hurt when people gave me crap for it because he may have been drink driving. He and Bam Margera (and the rest of the Jackass/Viva La Bam crew) got me through a very difficult time in my teens, and basically saved me from depression. They made me see the fun side of life and taught me to just have fun, and stop taking life so seriously. And with Ryan gone, and to see Bam sob like that on TV- it broke my heart, and I'm getting a tattoo soon to honour that part of my life that's now gone :(_

_So HIM, being Bam's favourite band, and their song- kinda symbolised Ryan for me, and it gets me a little teary. I'm a sad sap- I know. But writing does that :) If anyone's wondering Ryan had two stars on each arm that's a blue nautical star- and I'm getting that on my hip :) can't wait._

_Thanks guys! :) Until next time..._

_*Jaws theme*_


	28. Chapter 28: Caraphernelia

_Long, LONG story short -*Even though I'm not so good at that ;)*- my life is screwed, basically. And just when writing was boosting my confidence and was my only escape, a flame on my other story brought me down, and made me almost give up writing. _

_When I get emotional I get writer's block- so many ideas and I can't fit them into the proper words. It's been slow, but I've never fully given up- but I'm still not 100% confident, so I apologise in advance if my writing style isn't the same- I've basically been paranoid about almost every sentence :S gah! _

_But- plus side! The other day I got a review from one of my favourite fanfiction authors :) she inspired me to write in the first place back when I was about 12! *Fangirl squeal* _

_Anyways...I won't bore you with my part- because you guys have waited long enough (sorry!) for this chapter...so I better shush now so you can read :P it's already at a 26,000 word count- I don't think I need anymore :S_

_Hope you enjoy, and it was worth the wait x_

_-x-_

Justadreamer15: _Haahaa yeah, Australia's awesome :D finally heating up too, now that Spring's here (: most of my OCs come from here, but a couple come from many people :P I'm glad you like! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, let me know what you think! x_

numbuh310alltheway: _Aw hope you didn't wait too long (: hope the wait was worth it, more like! And I hope its not too much, I hope your heart can take it ;) let me know what you think love! x_

Laurie43: _Naw thank you :) yay! Yeah lots of 'yay!' moments and 'boo!' moments in this chapter...but basically yes...readying to a climax :\ hard to believe its gone this long really! And you're still replying :D ee! :D haha! Sorry for the wait love, let me know what you think x_

Sam: _Naw I'm glad you like :D thank you so much! and I'm glad its not too confusing- I hope I didn't mnake you wait too long, and you enjoy the update :D lots more drama- ahoy! Let me know what you think sunshine x_

PowerGirl: _Ah, I'm sorry. I hate being an unreliable author :( haven't updated in so long...I feel so slack. But I hope this chapter makes up :) I would love to hear what you think. And in answer to your question- I thought tattoos didn't hurt (I have an outline of a heart) but then I got my star, with shading, and it was bigger, and it hurt! haha! But you know what it only took about half an hour to an hour, and after the first five minutes of feeling like you're being pricked with thousands of needles (just pricked- it's more of an annoying stinging sensation than actual hurt) the skin goes numb and you can carry on a conversation and ignore it. No joke- but I got it on my hip, right on the bone, so you can expect some hurt. My heart is on top of my butt- lots of padding. Less hurt (: whatever you do don't get your first on your foot, stomach or ribs- apparently that hurts the most. Unless you're used to the pain, but it takes some getting used to. But it's WORTH IT :D (I love talking about tattoos...but onto the story! :P Hoope you like x)_

SwAlLoWiNg DaNtE _haha wow you like Dread? Wow I think I fail at villains- you're supposed to hate them but I end up loving them too XD haha, at least Dread's other side is revealed in this chapter, and I'm glad some readers see another side to him other than his obvious psycho-ness :P hope you like! x_

Kuchiki-san urahara: _Aw, I hope your story's going good! Don't worry, if anyone knows how writer's block is- its me :\ and hectic schooling- university assignments suck! I wish I had time like my characters do...seems they never have a uni assignment -_- gah. Anyways I hope you enjoy! x_

Apples Go Boom: _Don't worry, I do love my happy endings :) This chapter is a loooong one, so I hope it was worth the tedious wait! :S I love your reviews, you make me smile :D I hope you enjoy this chapter- but get a drink or something, because its a long way to the bottom haha :P Boom, Boom, babe :P lol x_

MidniteCurse4Eternity: _Naw, there there, things get better...ahhh jk, it gets worse :\ ah! But don't worry! I don't like to keep my favourites in danger for too long! :) hope you like my chapter, let me know what you think! x_

Justwriting7: _haha! Love your reviews XD so fun- really cheers me up :D I'm glad you like my characters! It's a shame Belle's not in this one, I like to bring her in- she's such a loveable Plain Jane. But Jayden and Dread will get worse, I'm afraid. *Shiver* Hope it was worth the wait! x_

Hey Jessi: _eee! I love All Time Low :D When I get free time I work on Belle/Bandit story- every chapter has an ATL song in it, but I rarely get time :( ah well, I'm glad I get emotions out of my writing :) hopefully this chapters just as good! x_

NinjaxTurtles: _haha, I dunno, you're pretty amazing :D Love your hyper reviews. You seem excited even when you're not hyper, and it makes me smile (: hope you enjoy x_

Rubberduckie101983: _Aw, thank you :) sorry for the late update, I hope you like it! x_

* * *

Jayden gripped at the soft, pale skin of the girl beneath him harshly, twisting her slim arms so her limp body slumped against the couch, toppling straight into the young man's unconscious figure beside her. His grey eyes studied her closely, scanning down her body as it lay against the worn sofa. She was young, pure and succulent- about sixteen, he guessed. She was in a dumpy waitress uniform, but it still didn't hide the tot youthful teenage body that was underneath. A sly smirk crossed his face, and he licked his lips as he eyed her closely, his eyes only glancing at the boy before flicking back to the girl. Both were out cold. One hit and down.

This was going to be _fun. _

His body tensed uncomfortably as he heard an all too familiar whimper behind him, and he didn't even have to turn around to know Bandit was behind him, one of Dread's hands firmly gripping both of Bandit's thin, scarred wrists. Jayden could hear his scared squeak, and the sound his worn sneakers made scraping across the garage floor in protest as Dread steered him into the room to join the rest of them. Jayden barely moved as his best friend pushed his ex harshly, Bandit collapsing onto the couch after a feeble push from Dread- whose eyes were still sparking with excitement as he saw him up close once more. Jayden had to stiffen at that. He didn't see what his best friend was so worked up about.

To Jayden, Bandit was nothing special. And as an adult, he hadn't changed since the last time Jayden had seen him. Still with those same dark blue, pathetic wide eyes, they always blinked up at him with fear and shyness- something he couldn't stand. A frail, skinny body, baggy clothes, fidgety habits and wild, untamed black hair- everything about him oozed weakness and just plain... fag-ness. And it's something Jayden could not understand about Dread- what made Bandit out to be so special when, in Jayden's eyes, all he could see was a fucking waste of oxygen.

"_Bandit." _Jayden spat scathingly, his grey eyes scalding him as he continued to glare. Bandit winced, unable to remain still as he gripped the sofa cushions as though they were life preservers. "We meet again."

Dread merely gazed down in awe at his ex boyfriend, his dark eyes boring into Bandit as if trying as hard as he could to mentally undress him. Bandit hated that most of all- it was the one lone, dark reality he couldn't escape from at that moment. The thing that made his breath hitch and his entire body falter as he struggled to remain calm as best he could- the fact that only Dread alone could make him feel this naked and pathetic. He nervously clasped at his jeans, his fingers shaking with plain shock as he stared back at the two men standing over him. There was definitely no escape. No way out. His eyes flickered nervously to the two unconscious bodies beside him, and his throat tightened as he remembered the last victim-

"They're _alive." _Jayden snickered, his eyes travelling back to their hostages. "For now. That all depends on you, Bandit."

Bandit whimpered, and he attempted to draw back as Dread took a step towards him, unable to hold himself back any longer. Bandit's scent- the touch of his skin, it was addictive- and Dread had been having withdrawals for far too long. He licked his lips, his black eyes staring down at his younger former lover. Bandit tried to shrink away, but his eyes still locked with his- wide with terror.

Dread _had _changed- at least in terms of looks. He'd gained more muscle- evident by how tight his shirt seemed to cling to his arms and shoulders- and he'd acquired a few tattoos and a new scar- right under his eye. His skin had been shaded with more sun, a tanner glow adding to the mix of dark features, and the hands that held his arm had much more of a harsh grip- more demanding, more determined not to let go. Bandit tried to shake him off, but only yelped as splinters of pain echoed through his arm as Dread twisted the limb as though it was mere rubber. Bandit closed his eyes as he accepted the hot rush of pain, wishing to wake up. He never thought he'd have to face this monster again, he thought he'd run away and had his happily ever after. But here he was, a blind reality sitting before him, a blunt stain on his past he never had to look at ever again.

"_Look, Jay..." _He could hear Dread coo- his breath tickling his ear. Bandit's throat tightened at the closeness, his skin prickling. If only Belle could see him now... "_He's been thinking of me..."_

Bandit held in a sob as he felt Dread's finger stroke at the fresh needle marks in his hand, trailing the scars all the way up to his arm, following the veins that showed through his pale skin. Something wet slid over the shell of his ear, and Bandit again tried to push away, but the grip only grew stronger.

"_You been missing me..." _Dread grinned against Bandit's hair, taking him in. _"Bambi baby?"_

"Get the fuck off me, Dread!" Bandit suddenly snarled, lashing out and hitting at the hard body that held him down. His eyes sprung open, and he felt a flame ignite within his chest as he stared up at the killer, trying to grasp at the fact he was once again in the same room with a man who he used to love so much. He shook his head at the memories, and instead concentrated on giving him the fiercest glare he could muster. If his mouth wasn't so dry, he would have spat at him in spite. He couldn't help it- his entire body shook with trauma and horror at the sight of his ex again- but still anger dwelled within him, steadily bubbling and growing as the memories flooded back. Belle's face drifted in and out, and gradually he could feel himself come back. The old, _old _him. Before Dread took him in and threw him around like a dog's chew toy.

_He killed Belle. He killed Emma. He killed her. _His brain chanted, and he could feel it- hear the gunshot, feel the ground beneath him, police sirens, the _entire fucking thing..._

"_GET OFF!" _Bandit suddenly hollered, and with a burst of strength he shoved Dread off him, and to Dread's sudden shock he actually fell back at the force- immediately tensing as he glared into Bandit's face- his deep ocean blue eyes rippling as though someone had thrown a huge rock into the usually calm puddle of blue. Bandit shook with fury, but he shakily stood his ground- glaring up at Dread who was at least three inches taller. Swallowing the dry lump growing in his throat, he choked out whatever threat he could scramble for. "I sw-swear, you try _anything _I'll-"

With a sickening thud the rest of his words were lost with a horrified squeak as Dread shoved his entire body into him, Bandit's slim body thrown against the brick wall behind him and Dread's fingers quickly clamping around his throat, trapping him there. Bandit let out a sob, trying in vain to fight back, but all he could do was gasp at air as he stared towards the ceiling, Dread's physique completely suffocating him. His black eyes stared into ocean blue, and his tongue swiped at his lips as his fingers tightened against his throat- trying to squeeze out any ounce of defiance within him.

"_D-Dread..." _Bandit choked out, tearing up as he began to black out, his face darkening dangerously. "Dread...please-"

Dread smirked eagerly- his entire face lighting up in childlike excitement. His rough cheek grazed Bandit's soft face, and goosebumps coated the teenager's skin as his former lover cooed into his ear.

"You know I like it when you say my name."

His fingers retracted and Bandit completely collapsed at the loss of support, sliding down the wall and landing in a crumpled mess on the floor. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he gasped for oxygen, his lungs screaming for air as gulped in deep, strangled breaths. Both pairs of cruel eyes watched with interest as Bandit coughed and writhed, struggling in vain to stay conscious. Jayden's lips twisted in disgust, his charcoal grey eyes turning to stare at his friend questioningly.

"What are you gonna do with him?" He snarled with distaste, leering at the kid in annoyance. "Dread, I thought you were-"

"I know..." Dread cooed thoughtfully, his black eyes flashing maliciously as he eyed his prize on the floor. The plan seemed so easy to him- he was so furious that Bandit finally managed to escape him, run away from what they had. He was determined to aim a gun at his former lover's head and pull the trigger, and he thought he wouldn't sleep soundly until he'd painted Bandit's brains all over his bed after having his way with him one last time. That was _always_ the plan- the ideal punishment. But now it seemed too easy, not at all fun. He couldn't let Bandit go, not after Bandit had been the only thing to keep him going. But Dread couldn't admit that- he couldn't say he actually _relied _one someone...

"But I found him so easy...it's like a lamb to the slaughter...and still the same drugged up angel I left behind..." He snickered, nibbling down on his lip. He looked remarkably like a kid on Christmas morning. "I can't punish my lamb just yet..."

Jayden rolled his eyes, trying his best to repress a scoff. Bandit was Dread's weakness. He knew then he will _always_ be Dread's weakness. No matter what.

Something clawed within Jayden's stomach, as if it was an uncharted emotion itching to be unleashed. But, with an irritated growl, he repressed it and turned to glare at his friend with underlying impatience.

"Then get him in the car." He growled. "We gotta work out what to do with the stragglers-"

Both turned to eye the two on the couch- the lanky college boy with the limp Asian broad beside him, both draped across the couch as if nothing more than a couple of cushions. Dread tilted his head, an idea forming in his mind and a mischievous smirk stretching across his lips.

"Bring 'em." He grinned. "Gotta have something to keep _him_ cooperative..."

He nodded towards the ground, where Bandit was still stirring, whimpering with pain as blackness surrounded him. He could hear voices- but the lack of air mixed with the still pumping substances in his veins made him fuzzy- the drugs completely taking over as he only felt cold and numb.

"Fine." Jayden scoffed. He knew two other people, even though they were set for it, would be a bother so soon in the mission, but there was no escaping Dread when he made up his mind- especially if it surrounded his beloved _Bambi. _He made a grab for Mushi's limp, slim arm, and yanked her roughly off the couch to drag her across the floor. "I'll chuck 'em in the boot."

Bandit groaned, blinking away at the blurs before him as hands suddenly grabbed the back of his hoodie, hoisting him off of the floor as though he was nothing more than a ragdoll. His body sagged weakly, throbbing with too much pain to fight back. He gripped at anything he could, fading in and out as he struggled to stand on his own two feet.

"Don't..." He groaned, feeling his head throb with harsh pain. He thought of Mushi- how much he'd already hurt her, how many other people would die and suffer because of _him. _"Don' hurt- don'- hurt...th...them-"

"Don't worry, Bambi Baby." Dread snarled into the dazed boy's ear, swiping his ear with his tongue as he tightened his grip around his waist, hoisting him towards the car. "As long as you keep that pretty mouth of yours shut, nobody's gonna get hurt." He dragged him closer, so their faces were almost nose to nose. Bandit's eyes flickered, and he found himself unable to tear away from those wide black orbs, deep and destructive. Dread gave him a sly smile. "...Except, perhaps..._you."_

* * *

Wally swore to himself again as for what felt like the hundredth time that night he found himself listening to Hoagie's voicemail. He pounded the keys of his cell phone again angrily, his fingers shaking more and more as he found himself growing panicky at his friend's absence. He knew Hoagie- he knew he wouldn't be out this late without letting him know, they were best friends- they had been for more than ten years now...

"This isn't like Hoagie." Wally snarled, pressing the phone to his ear again as his wide eyes found Nigel's. "He wouldn't just drop off the face of the earth like this... He would let somebody know where he was. Heck, usually he's not even found out of his room..."

"I know, Wal." Nigel groaned, and he massaged his fingers into his eyes as he struggled to regain his logical train of thought. He was clouded with worry- shaken up by the arrival of the police and impatient for answers. But now this was too much- now their best friend wasn't answering his phone, and _nobody _knew where he was. Nobody had even seen him since the talent show...

"Even if he was with a girl..." Wallabee went on. "He would still answer his phone, especially after the _fiftieth time..." _he was met with voicemail again and he swore loudly, snapping his phone shut and flinging it across the couch for good measure. "_Fuck!" _

"Well...I hate to say it, but at least the police are looking for him..." Nigel muttered, rubbing at his scalp as he issued his friend a thoughtful glance. "They're not going to rest until they've found him, at least someone's looking for him."

Wallabee bit his lip, his stomach churning at the thought of what had just happened. The words rang in his ears. _Murder? Hoagie? _Never... He gave a groan, finally looking back up to face his friend, his lips crinkling with the weight of his worries.

"You don't think..." He sighed again, looking away as he seemed to choke on the words. "He purposely ran off, do you? Because of..." He nodded curtly towards the door, but Nigel could see the fear dwelling in his eyes- the worry that it might be the truth. "The..._murder?"_

Nigel heaved a sigh. He had to admit it- in the short time that had passed while they tried to contact his friend the thought had crossed his mind. But he knew better. He knew deep down that it wasn't that simple, and it certainly shouldn't be dismissed like that. He shook his head, his eyes troubled.

"Wally, I've thought about it..." he muttered. "And...do you honestly think Hoagie could do something like that?"

Wally did think about it- his head dipped low as his mind whirled at top speed, his emotions tearing at him. He remembered what it used to be like- the two side by side in school and their friendship together. Nigel was always the leader- a friend to anyone and always there for whoever needed him- but Hoagie and Wallabee were only there for each other, fighting their battles and working their way through school together. They were always best friends- even in high school when they seemed to go into different paths, that bond still united them. He remembered the laughter, constant eating out and jokes, the comic books and the mechanics, the wrestling and the school fights, the bullies. He knew Hoagie couldn't kill someone. He knew him too well. He was his best friend.

He shook his head, his eyes now fierce and determined.

"No." He muttered. "Hoagie wouldn't do anything like that..."

The friends sat in silence for a few long moments, each lost in their own thoughts and worries, but all centred around the same person—Hoagie. In all this time Hoagie hadn't been their main concern- he was always just the easygoing friend- the sidekick. Always there when you needed him, never the centre of attention because he never caused drama or made trouble. And now he was gone, and the pair was feeling the emptiness around them, and they couldn't deny they felt a little guilty as well as lost.

"I'm gonna call Abby." Nigel suddenly sighed, pulling out his phone to her number, known off by heart. "Ask if she saw him after the show or something.. I know she was there with him."

Wally nodded, but his body still stiffened protectively at the thought. "Don't tell her why, though." He muttered. "If we tell her it's about the police, she'll wanna know more, and if she knows the full story the stress can't be good for her, or the baby..."

Nigel nodded as he held the phone to his ear. He definitely had a point.

* * *

Abby sat on her bed calmly doodling in her notebook, halfway through making a list of things for the baby but getting distracted and instead sketching patterns around the page. Kuki watched her with interest, sitting opposite her as the two listened to the chick flick playing in the background on Abby's DVD player. They occasionally broke out into giggles as they talked, bringing up memories of their childhood and laughing about what they used to be. They realised only then they hadn't changed much in ten years, if anything they'd gotten closer. Kuki smirked at that. At least all this drama that had happened over the course of the months had one silver lining.

The two girls both startled in alarm as, even over the loud volume of the TV, a harsh, rapid guitar beat coupled with screaming Abby recognised as Miss May I's heavy metal cover of '_Swing' _began to scream loudly. Kuki squeaked in alarm as the loud music sounded, played on the loudest volume, and Abby winced as she realised it was her new ringtone.

'_OH SHIT!  
Shake that ass  
__Now move it like a GYPSY!'_

Abby sighed, digging through the blankets as she mentally cursed herself for letting Dingo choose her new ringtone- probably a punishment for her teasing him in his sleep talking.

_'Stop, Whoa_  
_Back it up_  
_Now let me see your hips SWING-!'_

"_Dammit Dingo..."_ She snarled, glancing at the caller ID before answering her phone, giving a smirk as she greeted her oldest friend. "Hey Nigel! What's up?"

"Hey Abs." Nigel sighed into the receiver, massaging at his head as he thought about what he had to say. He hated the thought of worrying her- but Hoagie and Abby were close friends- maybe she knew where he was. In the past, Hoagie had gone to her when he'd gone to nobody else, and vice versa. It was a small hope he knew was worth looking into...to put all their minds at ease. "Have you seen Hoagie?"

Abby frowned, and her expression immediately crumpled with worry as she frowned at the concern in her friend's usually controlled voice. "No..." She muttered. "Not since I saw him in the crowds at the talent show..." Her heard began to race, and she could sense something was amiss. "Why?"

Nigel shook his head heaving a sigh. "Just, don't worry..." He dismissed. "It's nothing to concern yourself with- we were just wondering and asking around-"

"No, Nigel." Abby growled, and even Kuki looked over with caution at the sudden aggression in Abby's tone. "What's wrong? You sound weird. I know something's wrong. You won't tell me. If it's something with Hoagie, if something's wrong-"

"Nothing's wrong!" Nigel spluttered, hearing the sudden rush of emotion in Abby's voice. "Just- calm down-"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Abby immediately snapped back, her voice a high squeak and her eyes wide with panic. "You call me and ask if I've seen somebody, and now you won't tell me why-"

"Just don't worry Abby!" Nigel ordered her, but knew he was getting nowhere. He was just poking an already infuriated lion- a pregnant lion nonetheless. Abby was already unpredictable, and he had no idea what third trimester pregnancy hormones could do to her. "I...I'm gonna go-"

"Don't you-"

He hung up quickly, throwing away the phone as though it was a bomb. He was positive he had just made the situation worse. As Abby heard the click of the dial tone, she stared at the screen in disbelief, breathing heavily.

_Oh no he didn't_. She thought venomously. She too threw her phone away, but in frustration, and she felt the tears suddenly appear. She was sick of it- all this stress and emotion was overwhelming her, and she knew the pregnancy was putting her emotions out of whack, but she couldn't help but sob her heart out at the thought of her friends keeping things from her. She hated it, all of it, and she felt as if she couldn't take it anymore. Kuki's eyes immediately fell on her telltale trembling lips, and she crawled across the bed quickly to wrap her arms around her friend in a comforting hug.

"It's not fair!" Abby began to bawl, sniffling as her shoulders shook with her cries. "He's keeping things from me! Like he can't trust me! Like he's n-not the same friend n-now that I-I'm p-p-"

"It's ok Abs!" Kuki tried to console, rubbing her back awkwardly as Abby continued to sob. She was amazed, as if the normal, completely rational Abby had disappeared and been replaced with a totally different irrational, passive pregnant Abby that broke down at one thing going wrong. She had a totally new respect for expecting mothers, and their hormones... "Just calm down, you'll stress out the baby-"

"This kid has mine _and_ Dingo's genes!" Abby snarled angrily between sniffles. "I bet it can survive a freakin' apocalypse! "

Kuki had to smirk at that, she didn't doubt that a child of their genes probably could.

"I don't _need _babysitting!" Abby snarled, wiping at her face as her tears began to roll down her cheeks, unable to stop. "I'm not a child, I don't _need _to be taken care of or left out of things just c-cause it might stress me out! He's still my friend, I need to know too just like anybody else does-"

"I know Abs..." Kuki mumbled soothingly, her kind violet eyes gazing at her with empathy. She was hurt to see her friend looking so helpless, and knew that Abby hadn't changed in her desire to help and be there for people- it was in her caring, friendly nature. Now that she was pregnant Kuki could see she was torn- caring and protecting her unborn baby as well as her friends. "But I bet if it was serious they would have told you, they know how much you care about Hoagie- about all your friends..."

"I hope so." Abby sniffed, her voice hoarse with tears as her dark chocolate brown eyes gazed at Kuki hopefully. "Because all this drama...it makes it seem like I don't care, you know? But I do, Kooks, I really truly do...My friends mean everything to me..."

Kuki winced again as Abby broke down into harsh sobs, her body wracking as she once again broke. Kuki felt helpless, unable to console her. She knew pregnancy hormones were unpredictable- but this was almost untameable. Her face crinkled with despair, watching one of her best friend's break down because she felt helpless, and Kuki felt the same way. Twisting her lips in thought, she petted her friend's back before mumbling about making her some tea, stealthily grabbing her phone on the way out. She flipped it open, scrolling down to see one of the first names pop up. She held it to her ear, still unable to believe she was actually doing this.

The ringing ceased almost immediately, a sweet, but rough, coo sounding over the speaker..

"_Hello? Abs?"_

"Dingo, it's Kuki." Kuki sighed into the phone. "Can you come over? Abby's upset, and she won't admit it but...she needs you."

* * *

Bandit could feel his heart pulsating rapidly against his ribcage, and he knew Dread could feel it too- by the way his hands were painfully tight around his torso, holding him close as they made their way outside into darkness. Bandit shook with fear as he felt the cold night air whip around him, encasing him in darkness. He looked back at the garage, where he could just make out the shadow of Jayden and the slim body of Mushi draped carelessly over his shoulder. He threw the limp body in the backseat of the car, and Bandit's heart raced as he noticed they weren't making a sound.

"_Dread..." _He croaked, shivering as he tried to find his voice in the tight restraint against his chest. He felt the wind pierce his cold cheeks, tears springing to his eyes again. "If...if you h-hurt them..."

Dread chuckled, his chest vibrating against Bandit's back as he held him close, dragging him towards the sleek black SUV. "That all depends on _you..." _He cooed into Bandit's ear, sending sparks of fear down Bandit's spine. He grinned as he heard a pathetic whimper. It felt so good to hear those tiny sounds once more- they gave him so much power and energy, it felt as though his loyal little pet was well and truly back.

Jayden started up the car, and Bandit took one last fearful look over his shoulder at the garage he was leaving behind- his sanctuary, his place of protection, the refuge the gang had found to start over... where just a few hours ago he and Trent were acting as though nothing was wrong in their lives, they were just...happy...more so than they have ever been in their lives...

And it was slowly disappearing into darkness, just as he was. He blindly followed, his sneakers scraping across the gravel as the hard body behind him pushed him along- his fingers tight on his arms as he was thrown into the front seat, Dread immediately slamming the door closed and snatching him back, dragging him to sit on his lap. Bandit immediately winced, hatred ebbing through his numb body. He hated this. It couldn't possibly be true.

But Dread fastened his arms around him once again, not giving him one possibility to escape. As his eyes watched him hungrily, Bandit knew he was well and truly in deep. Dread wasn't letting go this time. This was until the end; Dread was going to hold on until the very last second. Bandit knew that.

And he knew it would mean dragging everyone else down with him.

* * *

Dingo tried to concentrate on the film before him, anxiously fidgeting and tapping at his glass of coke as his wide green eyes gazed at the television screen, trying his best to involve himself in the story. He couldn't. All he could concentrate on was the burning in his skin he was sure was being caused by his father's dark, scalding stare on the back of his head. He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the burning-like sensation of knowing he was being glared at. He couldn't. Instead he whirled around, his eyes readily narrowing as his suspicions were confirmed- Jake glaring at him firmly from the dining room table. He was perched atop of it- legs crossed and a beer lightly dangling from his hand.

"_What?" _Dingo spat angrily, his lips curling into a dangerous snarl. Jake raised his eyebrows, and Dingo could tell just by taking in his father's calm expression Jake was fully prepared to duke it out with him. He was rearing for an argument.

"I hope you're taking this fucking meeting with Wallabee seriously..." Jake grumbled airily, trying to pass of as casual but unable to keep a warning tone out of his careless growl. "Cause a lot's fucking riding on this, it'll be so much easier if you could just work out your fucking problems with-"

"Of course I'm taking it _seriously!" _Dingo spat back, his anger rising at rapid speed. "I know it's important! I know it, Abby's told me, and _you _won't shut up about it!"

"I'm just _saying..." _Jake grumbled. "That you gotta keep in mind the family has enough drama and hate without _you_ making more. I don't want the next generation born into that, and Abby doesn't need the stress-"

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Dingo suddenly hollered, his blood boiling as he exploded, ready to fling something across the room at his father's nagging. "I KNOW!" He turned and glared, his body shaking from the emotion coursing through him. All he could think of was how sick he was of everyone looking down on him- especially his own _father. _When Jake was too stubborn to sort out his own family issues.

"I _know _ya know!" Jake quickly countered, his eyes widening as he realised he struck a big nerve. He swung his legs around and slid off the table, striding over to him. "I just know you're like me, okay? You're stubborn." He kicked at the ground again, his familiar growl darkening his face once more. "What am I saying? You're a Beatles... stubborn as a fucking mule and lashing out like a rabid dog."

"You need to trust me." Dingo snarled at him, but felt sheepish as he unclenched his fists, trying his best to cool down after his quick outburst. Shame crept over him as he realised his father may not be far from the truth- he _was _quick to explode, and he held grudges like nothing else. _And _he was stubborn- just like his father, just like his grandfather, just like his _brother... _"I'm not..." He sighed, shifting onto his other foot as he tried to stand tall. "I ain't sixteen years old, not anymore Dad." He gave his father a sincere look, his head tilting as he spoke in earnest. "I got this- I really do."

To his amazement, Jake actually broke out into a sly smirk. He was going to miss this- he knew he would. Ever since Dingo was two, until about the time he was ten, he would never leave Jake's side- clutching at his hand and always blubbering some problem at him. Now he'll have his own kid, who'll always clutch at his hand and whimper and scream at him... Jake was starting to miss being _somebody's _hero.

"You may think that, D." He snickered. "But you're still the same kid. To me anyway."

Dingo narrowed his eyes, pouting childishly as the memories flooded back.

**...**

_Dingo strolled along the cracked sidewalk proudly, almost swaggering with the high he felt. He charged forward, drawing suspicious glances as adults around him noted his school uniform. It was the middle of a school day...it was obvious he was skipping. Dodge trailed behind, a fierce, worried expression coating his face as he reluctantly followed- trying to snarl arguments into his best friend's deaf ears. _

"_Ace- you're being a complete fucking dickhead right now." Dingo heard Dodge growl behind him, and he turned around to smirk at his friend. He saw those usually calm ice blue eyes narrow at him threateningly. It just didn't suit Dodge to be looking so mean."I mean it. Dead set. D, come on-"_

"_You can't talk me out of it, Joker." Dingo snickered back playfully, snarling as he stared back to the task at hand, stomping fiercely towards their high school parking lot. "A deal's a deal. I ain't backing down-"_

"_You don't know what you're doing!" Dodge spluttered, eyes wide with amazement at his friends stubbornness. "Remember who this is? My fucking brother! You know what he's like! He'll fucking destroy you! He dosen't give a shit if he's sent back to juvie or not!" _

_Dingo scoffed, but a small thought seemed to enter his mind- something with black eyes, bloodstained knuckles and the loudest screams he had ever heard- chasing him up the street when he was about five, and he for the first time being scared out of his mind. He knew Dread. Dread knew him, they had a history. _

_But this...this was it. _

"_I got this." He gave his friend a proud smirk, grinning triumphantly. "Just trust me, dude. It'll be _fine."

_Dodge narrowed his eyes. He was only thirteen, Dingo only just hitting the age of fourteen, but he still knew that compared to his older brother- they'd always be kids. Babies. Weaklings. It was child's play for him...he knew they'd only end up in the hospital or the police station...again. And all because of some stupid battle of insults between the two that had ended up in the declaration- 'High school car park. 12' o'clock. Be there'. _

"_It's not going to be fine!" Dodge snarled at him, his lengthy patience growing dangerously short. "Dude- I KNOW Dread-"_

"_What?" Dingo whirled around, his shaggy black hair falling into his emerald eyes hauntingly, as he folded his arms expectantly. "You don't think I can take him?"_

_Dodge narrowed his eyes, his lips twisting. NOW he was in for it. _

"_I don't...think that!" He tried to recover, attempting to reason. "I...I know you're a good fighter D, you know I've seen you in heaps of fights! But this...Dread is just..psycho! You know that! He's BALLISTIC! A total freak! He doesn't give a shit! Dude, he KNIFED some dude last month! He brings out ANYTHING in fights! Fuck, I reckon he'll BITE you if he runs out of weapons!"_

_Dingo rolled his eyes with obvious boredom, skipping ahead and quickening his pace. It was almost noon. "Nothing I can't handle. I gotta show this bitch, man. I can't let him get away with saying shit especially about me and my mates! Nah. He's going down."_

_Dodge's palm quickly met with his forehead, and a heavy feeling of foreboding set into his tight stomach as he bit back a flood of insults. He still managed to follow his friend loyally, growling angrily. He loved his mate- he really did...but fuck..._

_He could be so stubborn. _

**...**

"...And _what _happened then?" Jake asked airily, his eyebrow cocking upwards. Dingo scowled at him, his fists curling angrily once more.

"You picked me up from the police station." He growled, his voice muffled from his gritted teeth. Jake couldn't resist a smirk, egging him to continue. Dingo narrowed his eyes once more, his emerald eyes flashing. "...Then...to the hospital..."

"Luckily that bite wasn't infected." Jake snickered at him. "But on the bright side- the phone footage of you screaming like a girl when he sunk his teeth in became very popular around the tri-state area-"

"Aw, SHUTUP!" Dingo hollered again, stomping off angrily to his room. He slammed open the door and landed face down on his bed, sulking. _"FUCK YOU!" _

"_You're such a brat, D!" _Jake cackled, grabbing a beer from the fridge as he took glee in poking fun at his son's spoiled behaviour. "For obvious reasons!"

"_Oh yeah!" _Dingo shouted from his bed. "_Well YOU'RE a motherfucker- FOR OBVIOUS REASONS!"_

Jake paused, his lips curling into a confused snarl as he stopped mid-laugh. Slowly, he put his beer back down onto the counter, processing this statement. After five long seconds, he sat upright, his lips agape as he heard Dingo burst into overwhelming laughter in the next room. Jake snarled, suddenly looking murderous.

"_HEY!" _

Dingo cackled, and seconds later Jake stomped into his room, taking a flying leap and landing on top of him, slamming him with a pillow. Dingo, doubled over with laughter, weakly tried to fight back, but only snorted with stifled giggles. Jake snarled at him.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" Jake growled at him grumpily.

"You're only mad 'cause I finally got a better comeback than you!" Dingo grinned, poking his tongue out cheekily. Jake pouted back, looking furious. Their argument was interrupted, however, by the ringing of Dingo's phone- chosen by Abby as _Run the World _by Beyonce. Dingo scrambled to answer it before Jake had another excuse to poke fun of him.

"Hello?" He snarled into the receiver. He growled as he heard Jake from behind him, cheering as he chanted the rest of the lyrics.

"_Girls!" _Jake snickered, pulling faces at him. "_Who run the world?"_

"_SHUTUP!" _Dingo hissed at him, aiming a kick.

"Dingo..."He heard a foreign voice from the other end, and immediately he froze. "It's Kuki..."

* * *

Bandit couldn't see anything when he arrived- and he was well trained in his instincts to look at as much as possible in the hopes of identifying where he was. He was shivering, on edge from Dread being so close. It was hard to believe he was here- beside him, when only a few hours ago he was far away mentally- not a thought crossed his mind about the past he regretted so much. He simply sat, wilted and confused, but still his eyes flicked back and forth like a trapped rabbit, looking for any way of escape.

Dread watched him closely, combing his fingers through his hair. He loved his Bambi's hair, and as his eyes trailed away from the deep stare he was giving his ex lover, his fingers still flowed through the smooth raven locks- a touch of affection he thought he'd lost when he lost Bandit. Still, after all this time, Bandit was the only one able to tap into that affection and emotion Dread never showed anyone else.

But he was still a target, and he was still out to escape, a fact Dread knew all too well, and as soon as the car began to wind its way towards their destination, he felt Bandit jump as he tightened his fingers in his hair, and with a sly grin he slammed the head into the dashboard with all his strength, earning a thick, satisfying _thud_. Bandit swayed on the seat, struggling to find his grip as his head spun- dizzy and nauseous with a painfully hard throbbing sensation ringing through his skull. Dread's grin widened as he saw that pathetic look, the younger boy simply collapsing back onto him, back into his arms. Weaker, and more dependant.

"You're too smart for your own good..." Dread snarled, a cautious glare radiating from his dark eyes. Bandit let out a hurt whimper at the promised threat, cradling his head and squeezing his eyes closed at the pain and vertigo. Dread pulled his body to his, his grip tight around Bandit's neck. Bandit timidly let him, feeling completely winded and frail. He found his head cushioned against Dread's hard chest, and he closed his eyes as the swaying of the car grew more nauseating to his already throbbing head.

Jayden glared at this, trying as hard as he could to focus on the road. Only an hour- and Dread was already babying their main ticket towards their reward.

He felt his friend's hard glare, as if daring him to say anything, but Jayden knew better and kept his mouth shut- at least in front of Bandit. He couldn't let him know he caused a rift between them- not when they were a team set for a common goal. He merely rolled his eyes and continued down the private road to their hideout- where they were sure nobody could find them easily. Bandit only groaned quietly with pain, his eyes closed and his head against Dread's chest. It seemed as though he had completely given in. A few minutes into the drive and Jayden pulled stopped, hitting the button for the automatic door that lead to their underground garage.

He pulled in, and Bandit felt the car stop before switching off completely, the trio draped in an eerie silence. Bandit barely moved, he didn't even twitch. He felt too dazed and weak to do anything- he just slumped against Dread like a blanket, tired, sick and hurt. He knew it would only make matters worse if he tried to escape- or even open his eyes. He knew how much shit he was in- drugged up and dazed as he was. There was no way he could run, even if he could outwit the pair.

Jayden slammed the car door and Dread slipped out of the passenger side, grabbing Bandit to drag with him. Bandit gave a tiny grumble of defiance, but quickly went limp again as Dread hoisted him into his arms, Bandit's head against his shoulder. Bandit only blinked weakly- dark blurry images surrounding him- before his heavy eyelids closed once more, and all he could think of was snuggling closer to warmth, and the stable body holding him up. Dread smirked, his eyes twinkling with malice.

Jayden opened the back door, glancing sceptically at the bodies in the backseat. They still looked out cold, but the guy was twitching in a telltale way. He snuck a hand to his pocket and brought out a spare pair of cuffs- some they'd swiped form the police car they'd torched a couple of nights back. Smirking, he fastened them tightly around Hoagie's wrists before grabbing his arms and dragging him out onto the floor, far less comfortably than Dread was cradling Bandit.

"Fucking College boy..." Jayden grumbled hatefully, giving him a glare as Hoagie's body stirred on the ground. He could feel the cold cement floor beneath him, and airy voices drifted in and out- and he was unsure if they were real. Faint flashes of memories flashed through his mind as he began to black out once more, Jayden's snarls still fizzling in his brain. _"Fucking lucky enough we even kept him alive..."_

"We've left enough bodies behind..." Dread grumbled, glancing away from Bandit's still face. "We don't need too much attention on us so early in the game."

"Yeah, yeah..." Jayden sighed, knowing his friend spoke the truth. They were being much more reckless than usual, after all. He grabbed at Hoagie's arms, shoving his gun back into his belt as he began to heave the limp body towards the tiny room at the end of the hall. It was sick, when Jayden thought about it, how the cousins had prepared the basement and garage- almost like a dungeon- with no carpeting and barely any light. But a smirk still crept up his face as he dragged the 19 year old easily, throwing him in the tiny room and closing the door behind him. But...he found it strangely appealing.

Dread kicked open the door to the room where he slept, his arms already full with holding Bandit. He paused, staring in alarm, as he saw his bed was already half occupied.

"_The fuck..." _he snarled moodily, stomping over to glare at the unconscious figure draped across the mattress. Pale, mousy hair, faded... Dread rolled his eyes, his anger bubbling dangerously as he noticed the empty of bottle of pills beside him, dropped onto the floor. He felt his grip tighten, and Bandit squeaked quietly, jolting as he felt nails dig into his skin. He recoiled against dread's grip, and Dread gently dropped him onto the bed, Bandit's body bouncing slightly. His head throbbed in protest as he gripped the mattress for support, and he shivered in the sudden cold.

Dread stiffened, eyeing the limp body before him suspiciously. The kid was pale as death, of course and covered in a cold sweat but he knew enough about death to know that all dead bodies are different- and one can fake death with the right resources ahead. He gripped at the kid's skinny neck, tilting his head in thought as Bandit watched him through half lidded eyes, his lips quivering as he thought of Belle. The sight of that still body brought back such painful memories...

A weak throb of a pulse tapped against Dread's palm. The brat was alive.

"_Brat." _Dread snarled at him, tightening his fingers against his neck. "Oi. Wake up, you ugly fuck."

Sandy groaned quietly, a shadow of a breath escaping his lips as he weakly twitched, shivering against the mattress as the drugs continued to weigh down on him, dulling throbbing through his veins slowly. He could feel it course through, sickly thick like tar.

Dread let out a frustrated snarl, his black eyes glancing over to assure Bandit's vulnerability before travelling back to the completely passed out kid. He was _gone. _Completely _fucked. _He glanced back quickly to the bottle of empty pills on the floor, and gritted his teeth, reaching out to grab a handful of the kids shirt and pulling him up. Sandy was light, like air, and he was easy to lift. With a warning glare to Bandit Dread turned, throwing the unconscious teenager over his shoulder and stomping out of the room.

* * *

Pain throbbed through Hoagie's skull and numbness crushed his body as he struggled to open his eyes, batting them as hard as he could to erase the darkness that stained at his vision. It didn't work; he was still surrounded with darkness. A faint, panicked thought suddenly entered his mind that he might be blind. He turned his head- his skin scraping against filthy concrete, to see a faint, blinking light in the distance. His chest shook with a strangled sigh. He, at the very least, wasn't blind. He curled his fingers and his toes. His entire body seemed to scream in protest at any movement. He was in deep pain, tied up, barely conscious and trapped...but he was _alive. _

He was surrounded with darkness and it was suffocating, pushing against him like the darkness was about to swallow him whole. His fingers curled against the cold, rough surface as he skimmed along for any other signs of life. _Mushi. _That was the last thing he remembered- her wide, bright eyes gazing up at him in horror and shock, her nails scraping across his skin as screams of terror echoed in his ears...

His fingers brushed against warmth, and he stiffened at the contact of soft skin. He let out a strangled breath, his head pumping with pain as he struggled to shuffle over to her, his body heavy and tight- his legs completely numb and bound. He could feel the ropes restraining his ankles and knew there was no escape.

"Mushi..." he croaked out, his cry foreign to his ears. He attempted to swallow. His fingers firmly gripped at the skin, trying his best to roughly shake whatever he was holding.

"_She's gonna be out for a while."_

Hoagie's heart leapt into his throat- his fingers freezing in motion as he heard the snarl of a voice reaching his ears. _Someone else was in the room with him. _He looked back again to the one thing that wasn't completely bathed in total black abyss- the bright red blinking light. He realised then it was a video camera on record- dangling from the speaker's hand and lazily filming everything going on. He heard a snicker- another voice. And realised both of them were in the room with him. He couldn't see anything- it was total darkness. He heard movement and felt someone brush beside him- a sneaker grazed against his shoulder. They were walking around the pair on the floor, as if analysing them.

"What did you do to her?" Hoagie immediately growled, his fingers grazing against Mushi's arm once more. At least- he hoped it was Mushi's arm. His hand scraped across and he felt the gentle softness of her hair- sprawled across the cement like a soft cushion.

"_Nuthin'."_ The growl came again, and Hoagie shuddered as he knew how utterly screwed they both were. Trapped- no way to tell where they were or who the people trapping them were, or even what they wanted.

"What the hell do you want from us?" Hoagie growled roughly, his heartbeat thumping angrily against his ribcage. He could feel his blood boiling and his pulse rising as his anger began to swell. Of all the things to go wrong- Bonny, Abby... this whole drama that had become his life... _This _had to happen.

"_We don't want_ you_." _One of the voices snarled bitterly. "You_ just came at an ugly inconvenience. You're just leverage." _

"_Be fucking thankful for it_..." The other voice cooed, snickering. _"I would have loved to feel your legs snap...hear the crack of broken bones... watch you crawl around on your fingers calling for help..."_

"_Settle, Dread-ster. It's still an option if our little prisoners don't behave..."_

A somewhat innocent cackle sounded from the sicko that had spoken, and all of a sudden Hoagie felt absolutely sick to his stomach. He squeezed his eyes closed- it made no difference, but at least he felt as though he had escaped _something. _At that point- he didn't care. He needed escape from his turbulent mind. Clearly someone wanted him to suffer so much...

"Do what you fucking want!" Hoagie spat hatefully as he writhed against the ground. "I don't fucking care...I'll get out of here-"

"_I doubt it..." _The voice returned smoothly, lightly conversing as though they were discussing the weather. _"This room is completely soundproof and always locked. But...if you insist, and if you wanna be a hero...we can do much worse..."_

"_I'd love to have a go at your Asian chick..." _A snicker, and Hoagie felt his blood chill to the core as he could hear the sincerity in the voice- a scary truth that existed within those words...as if spoken from experience.

"If you fucking touch her..."

"_That depends on you..." _He cooed silkily. Hoagie froze- eyes widening in horror- as he felt rough fingers scrape at his cheek, fingers trailing to his lips. He felt so exposed and naked, and just from that stupid petting finger from someone he didn't even know. _"And what kind of info you can tell us..."_

"I don't know anything." Hoagie blurted out, the fear pulsating out of him before he could stop it.

"_Now, now..." _The voice cooed ominously. He had a way of making Hoagie feel like a pathetic, powerless child. _"Don't dismiss what you don't know...you're probably more help than you think, Babycakes..." _

"_Dread- what have I told you about playing with your food before you eat it?" _The second voice snarled, and Hoagie repressed another shiver that had nothing to do with the cold. How did life turn out this way? He was sure it was just a dream... The intense horror that surrounded him couldn't possibly be real. It couldn't possibly exist...

Thoughts of his family and friends entered his mind, the chilling fear encasing him that he may not ever see any of them again- his mother, his father, his brother, his grandmother...and his _friends- _Nigel, Kuki, Wally, Rachel, Fanny- and _Abby. _His throat seemed to tighten, and all of a sudden he struggled to breath. _Abby. I'll never get to see her baby! _It was as though a brick had slid down his throat and landed in his stomach, a sickening sensation taking over. _Who cares who the father of that kid is! I'll never get to see the baby of my own best friend! I'll never see her be a mother! And Mushi! _His eyes wandered to where he thought the teenager lay- innocent and vulnerable in the darkness. He gulped at the lump in his throat, his eyes rolling in his head as he knew what he had to do.

"Fine... " He croaked, his eyes squeezing closed as he attempted to block out the voices. "What do you want?"

There was silence, where the two figures shuffled around him. He could hear sniggers and whispers- hisses and snarls as they grappled with each other. Hoagie didn't move, he wasn't even brave enough to breath, as he tried to think clearly.

_Australian..._He thought to himself. _That's how they sound. They must be after them...that's who they're looking for! No wonder Bandit's not here..._

His terrified, rambling thoughts were interrupted as he felt the feet beside his head once more, and the rough fingers scraped across his skin, causing him to grit his teeth. He tried not to think of where poor Bandit was...

"_You know my Bandit..." _He heard a voice coo in his ear. It was eerie how smooth the voice was- almost _too _calm, like there was an underlying threatening tone. _"How do you know him?"_

Hoagie held in a strangled cry of pain as he felt the fingers lock in his hair, dragging him back so his face scraped across the concrete floor. His pounding skull shook in the strong grip, and his entire body pulsed with pain. He pursed his lips, trying as hard as he could to hold in a cry.

"I...I worked with him!" Hoagie muttered, wincing with pain. "I worked with him...that's all."

The fingers tightened once more, and Hoagie bit down hard against the bruised flesh of his lip as coldness overwhelmed him, his skin stinging as strands of hair were pulled out of his scalp.

"_That's it?" _ A fierce growl sounded. "_What about the rest? A Dingo? Dodge...Trent?"_

"I know all of them, I worked with them!" Hoagie choked out, his eyes widening. Flashes of his former workmates- the loyalty and connection he felt with them was vanishing- and protecting Mushi and he from further harm was made prominent in his mind. "A-at the garage-"

"_Where are they!" _The snarl echoed through the dark. _"Where do they live?"_

"I don't know!" Hoagie rasped. "I-I-I just know they work there! That's it!" Abby and Fanny flashed into his mind- blurry images of the two together with their partners. Envy clawed at his heart, but he knew he had to keep silent. As anxious as he was to save his own skin, he didn't need to throw anyone else under the bus. "We weren't that close, they didn't even like me that much! I didn't work there long..."

"_You gotta have some idea!" _The harsh voice spat again, and to his horror Hoagie felt the slight spray of spit hit his face. The fingers grabbed at his chin once more, cracking his neck so he was looking upward very painfully. _"How about their chicks? We know they're in relationships! What the fuck's up with Dodge's girlfriend, huh? What's her name? What she look like?" _

So many emotions were running through Hoagie's mind, tumbling around his conscience. Memories of his friends flashed into his minds, as did Mushi's wide, innocent eyes as she was pulled away from him so horribly. What would become of her? Of _him? _He didn't trust these guys at all...

He heard a tiny whimper beside him and could feel Mushi's tiny, sleeping body stirring on the cold floor, and he knew they wouldn't survive here much longer. Deep within the depths of his mind- he knew that was the blunt, straight fact.

_But he couldn't lead the girls to danger. He couldn't. But he didn't know the location of the guys either..._

"I...I only heard th-their names..." Hoagie spluttered out as quickly as he could. _Give their names- you're telling the truth... _He told himself. _That'll save us... as well as the girls if I don't give too much away... _"One-one girl i-is Abigail...I think...and the other...Dodge's girlfriend...he calls her Ch-Cherry..."

He broke off, tears forming in his eyes. Even though it was only the half truth guilt gripped at his soul, rattling him for giving away his friends like he did. He felt awful and cold, as though he had signed their lives away in exchange for his own freedom. But he stretched out once more- making sure the young girl beside him was still safe and sound. She was only sixteen...the same age as Tommy...

Fingers slapped against his cheek roughly, and he held in a wince as he was pressed against the ground- scraping his dry skin like sandpaper.

"_Good boy..." _The voice cooed, assuring to be as degrading as possible. A smile split Dread's face, and his dark eyes lit up with excitement as he rose to his feet. Finally, an actual location on the guys! And it only took a few days... he knew these hostages would come of use...

He heard a pleased scoff from Jayden, almost disbelieving, and his smirk only grew.

"_But you gotta know..."_ The rough voice snarled at him, and the fingers gripped at his face again, Hoagie's blood freezing in his veins. _"That if you double cross us, cunt, or yank us around givin' us lies- your little Asian friend here gets it. And it won't be pretty when I shove the blood running down her legs down your throat."_

Dread gave Hoagie's lips a final swipe with his thumb before he rose to his feet, shooting Jayden a triumphant smirk before filing out of the room, already heading to the car. As the door opened, a flash of bright light streamed into the room, and all Hoagie could see was an empty black room around him- the stream of light only highlighting the grime-stained room. But what made his stomach truly turn was the quick glimpse of Mushi- who was sprawled out beside him on the floor, their heads together and their limbs tied. Her pale skin shone sickly against the flurescent lights, and her wild ebony hair was strung all over- her skin tainted with red gashes and friction lines. His eyes scanned up to her face- and they widened with horror as he gazed straight into her own wide, purple-blue eyes, staring at him as he stared at her. She was crying, her eyes open with fear. She'd heard everything. The door slammed shut, leaving the two in eerie darkness and silence. The teenager began to cry, too filled with pain and fear to do anything else. As her sniffles reached his ears, Hoagie could truly feel his heart breaking, and he tried his best in his numb state to shuffle over to her- for any comfort or warmth he could offer.

"_Mushi..." _He croaked out, afraid to talk above a whisper. _"It'll be okay...we'll be alright, I promise. We'll get through this." _

* * *

Abby sat up in bed, scribbling with haste over her notebook with fierce, angry strokes of ink. She hated it- she hated everything. Her emotions made her mind like the sea in a storm- turbulent and swirling. She snarled to herself as she perched her notebook against her swollen stomach, folding her arms over her enlarged chest. She felt so bloated and useless- like a beached whale. In her sixth month she knew it was only a few short weeks until this baby was born- and it scared her, as well as excited her. On one hand, she wanted it over with. On the other, she never wanted to live that pain she'd heard so much about.

She sighed, her chocolate eyes flicking over to her wardrobe mirror once again. Her stomach stuck out like a beach ball under her top- and she could feel her tiny unborn baby laying restless once more. Tears still stuck to her face, and she kept thinking back to her conversation beforehand- about Hoagie. Did her friends not trust her anymore? Was she really that useless? That fragile?

She felt it. Her head drooped in disappointment as she processed it. She felt so pathetic- as soon as she got pregnant the power had been completely taken from her. Here she was trying to be a protector- but nobody even trusted her with the news of what was happening with her best friend. Everyone only saw her as pregnant now. How could she be a good mother if she wasn't even trusted to know the truth?

A knock at the door knocked the brunette out of her stupor and she wiped at her face, feeling lower than she ever had been. Usually the strong one, usually so in control...it felt so strange to suddenly be so vulnerable.

"Not right now, Kooks..." She mumbled to the closed door, sinking further into the mattress as she snuggled into her cocoon of secure blankets. "I just need to be alone right now..." Her heart seemed to swell in her chest as a familiar voice cooed back through the wood, cocky and confident.

"_Be alone with me?" _

"Dingo?" She scoffed in disbelief, throwing off the covers and flinging open the door, frowning as she appeared to not look too desperate. But seeing Dingo- leaning against her doorframe with his shaggy black hair unbrushed and unkempt, his sly smirk in place and his emerald eyes gazing at her knowingly, she could only mumble a weak reply as she felt her knees shake. She knew she was about to cry at how stupid she looked- but right then she didn't care.

Dingo tilted his head, drinking her in with a hard gaze. She looked beautiful to him- her tanned cheeks spotted with dry tears, her wide chocolate eyes puffy and bloodshot and her wild, long brown hair held loosely in a braid, hanging over her tight tank top lazily.

"You look beautiful, baby." Dingo cooed to her, reaching out to stroke at her chin. He held up a small bag, smirking. "I brought you donuts."

Abby sniffed, her shoulders shaking. "Th-thank...you." She mumbled, her swollen lips quivering. Dingo sighed, acting on the only instinct he knew and wrapping his arms around her, drawing her in for a hug. She buried her face into his favourite hoodie, taking in his familiar scent. She sniffed, but managed to keep her tears at bay as she wrapped her arms around him, heaving a sigh as she looked up into his face.

"Come on, Abby Baby..." Dingo mumbled, still with that sly smirk in place. "Cheer up..." His emerald eyes flashed mischievously, and he seemed to lighten up in thought. "I'll do that thing that you like..."

Abby broke out into a smile, unable to hold it back. She sniffed again as she let out a small chuckle. "Dingo!" She scoffed. "Is that all you think about?"

Dingo pouted, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not good at comforting people..." He mumbled, his sheepish confession she was already well aware of. "Getting donuts and sex is all I'm good at!"

Abby rolled her eyes, sighing. "Terrible, Dingo." She scoffed, withdrawing her arms and making her way back to bed. Suddenly she paused, her brow furrowing into a thoughtful look. Her face split into a smirk, and she whirled around to grin- Dingo matching her knowing look. It was the first time in a long time she looked so excited and happy, and her deep chocolate eyes danced with mirth as she retraced her steps, reaching out to grab him by the neck of his hoodie and dragging him forward eagerly.

"Then again..."

* * *

Trent lay wide awake, his eyes flickering around the room as the guilt seeped over him. Of course, he wasn't in _his _bed...he was locked safely away in Bandit's. The whole room and his sheets were soaked in the essence of him, and that was the only thing that calmed him. Shameful.

Bandit did smell nice... Trent reasoned to himself. He managed to pull off the bitter smell of motor oil, mingling with a sugary sweet scent that reminded him of donuts. Every single thing Bandit shoved in his mouth was loaded with sugar and he practically rolled in anything with a motor at work- so this was understandable... but still Trent marvelled at how the mere _smell _of his best friend set him off. It was pathetic.

He let out a needy, whiny groan as he sunk his face into Bandit's pillow, snuggling it closer to his chest. He began to wish he'd insisted on Bandit coming back, selfish as it was. He hated being alone, especially in such an empty house, and he hated the silence as well as the cold. He hated knowing he was just a wall away from someone he cared about.

He didn't know how, but the soothing must have set in and he must have dozed off into the land of slumber, because soon he found his eyes peeling open once more- except he was in a totally different place. He stiffened, stomach rolling in immediate fear as he sat up, taking in the hazy surroundings that couldn't possibly be real.

**...**

_He recognised this place. It was so familiar. The bathroom of one of the nightclubs they used to frequent...a lone, cramped, underground club that only played the best metal music- the stuff that would make your ears bleed. He could feel the damp, slimy tiles beneath his hands- he looked up to stare at the mouldy ceiling above his head- the cracked air vent where people had snuck in so many times (including himself). The cubicles beside him were worse for wear- their doors hanging on one hinge and chips of wood taken from the paintwork, the urinals and sinks were filthy, and as he steadily got to his feet he noticed the large crack in the long mirror hanging above the sinks- but that's where he stopped. _

_His eyes widened- but they weren't his usual stone cold grey eyes, instead a pair of very familiar deep ocean blue eyes gazed at him serenely, wide and innocent. Instead of rust coloured locks, his hair stuck out in an untameable black mess. His skin shone in the florescent lights- without a trace of a freckle. His figure was slim and petite, the smallest sized jeans hanging off his hips and locked in with a belt- and a slinky white v-neck shirt adorned his slim torso. His reflection smiled- the old smile he was used to seeing- complete with chapped, dry lips and snakebite piercings. Trent gaped, frowning in total alarm. _

"_Bandit!" He hissed, eyes widening. His reflection didn't respond, it simply gazed back at him with that airy, happy grin. Like a shy puppy just happy to see him. The door seemed to open behind his friend, and Trent looked over his shoulder in alarm to see if the door behind him had opened- it hadn't. He looked back, and his breath hitched in his throat as he saw a familiar, muscular figure slink into the room- leering over him, a couple of inches taller. Designer jeans hung off his hips, and a tight black muscle shirt highlighted his defined chest. Trent's anger grew, and he found himself glowering at that innocent expression on Bandit's face. _What an idiot..._ he found himself lurching forward and splaying his hands across the cold glass, trying to get to him. Bandit remained motionless, simply staring at him with that naive smile, so happy to see him. "Bandit! What the fuck! What are you doing?" _

_Dread sidled up to stand beside Bandit, gazing at Trent though the glass with a blank, clear expression on his shadowed face- his dark eyes empty and thoughtless. His tanned skin looked pale under the bathroom lighting. _

_No... Trent kept thinking, looking from either of them, completely baffled. They were so eerily calm...not even looking at each other._

_The thumping, muffled music outside the tiled walls began to grow louder, and a familiar, rapid beat began to grow in volume and speed- quickening and pacing faster and faster until the music rang in Trent's ears. Trent's eyes widened as his friend behind the glass suddenly stiffened, his hand reaching out slowly to touch the reflection- where Trent's hand lay. Trent's pulse quickened against the beat of the music, and it felt as though his heart had frozen altogether when he saw Bandit's pierced lips part, and softly- in that high, sweet voice, Bandit seemed to mumble along to the music. _

"_Sunshine..." Bandit smiled softly, his eyes closing as he seemed to block out the world. "There ain't a thing that you can do that's gonna ruin my night..." _

'_But there's just something about you...' The music sounded in the background- Bandit's eyes opening with a cloudy, faraway look locked in those ocean blue eyes. _

"_This dizzy dreamer and bleeding little blue boy..." At this, Dread's black eyes gazed over to stare at him, his expression darkening as Bandit continued to sing in that sweet, high pitched coo. And still- his eyes were locked on Trent's. "Licking your fingers like you're done ...and you decided there's so much more than me..." _

_His voice so slow and melodic, yet the music so rapid and fierce behind him, Trent found himself shaking his head at the words, pushing against the glass as he glanced around in confusion. This wasn't right. It couldn't be-_

"_And baby its harder breathing next to you... I shake... I brought a gun in as the preacher tried to stop me..." His eyes flickered to gaze into his face hard, and Bandit's face seemed to slacken- his eyes widening with apparent pain at the words. _

_"Oh, my heart is beating for you anyway..." _

_Trent jumped, his mouth opening in a scream that nobody heard as Dread suddenly jumped, his entire body turning and his hands quickly grabbing at Bandit's white shirt- throwing the slim body onto the ground and screaming at him. _

"_WHAT IF I CAN'T FORGET YOU!" Dread screamed at him in anger, his fists balled as he advanced for more. Bandit sat up, his eyes widening in fear. _

"_Oh-ho..."_

"_I'LL BURN YOUR NAME INTO MY THROAT!" Dread hollered, his eyes squeezing shut as he let loose, Bandit cowering on the floor and Trent standing, powerless. "I'LL BE THE FIRE THAT WILL CATCH YOU!" _

"_What's so good about picking up the pieces?" Bandit began to cry on the floor, whining loudly as he scrambled back onto his feet, watching the fuming image of Dread in front of him warily. "None of the colors ever light up anymore in this home. ..." _

_Trent looked around in horror, trying to find a way to get to him. He could see Bandit tremble, and he knew he was in trouble- he scraped at the mirror, pushing against it and simply looking on with fear as Bandit turned back to him, while Dread continued to glare daggers at him. Trent could feel the scream work up his throat as he tried to warn him, clawing at the glass to protect his best friend. But Bandit still gazed at him- a trickle of blood running from his hairline from the impact of the throw. He didn't seem to notice, instead his ocean eyes drank Trent in, continuing to sweetly sing. _

"_Nobody prays for the heartless..." Bandit cooed, leaning against the sinks once more as Dread slowly walked around him, as if sizing him up. "Nobody gives another penny for the selfish...you're learning how to taste what you kill now..." He closed his eyes serenely. "Don't mind me, I'm just reaching for your necklace, talking to my Mum about this little girl from Texas..." _

_Dread lurched forward again and Trent jumped with fear, trying again to jump forward and protect him. Instead Dread screamed into Bandit's ear- so loudly Bandit's hair floated with the shout. _

"_WHAT IF I CAN'T FORGET YOU!" Dread demanded, his hands on either side of him so he couldn't escape. Bandit winced, his eyes remaining closed as Dread screamed at him. "I'LL BURN YOUR NAME INTO MY THROAT, I'LL BE THE FIRE THAT WILL CATCH YOU!" _

_Bandit pouted, opening his eyes to gaze into Trent's once more, his head tilting as if questioning why Trent was even watching them. _

"_What's so good about picking up the pieces?" Bandit asked him, hugging himself with those scarred, thin arms. "None of the colors ever light up anymore in this home. ..." He seemed to break down in a wail, his hands reaching out to the mirror to match Trent's pleading stance. His eyes widened desperately, as if pleading for help. _

"_Just get on back to me..." Bandit pleaded in that high pitched beg. Trent pushed again, growing desperate. "You know I can't afford the medicine that feeds what I need..." He looked down sadly, as if completely let down that Trent wasn't reaching for him, and Dread continued to glare at the side of his head. "So baby, what if I can't forget you?" _

"_What if I can't forget you?" Dread snarled viciously into Bandit's ear. Trent slammed his palms into the mirror, desperate to get Dread's fucking hands off him...And still Bandit gazed helplessly. _

"_Am I invisible ink like a shadow on the wall?" Bandit asked pathetically, his chapped lips quivering desperately. "Just go, o-oh noo..." His eyes squeezed closed, as if he anticipated what was next. Dread gave a short shake of his head, stiffened, and struck. _

"_You can't just throw me away!"_

_Dread pushed off from the sink, and slammed his closed fist into the side of his face, throwing him onto the floor where he hung over him, slamming his fist into his face repeatedly. Trent screamed at him to stop, but no sound came out. He scratched, lashing out at the glass as he fought to tear the jerk limb from limb. He felt so helpless, so stupid, as he could hear his best friend screaming, pleading and sobbing for Dread to stop. Dread only rose to his feet, his dark face twisted with hate as he hurled his foot into Bandit's side, Bandit yelping and curling into a ball as he continued to cry, blood and bruises tainting his soft skin. Trent's stomach twisted and churned, wishing and wanting anything to burst through and make it stop. He slammed his fists against the glass- his desperate pants of air fogging the mirror. Dread backed off, panting and snarling like a rabid dog, and to Trent's amazement he saw Bandit stumble to his feet again- shaking, bleeding and battered but still managing to look him straight in the eye, his eyes still wide with innocence as he watched Trent serenely through blackened eyes. _

"_...So what if I can't forget you?" Bandit cooed weakly and softly, blood dribbling down his chin. "Oh baby, I'll burn your name into my throat, I'll be the fire that will catch you..." he looked down, looking thoroughly depressed as blood dripped into the dirty sink. He looked up again, pleading. "And what's so good about picking up the pieces?" Trent's heart twisted with agony as he saw tears dwell in those ocean blue eyes- and he longed to reach forward and touch him, comfort him. But Bandit only whimpered. _

_"What if you don't even want to?"_

_Trent shook vulnerably against the glass as he watched Dread advance again- slowly and deliberately, like a lion stalking his prey._ _Bandit continued to watch Trent pathetically, trembling and bleeding, gaping over and over, his swollen lips forming perfect whimpers and whines. _

"_Oh...o-oh...oh..." _

_And Trent fought back the tidal wave of fury as Dread snatched Bandit once again- snarling into his ear. _

"_What if I can't forget you?" He sneered, his arms twisting around him serpents. "I'll burn your name into my throat- I'll be the fire that will catch you..." _

_And to his unyielding frustration Trent saw Bandit give in and turn to him- their faces almost meeting as Bandit glanced over his shoulder. _

"_What's so good about picking up the pieces?" Bandit whimpered to him shyly. "None of the colors ever light up anymore in this home. ... " She turned back to him, his eyes wide and weeping with unshed tears. "Just get on back to me..." he glanced at his hands, which still bore the tiny, needle-pricked scars. "You know I can't afford the medicine that feeds what I need, so baby- what if I can't forget you...?"_

_"What if I can't forget you?" Dread snarled at him, as if reminding the boy he held he was still here. And to Trent's complete terror he saw Bandit's small smile reappear, despite still trembling with fear and pain. His ocean blue eyes turned to him one last time- his sweet tone fading into nothing. _

"_What's so good about picking up the pieces?"_

'_What's so good about...'_

'_What's so good about...'_

"_BANDIT!" Trent hollered at him, his fingernails scraping against the mirror as Bandit began to fade- still locked in Dread's tight embrace, until all Trent could see were those dark, empty black eyes- gazing at him in triumph as he hugged his broken prize closer. "BANDIT!" Trent screamed. "No! WAIT!"_

_Then all he could see was his own horrified, frightened reflection- leaning up against the glass. But his eyes widened- around his own wait were another pair of arms-slim and pale, wrapped around him possessively. A pair of light blue, almost violet, eyes peered over his shoulder, and he realised Mushi was on her toes- giving him a loving embrace. She gave him a smile as she hugged him close, and suddenly he could feel himself slip away-_

_No._

**...**

"_NO!" _Trent could hear himself screaming, and he bolted upright out of bed, strangled in the jungle of sheets that were wrapped around him. He thrashed about, toppling off the mattress and landing with a painful _thud _on the hardwood floor. He panted, the cold night air stinging his dry throat as he gripped around him, relief washing over as he drank in the realistic atmosphere around him. The music, and those haunting eyes, finally faded from his conscience. "No..." He croaked, heaving and trying to catch his breath. He swallowed, wincing as he felt his face sting with tears. A nightmare.

It was all a dream.

_What if I can't forget you?_

He shook his head, unable to still his racing heart. No. It _couldn't _be just a dream. It can't be.

He hoisted himself off the floor, shaking off the bed sheets and straightening himself, sniffling. No. Something wasn't right. Something was wrong. He shook off the sheets and threw on a jacket, running out the door without a second thought.

* * *

Joey rushed down the hall, his faded converse sneakers practically flying down the staircase as he rushed to the front door, running a hand through his hair to fix his flat hair- which always fell into an ugly bowl cut while he slept. He couldn't be late to school _again. _His mother reminded him only last week that if he missed the bus and she had to drive him again he'd have to clean the bathrooms of the house for a month.

"Hey Dad." He greeted Derek in a rush as he sped past him in the kitchen, skidding along the tiles as Derek glanced up from his newspaper, his eyes wide. All he managed to glimpse was a flash of blonde hair. "Bye Dad!"

Derek rolled his dark brown eyes, scoffing to himself as he returned to his paper. He knew Joey was getting closer and closer to his teenage years- and soon he would almost forget what his youngest son even looked like... _but, _he reasoned. At least both of his sons were better behaved than he or Jake was as a kid.

Joey jogged down the hall towards the front door, munching on a leftover piece of pizza as a makeshift breakfast. Without a second thought he swung open the door and bolted out onto the porch- almost running straight into Jake's legs.

Jake, who was busy smoking a cigarette and after years of constant sneaking of smoking pot did not have the reflexes of a young boy, and only stared wide eyed in dazed alarm as Joey skidded to a halt, almost toppling into the flowerbed to avoid his uncle. Jake smirked, taking a drag of his cigarette as he paused to point at the blonde.

"Good save, Joey." He complimented casually, his eyes hidden by a pair of dark aviator sunglasses. He took another drag, staring off listlessly at the neighbour's yard. Joey stood back, alarmed, and in his haste dropped his pizza- completely forgetting about the school bus.

"Uncle _Jake?" _He asked, amazed. "Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you'd never come back-"

'Yeah, yeah." Jake dismissed over him grouchily, stubbing out his cigarette on the porch railing. "I do shit like that..." He frowned thoughtfully. "Fuck...I forgot I'm not supposed to swear in front of ya..."

Joey cocked an eyebrow, gazing at his uncle curiously. Even at a somewhat young age, he knew he was probably more 'with it' than his 36 year old uncle was.

"Are you hungover?" He smirked knowingly. Jake shrugged, kicking at the ground.

"Always am at this hour." Jake snarled. "Fucking eight thirty in the morning...who's up at this time anyway?"

"Clearly you are!" Joey scoffed, smirking. He hardly noticed his bus chug off down the street, he was too busy staring at the sight before him. "What are you doing here? You and Dad hate each other!"

"Now, Joey..." Jake sighed, trying his best to appear wise and mature. "We don't..._hate _each other..." He sheepishly moved towards the door, hands in his pockets and a hesitant, disgusted look on his face. "We just...share a mutual feeling that the other should crawl into a gutter and die..."

Joey smirked again, and Jake snarled in annoyance. He felt as though it was his older brother, a miniature version at 10 years old, gloating at him once more. "Go 'ta school, Joey."

"I probably missed the bus..." Joey pouted, glancing up the street hopefully. Jake sighed, rolling his eyes carelessly as he knocked on the polished wood of the front door.

"When Dingo was your age..." Jake snarled under his breath. "He and his mates would break into the bus yard to slash the tyres of the bus _just _so they wouldn't have to go to school..."

Joey's eyes seemed to widen.

"Don't get excited...it never works." Jake sniggered. "Well...maybe the first few times but after that it gets a bit weary and they introduce Rottweilers into the complex...of course you can always throw a steak, but Dingo was the slowest runner and they always seemed ta' be attracted to the cologne he wore..." He grinned at the memory. "So many suspicious limps...only so many gay jokes..."

Joey rolled his eyes, secretly thankful he didn't get _that _joke.

The door opened, and the two looked up to see Derek peering at the both of them- a shocked look in his hazel eyes. They hardened to a deep brown as he took his younger brother in- Jake feeling his confidence slip the sterner the look seemed to get. One of _those _looks from his older brother and he was back to feeling like he was six years old.

"Jake..." Derek growled gravely, his voice rumbling with contempt. "What are you doing here?" His eyes travelled back to Joey, who jumped too. "And Joey- why aren't you in school?"

Joey merely shrugged, looking from uncle to father and back again- those emerald eyes lighting up eagerly. Jake only bit on his lip, contemplating how in the hell he thought this meeting was a good idea in the first place. He could practically feel Derek swell with anger at seeing him again-on his porch, in front of his son, ready for round...five? Just as the tension between the three males was about to reach breaking point, sensible footsteps were heard and Allie's wide emerald eyes appeared from behind Derek's shoulder, narrowing sensibly as soon as she took in the scene.

"Joey!" Allie sighed, her protective motherly side immediately swooping forward before her anger overwhelmed her common sense. "Why aren't you at school? Why aren't you on the bus!"

"I missed it!" Joey replied, unable to wipe the smirk off his face. Allie scowled at him, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Joey, you know that means-"

"It was _worth it!" _Joey smirked, his eyes dancing from his father to his uncle as though he was watching a very entertaining fight at the zoo. Allie gave him a disapproving look, grabbing at the hood of his jacket and dragging him inside of the house, out of the crossfire.

"Inside, now."

"Awww..." Joey pouted hopefully, but was shoved into the safety of the kitchen before he could catch any fireworks- Derek and Jake still locked on each other, staring daggers in the hopes the other would trip up.

"As much as I know you would come here _just _to make a scene and _just _to piss me off..." Derek sneered under his breath, his bitterness evident in his snarl. "I'd like to think you'd grown up in the last twenty years." He folded his arms, cocking an eyebrow under his trimmed blonde hair. "Or am I just overestimating you?"

Allie appeared again, her eyebrows meeting in a troubled, disapproving look as she caught wind of the conversation.

"_Derek..." _She growled in warning.

"As much as it inflates ya ego to think ya-self as the mature one..." Jake sneered back, in the exact same, mocking tone. "I've actually come here to do the sensible thing and stop the fighting between us, though the thought of kissing _your _ass makes me want to throw up the last week's worth of meals-"

"_Jake..." _Allie turned, snarling at him.

"Last meals of _what?"_ Derek retorted. "A week's worth of_ booze?_ 'Cause that's all you spend your drug money on-"

"Excuse me Derek, we don't all live with a six foot stick up our asses-"

"Just because I don't think every problem in the world can be solved by a shot of bourbon doesn't mean I have a stick up my ass, Jake!"

"A shot would probably loosen that stick, you tight-assed dickface!"

"Oh real mature..." Derek scoffed at him, but his eyes narrowed challengingly. "Resorting to names, Jake?"

"You started it!" Jake snapped at him. "Ya cockhead!"

"Asshole!"

"Tightass!"

"Loser!"

"Wimp!"

"Scab!"

"Dumbass!"

"Alco!"

"ENOUGH!" Allie broke, her hands jotting out and grabbing the both of them before the next insult could be said. Both of them stumbled in her grip- one hand roughly around Jake's jacket and the other around Derek's arm- both of them staggering as she marched them both inside- her face set.

"You two are acting like total kids!" She shouted at both of them, shoving them into the hall and slamming the door closed. Both brothers stared at her in shock- both having never seen her like this. Mild, sweet, nurturing Allison Beatles actually looked _fierce- _staring up at both of them with obvious authority in her emerald orbs- her hands firmly on her hip. "And I'm _sick _of it!"

"Ya' can't just stop us fighting just 'cause _you _said so!" Jake couldn't resist sneering- never used to _anyone _getting the last word on him. Allie turned, and gave him a look of such determined ferocity that Jake actually felt his stomach drop.

"_Wanna bet?" _She snarled darkly. He bit his tongue, gnawing back a reply. She studied both of them harshly, her eyes narrowed with a sense of unfound fortitude. She snarled again- and Derek only realised then that it wasn't _just _his side of the family the boys received their threatening growl from.

"You two..." She growled, her middle and index finger pointing them out as she eyed them beadily. "Are finally going to sort this out. I've had enough of this fighting. It stops now."

"It's what I came over here to do!" Jake pouted angrily. "But face it, Allie, it ain't gonna work! We-"

"_Did I say you could talk?" _Allie whispered harshly, her cold stare hitting him like a bucket of icy water. Jake silenced, dumbstruck.

"We..." Allie sneered again gravely, with finality. "Are going to talk this out. Today. And we're not leaving..." At this, she reached behind her and locked the front door behind her. "Until it's sorted."

Derek's eyes widened. "Hon..." He tried. "I have work-"

"It can wait."

"-And Joey has school-"

"It can wait-"

Jake tried. "But I have beer at home-"

But with one stubborn, evil look from those emerald eyes and their words were lost. Both of the Beatles brothers knew those eyes- from the same woman they had both fallen for. Allie folded her arms, nodding towards the kitchen beside her, demanding and final. With one glare from those eyes, the grown men knew they were fighting a losing battle- and without further hesitation marched into the kitchen to finally talk like adults.

* * *

Dingo squinted, his head heavy against Abby's violet coloured pillows as he struggled to wake himself from his daze- staring groggily at the time just visible over Abby's head. His warm breath parted Abby's chestnut hair and she squinted, sunlight coating her face. She was pressed up against him, her hands resting on his chest and her face snuggled against his neck. A buzzing reached his ears, and he rose slightly to see her cell phone buzzing expectantly against her end table- an incoming call. He snarled, grabbing it quickly within his palm and hesitantly looking down at her sleeping figure.

He didn't want this moment to end, and all he could think was how perfect life would be if he could wake up every day and have her there- if he could see her face every morning, and every evening, how content he would be. He sighed, quickly pressing 'ignore' on her phone, and throwing it back on the carpeted floor so it wouldn't make a noise. He snuggled back into her mattress, bringing his arms around her figure and cuddling her closer. He noticed her stomach had grown, making it almost impossible for the two to be pressed _too _tightly together. He grinned lazily, slumping back onto the pillow and kissing her cheek.

He hated to think this moment would end.

* * *

"Dodge, you really don't have to do this..." Fanny muttered, holding back a yawn as she slumped against him in the booth, running a hand through her wild, untamed ginger locks. Dodge smirked, raising an arm to wrap around her shoulders. It was early in the morning, and the two were locked in one of the corner booths in the diner- warm sunshine streaming through the windows and lighting up the entire restaurant. Fanny was just grateful to be by his side relaxing, even though it was early, not running around taking orders.

"Of course I do, babe." Dodge smirked, his tongue between his teeth. His icy blue eyes were still cloudy from sleep, but they managed to shine and provide warmth just as the sunrise did. "I have to make up for the fact I can't cook somehow..."

"I'm sure I can forgive you." Fanny scoffed, rolling her eyes as she put down her menu. She knew it off by heart anyway. "I can cook for the both of us, anyway."

Dodge's eyes widened at her, his entire face growing still. Fanny watched him beadily, her eyes narrowing at the stunned look on her boyfriend's face. Just as she was about to ask if he'd suffered a freak attack, he managed to choke out a reply.

"A girl offering to cook for me..." Dodge mumbled throatily, sniggering as he snuggled back into her. "I think I almost _came..."_

Fanny scoffed with disgust, but she was unable to hold back a smile as she pushed him off, trying to swat away his advances.

"Shut up, you." She smirked. Dodge only hugged her closer.

"You love it."

The pair embraced each other, their lips meeting into a tender kiss. Fanny had gotten used to the public displays of affection, and in fact they felt amazing- when Dodge kissed her in public she knew she was wanted and loved, and she never wanted to feel otherwise when it came to him. It was just so incredible, to her, that a complete stranger had come into her life and taken her heart so easily, made her feel so safe and secure-

"_Dodge!" _

The two wrenched apart, Dodge's eyes immediately hardening in a narrowed glare as he turned to the idiot who had so cruelly interrupted them. Trent stood by the table, his eyes wide, face pale and hair a complete mess. He was panting, and looked as though he had just run a marathon. Harsh glare quickly turned into concerned, and Dodge even withdrew his arms to give Trent a confused frown.

"Trent..." He snarled, looking at him up and down. "What the-"

"Have you seen Bandit?" Trent immediately blurted out, growing desperate. He was already rattled from his nightmare, he could hardly comprehend it when he walked into the garage and didn't find his best friend there. He was on the verge of snapping- ready to break something. Bandit had absolutely _no right _to wander off and scare him like this. _And _he wasn't answering his phone. He was ready to kill him.

Dodge's glance immediately hardened, his grip growing stronger on the table. Both of the boys knew Bandit was the baby of the group- everyone was protective over him, but Dodge was by far his guardian. He narrowed his eyes protectively.

"No..." He snarled, and Fanny stiffened as she glanced between the two, feeling the tension. "Why? Where would he be? Shouldn't he be at home...with _you?" _

"Y...y...you see...a-about that-" Trent stumbled, his breath hitching in his throat. It was very rare that Dodge got a completely dangerous look on his face, but when he did it was damn effective. Trent bit his lip. "We...kinda...he stayed at the garage...last night." He sighed, looking completely pained. "And now he's not there! I got a feeling something's really wrong, Dodge. Really wrong."

"Why?" Dodge demanded.

"Just trust me..." Trent whimpered. He truly looked worried. "I...I think something's happened. An...And I tried to call him- but he wouldn't pick up! We left on good terms, Dodge, I swear. He's not mad or anything...as far as I know."

Dodge looked down, his eyes misting with worry. Fanny watched him carefully, her own face creasing with concern. Dodge only looked up at Trent, stiffly pointing at the booth opposite him. Trent opened his mouth to argue, but with one look out of Dodge's harsh, icy blue eyes had Trent lowering to the squeaky fake leather of the booth, fidgeting as he felt Dodge glare a hole into his head.

"_What...the...fuck...happened...last...night..." _Dodge sneered through gritted teeth, looking murderous. "And believe me- do _not _hold anything back."

Fanny's eyes widened as the tense stare between them grew, if possible, even stronger- grey meeting sky blue- Trent's cheeks flushing angrily as his eyes narrowed at Dodge's condescending glare.

"Uh...we...I...we..." Trent snarled angrily, his eyes squeezing closed. "He-he came while I was working and we...we...talked things- we worked things out an-"

"And _what!" _Dodge snapped at him.

"WE FUCKED, DODGE!" Trent hollered at him.

The diner went deathly silent, Dodge and Fanny completely shifted back, their eyes wide. Trent pursed his lips, gently sinking deeper into his chair as the volume began to pick back up- erasing the previous awkward silence from beforehand. Dodge blinked in alarm, and Trent suddenly found great interest in the parking lot outside the window, his pale face now a deep crimson red.

""Oh..._kay." _Dodge sneered at him gravely. "..._Why!" _

"I couldn't _help it!" _Trent rasped out harshly, his face burning. "For fuck's sake- he was- I just-"

Dodge held up a hand, silencing him. "I get it..." he snarled. "I get it..." He gave him a condescending glare, his lips twisting with worry. "You sure he wasn't upset? You know how moody he is..."

"Yeah I know..." Trent mumbled anxiously, leaning across the table and putting his head into his arms in defeat. "He's like a chick..."

There was an uncomfortable silence, and Trent's head rose to give a sheepish glance towards Fanny.

"No offence..."

"None taken..." Fanny muttered, but still gave him a suspicious look nonetheless. Trent looked completely put out and down, miserable and downtrodden. Fanny could really see he cared, and she found herself hurting by just seeing that. She couldn't understand how somebody who clearly loved another kept such a distance, acting like he didn't care at all. She didn't know how Bandit, who clearly felt the same way, could stand it either. She crinkled her lips, frowning to herself.

_Boys are weird._

"We gotta go look for him, then." Dodge growled. "Where'd you leave him?"

"The garage..." Trent sighed, his eyes downward. "But...he's not there now..."

Dodge squeezed his eyes closed, a pained look on his face as he heaved a sigh. Turning to his girlfriend, he gave her an apologetic glance.

"Babe, I'm sorry but-"

"Don't be sorry!" Fanny gushed, her own eyes wide with worry. "We should go look for him, something could be wrong-"

"_We?" _Dodge repeated gravely.

"Yeah." Fanny repeated her words once more, rising from the booth to slide her handbag over her shoulder. "_We." _She gave a curt nod to Trent before filing out, Trent watching her with wide, impressed eyes. He gave a sheepish shrug of his shoulders to Dodge before following her, Dodge having no choice but to copy his actions, snarling as he did so.

* * *

Bandit tore his eyes open, blearily staring about at the dark shapes he couldn't make out. All he could recognise was the scratchy mattress beneath him- and the pathetic pillow beneath his head. He knew it was wrong. This wasn't his room, or his bed, and the arm around him was definitely not normal...

He tried to shift, but he couldn't even sit up. He felt the sickest he'd ever felt- even worse than his final withdrawal days (where he didn't sleep for a whole week) Hell, even worse than when Dread first slept with him unwillingly and he couldn't walk properly for weeks. Worse than that. Pain gripped at every inch of his body and insides- his skin felt dry and numb, his stomach was twisting with cramps and pain, his mind was foggy and every one of his joints ached. He simply slumped back to the mattress- his eyes snapping closed once more, and the pain flowing through him much more easily. All he could feel was the desire to sleep, just to escape...float away and never come back... but yet he was weighed and heavy with dull pain, and a sickening, blunt reality that he was completely and utterly screwed.

He stiffened against the drooping mattress, crumpling up with even more disgust as he felt a hot gust of air frost his cheek- and he knew the only person that would ever hang over him like that, breathing heavily like a wounded, wild animal. He could feel those empty eyes on him, and he curled up his throbbing body closer, his skin prickling at the very thought.

_Dread._

He whimpered, his eyes opening warily once more. Black orbs blinked back, and Dread leered over him, shirtless and snickering.

"Morning Bambi Baby..." He cooed onto his cheek, his face lowering so his lips grazed at bandit's pale face. He blinked happily, muscles twitching with excitement. "You sleep good? I know I did..." His empty eyes flicked back to where he had been sleeping beside him for a brief second, before flicking back to his face, drinking him in. Bandit could only choke out a reply, his throat restricting in defence. His stomach churned unpleasantly, his muscles throbbing as he tried to shift away.

"What did you give me?" Bandit mumbled thickly, his voice burbling as he struggled to get the words out. Dread only grinned, Bandit's blood freezing in his veins. He knew Dread- he knew the pain and sickness he felt, that he couldn't move, or even think clearly... he knew it wasn't good.

"Just something to calm you down..." Dread cooed airily, his fingers dancing across Bandit's skin lightly. "Nothing you won't like...I know you've been thinking about me..." His fingers crept between the webbings of his fingers, swirling up his arm, trailing his veins. Bandit yanked his arm out of his grip, wincing as Dread held on, his fingers digging in deeper. He pressed a thumb into the middle of bandit's arm- right on the main vein, where many dots of scars still remained. A throb of blood strummed against his finger, the pressure of blood that still swum through him. Bandit let out a shiver, his eyes flickering in discomfort. He hated that feeling.

"I know you're not used to the hard stuff, Bub..." Dread muttered to him softly. "So I gave you something to ease into it...just to get you back on it...trust me, you're gonna be fine."

Bandit shook under his rough hold, squeezing his eyes closed to block out his words. All he could concentrate on was the pain rushing through his body. He could feel Dread against him again, and he whimpered as he tried to bury himself in the mattress.

"_It's so tempting though..." _Dread sighed into his ear, his eyes scanning over him lustfully. It was torture, to desire something for so long, and when you finally have it in your grasp you can't have it all- just a little piece by piece... _"Wish It could be just like old times...the fun we used to have..." _He ran a few fingers through Bandit's soft raven locks, brushing it from his neck. His eyes scanned dwon the pale skin of his neck, slender and sleek. He suddenly stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he found the mark tainting Bandit's neck- a purple-red blotch. A lovebite.

Without warning the fingers tightened, and bandit let out a cry of pain as his head was painfully lifted from the mattress, Dread's strong grip sending pulses of pain through his skull as his eyes widened in total alarm.

"THE FUCK, BANDIT!"

In a split second Bandit yelped again, this time pain shooting across his face as Dread backhanded him angrily, sending his head to spin in a painful direction- his neck twisting as he lay sprawled across the bed. Straight away he began to cry, an old reaction that still dwelled within him. He still had no idea what he'd done to make Dread so angry, but soon his hands were around his throat, and he was pinned down.

"WHO HAVE YOU BEEN FUCKING!" Dread screamed at him, his shouts ringing in their ears. "HUH! I LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR A FEW FUCKING MONTHS AND YOU'RE ALREADY WHORING AROUND! YOU FUCKING DICKHEAD! YOU FUCKING SLUT!"

"I don'-don't know!" Bandit sobbed heartedly, frightened tears running down his cheeks as he blindly scrambled for words. "I-I-I-I-"

Another painful hit, knuckles slamming into bare skin, and Bandit let out another hurt sob, his entire body trembling with needles of pain as Dread pushed himself off him, his eyes burning heatedly as he gave him a disgusted snarl, his fists still bared as he stomped out of the room. Left in silence once again, Bandit tried his best to stifle the flood of sobs into the mattress, still too sick and hurt to move. He stumbled blindly, anxious for any escape, but his eyes flickered as he looked over at his hand- which rested by his head. He sniffed with disappointment as he saw handcuffs around his wrist- chaining him to the bed.

It was hopeless.

* * *

Dodge led the way of the trio as they filed towards the garage, his icy blue eyes scanning the vicinity for any signs of life. Their workplace was sleepy, no signs of movement. With caution, he jiggled the doorknob of the front door, the door springing open. Fanny and Trent followed, their heads over each shoulder as they followed him nervously, their own eyes wide with fear.

"It's never this quiet!" Trent hissed as the three walked towards the workshop. "It's nine already, he should be here-"

Dodge peered around the doorway to the staff room, scanning around for any sign of his friend. There was none- just an empty room filled with couches, empty pizza boxes and scattered magazines across the filthy carpet. He frowned, wandering forward slowly, taking in every detail. He could sense it- something was very, very wrong. Too quiet.

Trent followed, Fanny in tow. His own grey eyes were wide with fear, anxious and twitchy.

"He was here..." Trent insisted, growing more and more nervous. "I swear man, and he couldn't have gone anywhere, could he? I mean, it's not like-"

"Dodge." Fanny suddenly gaped, her eyes instead on what was out in the workshop. She pointed to a car, her eyes wide as her heart pounded in her ears. "Look."

Dodge did, his entire body freezing as he saw what she was pointing at. On one of the cars in the shop- a large pickup truck, there was a rounded, head-like sized dent in the door, blood splattered over the silver paintwork. On the concrete floor, light spreading of blood littered the ground- where someone had been dragged. Fanny heard a whimper beside her, and Trent slackened-his heart dropping to the floor as he eyed the obvious clue.

"_N-neh..." _

"Trent- let's not jump to conclusions." Dodge snapped at him. Fanny stared in slight shock- she'd never seen Dodge this stern before, there was almost a flash of fear she could see behind his eyes- but it was hidden beneath a stony expression as he glared Trent's trembling figure down. "Bandit might have tripped up and gone on another bender- you know what he's like when he gets emotional-"

"He wouldn't _relapse like that!" _Trent hissed, his voice a high, squeaky voice. "He- he wouldn't-"

"Oh...yeah?" Dodge muttered, striding passed and dropping to his knees. He reached under the couch, and with careful fingers pried two syringes out from underneath it. He held them up, his eyebrows raised. Trent's lips twisted, but he shook his head.

"Bando wouldn't do that..." He mumbled, but he didn't sound so sure. "He wouldn't...and if he did...why would he take two? And if he took two...how the Hell did he get out of here so drugged up?"

Dodge shrugged. He had to admit- he didn't even know remotely what could have happened to one of his best friends. His heart was thumping with worry and the anxiety within him clawed at his insides, longing to be released. Here he thought all danger was gone- there was nothing to fear here... But Trent was right- there was no reason for Bandit to leave, Bandit hated to be by himself...

"I wonder if something happened with Mushi..." Trent blurted out, rambling the first worried thought that escaped his mind. Dodge turned on him, his eyes wide in warning- but it was too late. Fanny rounded on both of them- fire practically flaming in her eyes.

"_Mushi?" _She repeated gravely, her eyes narrowing threateningly. "Mushi? She's been _staying_ with you?"

"Just...so she has a place to stay!" Trent squeaked in return, nibbling on his bottom lip. "I...it was nothing but...she kinda thought we were a couple, and-" His eyes widened even further. "What if she knows? Oh God-"

"YOU'RE A _COUPLE?" _Fanny suddenly shouted, advancing on him. Dodge held his arms out, blocking her from taking a swing. "A young girl like her! And you take advantage! Why you-"

"It wasn't like that!" Trent insisted, backing up in actual fear. "Look, we-"

"And you _knew _about this!" Fanny suddenly turned on Dodge, ready for blood. She felt betrayed and hurt- unable to believe what she was hearing. Here she was thinking everything was safe with Mushi now- she was back to normal and out of danger. When all along she was right in harm's way, right under her nose.

Trent immediately swooped in for Dodge's defence, feeling worse enough as it was.

"He didn't know!" He blurted out. "I-It was just me, we arranged it, it was nothing-"

Fanny only shook her head, leaving in a huff and slamming the door behind her. Dodge ran a hand through his hair, squeezing his eyes closed. He groaned in desperation, already completely overwhelmed in so many emotions it was twisting and turning within his stomach. He opened those tired blue eyes, only to see Trent's pathetic grey ones gazing up at him.

"Call Dingo." Dodge sighed, glancing back towards the door. "I gotta go after her-"

"It's okay..." Trent mumbled. He felt sick to his stomach, but he felt bad enough knowing he'd caused drama between he and Bandit, now he was starting fires with Fanny and Dodge too. "Go after her, I'll...sort it out."

Dodge gave him a thankful look. It had taken a long time- but it looked as though Trent was finally looking out for other people...besides himself. "Thanks..." he muttered, running after his girl and leaving Trent alone. Trent shuffled on his feet, his eyes glancing back to the suspicious looking blood stain on the floor. His stomach turned to ice, and he knew deep down all he could feel was complete and total dread lurking within him.

* * *

Dingo snarled angrily in his half-conscious state, shuffling and twitching in the hopes that the annoying ringing of '_Run the World (Girls)' _that was his phone would go away- but it didn't. The more he floated back to reality, the louder it seemed to become. Blindly he threw his arm behind him, grabbing and snatching at the surface of the end table. Finally he wrapped his fingers around it, hastily fumbling before holding it to his ear.

"_Wha?" _He mumbled blindly, face still pressed into the purple pillows. Abby shifted beside him, her own eyes peeling open sleepily. Dingo grunted in annoyance, grabbing her and dragging her back to him. She scoffed lazily, playfully pushing him away as Dingo heard Trent ramble into the phone.

"_D!" _Trent squeaked, and Dingo immediately perked up. He knew that voice- it was Trent's state of panic and fear, his voice seemed to go all squeaky and high pitched, almost totally vulnerable. He sat up a little straighter, rubbing at his eyes so he woke up faster. _"D! Are you there?"_

"Yeh, Yeah..." Dingo yawned, sitting up as Abby rolled over beside him, curling back into a comfortable sleeping position. "What's up, man? You okay?"

"_No!" _Trent groaned, pacing back and forth. "_It's Bandit, D! He's gone missing! We don't know where he is! He stayed at the garage last night and when me an' Dodge came to look for him he's fucking gone with no trace! Left drugs and what I think's a fuckin' blood stain, dude! You gotta come help me, I'm flippin' out here."_

"Kay...kay, _chill." _Dingo grumbled at him, shaking his head as he sidled out of bed, his feet stumbling to the floor. "I can be there in ten minutes- a'ight?"

"_Okay..."_ Trent sighed, hanging up and staring around at the garage. He hated feeling so alone...where was Mack, anyway? He lowered himself onto the couch, trying his best not to take in the ambiance of the room. Already so much had happened in here...and he hated to think he'd screwed things up more than they already were...

...

"Sorry, babe..." Dingo growled angrily as he tugged on his jeans, snarling to himself. "There's a situation at the garage or sum'fin, I need to go help him out before he loses it..."

Abby pouted, but tried to seem careless as she shrugged. She hated to admit it, but she was feeling more and more dependant each day as the pregnancy wore on- being so young she wanted someone to confide in and lean on all the time... it killed her to know how independant she once was- and this was something that gave her fear, made her into something she couldn't handle.

"Okay..."She sighed, running a hand through her long hair. A frown graced her face, and she sat up in alarm as she looked around. "Have you seen my phone?"

Dingo leaned down as he grabbed his shirt, throwing it to her so it bounced against the mattress. Abby's frown deepened as she checked the screen, her eyes widening as she saw her missed calls.

"_Dingo!" _She hissed at him angrily. "Did you silence my phone?"

"It was already on vibrate..." Dingo growled defensively. "Besides- you needed sleep-"

"Cree called me, like, _twenty times!" _She snarled at him, scrolling down. It only got worse. "And mom, dad and Ben! God!" She threw the covers off her bed, quickly redialling the number as she flew around the room, picking up clothes as she went. "Cree!" She squeaked, her eyes wide as she heard her sister pick up. "Is everything okay? What happened?...Yeah, I'm fine...I was just...sleeping..." At this, she gave a furious look towards Dingo- who was hopping up and down trying to put on his shoes, his tongue between his teeth.

Abby's eyes widened as she heard her sister cry into the phone, and her heart sank as she got the burbled message of her sister's blubbering. There were tears and sniffs, and it broke Abby's heart to hear her sister- always so strong and fierce, sound so broken.

"I'll be right there..." Abby insisted, hanging up and freezing in silence. She couldn't believe it- it seemed unreal, like it couldn't possibly be true. She shook her head, but still she seemed numb, and somewhat dizzy. Dingo's eyes widened as he saw his girlfriend grow pale, and he jumped forward to grab her shoulders.

"Abs..." He snarled strongly, squeezing. "You okay? Babe? You look pale..."

"Something's wrong with Cree!" Abby whispered, sounding as though she was about to cry. She turned to him- her chocolate coloured eyes filling with tears. "She-she said something about Maurice! Something's happened..." She sniffed shakily, burying her face into his chest as she began to tear up Dingo bit his lip, cautiously wrapping his arms around her.

"Aw...babe..." Dingo muttered, unsure of what to say. He didn't want to think of Maurice- how close he was to Abigail, how much he knew of his past and how he and his partner were responsible for getting them here _anyway. _He hadn't heard from him since he tried to double cross him, and secretly Dingo hoped he would never have to see him again. He forgot how close he was to Abigail, and that alone scared him. "It...It'll be okay..." he cooed to her, stroking her hair. "Jus'...just go over there, baby. Just talk to her, I bet it'll be okay..."

Abby nodded, wiping at her face. "S-sorry..." She burbled, grabbing her jacket as she began to slide on clothes. She shook her head, combing her hair with her fingers as she composed herself. "These pregnancy hormones are driving me insane...I can't control myself...it's so hard, I'm usually nothing like this- you know I'm not emotional or dependant or-"

"_Hey..." _Dingo cooed to her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She blinked those dewy brown eyes at him pathetically, and he shivered as he took her in. She was so beautiful, she seemed to give him warm and somewhat fuzzy sensations flowing through him. "It'll be fine baby, you're still my strong and independent girl...fuck, you're the only one besides my Dad that stands up to me!"

She smirked at that, slipping on her shoes as he zipped up his hoodie. "I guess so..." She gave him a shy smile, and he reached down to kiss her cheek.

"That's my girl..." He smirked, tilting his head at the thought. "I can say that now..."

She sniffed, hastily smoothing out her hair as she opened her bedroom door to grab her keys. She didn't worry about her makeup, usually she just threw on whatever fit these days, and that was enough. As the pair made their way into the kitchen, Kuki stared up at them expectantly, a box of Rainbow Munchies in her hand.

"Morning..." She grinned chirpily. Dingo winced at that, he wasn't used to someone being so chipper in the morning. But he saw the way Abby smiled at her friend, waving to her equally happy. He supposed it was something he had to get used to.

"Morning..." he muttered, his lips twiting into what he hoped to be a friendly gesture. Kuki froze at that, alarmed. All possible moments before that Dingo had gone to extraordinary lengths just to show he hated her.

"Did you sleep well?" She grinned at the pair. Abby laughed, grabbing an apple from the counter as she slid her bag up to her shoulder.

"Of course...Dingo can handle my blubbering." She gave him a smile, which he returned. "Thanks, Kooks."

"Anytime..." The raven-haired beauty mumbled sheepishly. She still felt awkward, as if she was going against her boyfriend's morals. After all- Dingo and Abby _had _betrayed Wally, but Kuki was the only one who was able to keep the peace in the past- and she felt the need to retain that role in order to hold back World War Three. "You guys going now?

"Yeah...D has to work and Cree called..." Abby muttered, hoping to keep the anxiety out of her tone. "I'll see you later, Kooks."

"Yeah, bye guys!" She grinned happily, waving as they made their way out of the door. Dingo hesitantly stopped, waving back and muttering a quick farewell. Kuki grinned happily, hoping the worst of the conflict was resolved. At least there was no ill feeling between the three of them...

She sighed to herself, munching on her cereal thoughtfully. Of course she was relieved...but there was still one person she was hoping to help the most, and he alone was the only person she wanted to see today.

* * *

Wallabee struggled to open his eyes, his head and body aching from the uncomfortable position he'd fallen into as he slept on the couch. He glanced around warily as he struggled to sit up, eyeing his cell phone that was on the coffee table. He reached out, glancing at the screen hopefully.

Nope. Nothing.

"Still nothing?"

Wally looked over to see Nigel behind him, a worried look on his usually calm face. "No..." Wallabee snarled, staring back at his blank screen. "Nothing..." He threw it onto the couch with frustration. "This isn't like Hoagie!" He blurted out angrily; annoyed that he couldn't do anything else. "He wouldn't just leave us hanging like this, something must have happened! Even if he did do the wrong thing, he'd still let us know he was okay!"

"I know..." Nigel grumbled, his lips twisting. "I'm getting really worried...maybe we should call the police..."

"So he can get blamed as a murderer again?" Wally scoffed, his eyebrows raising. "That's no help."

"He could be in danger." Nigel insisted. "Maybe we should call his family..."

"I don't want them to worry..." Wally mumbled sheepishly. "But...maybe he's there?"

"I've called his house- he isn't there..." Nigel sighed. "And you know what his Mom's like- she'll freak out and get every cop in the country after him...we have to wait at least 24 hours to consider him a missing person anyway!"

Wally ran his hands through his hair, tugging at the strands. The entire drama was giving him a painful migraine, already he was fretting about the catastrophe with his family and Abby- now his best friend could be missing. It was too much-

There was a knock at the door, and without waiting for an answer Kuki strolled in, as vibrant as ever. Wally gazed up at her- it seemed as though she was bathed in the most brilliant of lights- strong and sweet as an angel. He grabbed at her as she walked past, and drew her in for a hug- breathing in her sweet scent- her conditioner, that smelled like orchids, washed over him like a calming breeze.

"Wally?" Kuki asked, her eyes wide as she felt his strong grip firmly around her. Not that she was complaining, but she could feel how tensed his muscles seemed to be- as though he was taught and tight with worry. "Is everything okay?"

"No..." Wally mumbled thickly, his eyes closing as he took her in. He snuggled closer to her warmth, just grateful for her presence. "To put it blankly- everything's just going to shit, babe."

Kuki wrapped her arms around his torso, returning the hug. She heard Nigel behind her, he too wandering closer to check his cell phone.

"Hoagie's missing, Kooks." Nigel sighed. "We tried to tell Abby last night but we didn't want to stress her out. The police are after him- they think he committed a crime, and now we can't find him anywhere."

Kuki gaped, her eyes wide. Just then the door opened once more, and Rachel walked in, her eyes wide.

"Nigel, is everything okay?" The blonde asked worriedly, touching his arm. "I got your message, has Hoagie come back yet?"

"Nothing yet, baby." Nigel sighed, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. "Wal and I are getting pretty anxious- we haven't heard a thing."

"I'm sure he'll turn up- he couldn't have just dropped off the face of the Earth..." Rachel bit her lip. "But, I'm still worried...this isn't like him."

"It's not..." Kuki seemed to pout with sadness. "But what else can we do...but wait?"

"Yeah..." Wally shrunk with disappointment. It wasn't normal for him to feel so powerless, so out of control. It broke him to know that his friend could be in trouble and he could do nothing. Only recently his entire life had been turned upside down, and he had absolutely no control. That fact alone was breaking him piece by piece. "I guess that's all we can do."

* * *

Dingo could tell something was wrong the moment he stepped towards the garage, and he saw Trent's pathetic shrunken figure on the steps. The moment those grey eyes locked with his, Dingo knew at least with Trent all hope was lost.

"Trent..." he muttered, his eyes wide. "The fuck, man? You look _fucked-"_

"Of course I am!" Trent hissed, rising to his feet. He grabbed Dingo's arm, dragging him into the workshop. "Look!"

Dingo followed, his own heart rate pumping as he noticed the small stain on the ground- what looked like a drag mark on the ground and the dent in the car. He bit his lip.

"We found syringes too..." Trent muttered. "Way too much for Bandit to take- I swear he was just here last night! Now he's nowhere to be found. I seriously have no idea, D. This is fucked."

"Okay...let's look around" Dingo volunteered, careful to keep calm. Trent nodded, unable to think of anything else to do. He hated this- he hated worrying about Bandit every second, what he might be doing, whether his own best friend was _dead. _He couldn't stop thinking about the last words Bandit had said to him- to which Trent hadn't even replied to.

"_I love you..."_

Those words rang in his head, and Trent shook his head rapidly, like a dog trying to rid its ears of water. Dingo clapped him on the back as he passed, and hastily glanced around the workroom for any more signs of what could have happened. A dent in a car door and a suspicious looking stain didn't prove much, and Dingo had learned from many cop shows that looking around the suspected crime scene can put forth a very accurate result.

His eyes narrowed as he found a pile of discarded junk on the coffee table, and he reached forward to grab at the iPod that was left on the wooden tabletop. It was a regular black music player- it looked as though it was Bandit's, who took his everywhere to listen to his bubbly music style. He turned it on, scrolling through the songs. Dingo frowned, his fingers freezing as he eyed the screen.

None of these were Bandit's songs-in fact they were the kind of songs he hated to hear- the screaming songs, the angry, popular numbers which they were used to hearing live in concert- back in the past, where they used to hear them all the time...back when they were sung, not just listened to-

"Fuck..." Dingo muttered, frowning. This wasn't Bandit's iPod, there was no way Bandit would listen to this. It must have gotten switched, or replaced, with somebody else's...somebody who had the exact same one. Someone who loved the music that was listed in the player- and, freezing in fear, Dingo could only think of one person.

"Trent..." He called out, looking over his shoulder. "Come here for a sec..."

* * *

Allie pressed her hands to her temples, but it did nothing to calm her as she rotated her fingers in small circles, hoping to soothe her throbbing head. The yelling continued- back and forth, snarling and snapping like children. Jake's face was screwed in anger and he continued to pout, just waiting for his turn to bite back. Derek's face was frozen in a cruel snarl, his face twisted bitterly as he heard Jake's insult him right back.

"You never took responsibility for _anything!" _Derek snarled at him, leaning across the table just to leer at his younger brother. "From the moment you were born- Mum always relied on _me _to take care of you! You didn't have to do anything!"

"I had to do _everything!" _Jake growled back, staring back up at him with his arms folded. "Perfect fucking Derek- there wasn't a day I remember where I didn't hear about how _fucking great _you were! I was never good enough!"

"What?" Derek snapped. "Stealing cars and banging broads at twelve didn't match me getting accepted into a prestigious American university? Poor, _poor _Jake."

Jake narrowed his eyes, his lips twisting dangerously. "Like _you _were much better!" He snarled back. "You _taught _me how to smoke pot, for fuck's sake! The only reason you didn't get caught and flogged like I did was 'cause I took the fall for you, 'cause I couldn't kiss ass and get straight A's!"

"Yeah you _always _think of yourself as the victim!" Derek hollered back. "You never fucking made an effort! You just basked in your own fucking popularity! You never made a fucking effort- you just like feeling sorry for yourself!"

"I've put up with so much more than you have!" Jake shouted straight back, getting to his feet. "You don't know the shit I've been through! You didn't even care!"

"Oh _please." _Derek sneered. "Like you had it so fucking hard-"

"I _did!" _Jake screamed, his face twisted with fury. "And some brother you fucking were! I had nobody to turn to! And as soon as I did run to you, you fucking pushed me away! I ran all the way to the other side of the world for you, and you pushed me away-"

"After you fucked my girlfriend!" Derek screamed back. Allie looked up, shaking her head in agony. Jake merely glared, his chest heaving with repressed angry pants. His face was dangerously still- Allie bit her lip. It looked as though at any second he could leap across the table and tear out Derek's throat, but at the last second he turned, and stomped out of the house with his fists balled. Allie glared at Derek- who was still staring after him with fire in his eyes.

"Derek..." She growled at him.

"Don't, Allison." Derek snapped at her, his eyes burning. He dropped back down onto his chair, his hand resting to hold up his head. "I don't wanna talk about it. Jake and I were not meant to be friends, period."

"You could at least _try." _Allie snapped at him. "You would probably get somewhere if you stopped bringing up your past mistakes!"

"It's not that simple." Derek muttered icily. He stared off where Jake had disappeared. "Jake refuses to acknowledge his past mistakes, which is dangerous where he's concerned."

Allie sighed. "He acknowledged Dingo, didn't he?"

"That's the only thing he _did _take care of!" Derek growled. "He only ran to me when his mistakes finally caught up with him- he couldn't fucking _take it, _that's his problem!"

"Jake hasn't done anything that bad!" Allie insisted, her eyes narrowing. "I wish you'd just give him a chance..."

"You hold him up all high and mighty because he took Dingo in..." Derek sneered at her, his anger rising. "You don't know the first thing about Jake, Allie. He..." He paused, trying to hold himself back. But he couldn't- the flood gates of past anger were opened, and it seemed as though everything he'd held back for the past twenty to thirty years was finally flooding out, no chance of being stopped. "He...fuck, he could have another fucking kid for all you know!"

Allie froze, a frown forming. "Derek-"

"Before I left..." Derek grumbled over her, his face troubled. "This chick...her and Jake were really, really close- I mean he had lots of girls but she was always coming back, you know? She was always hanging around him, they had fun together. She loved motorbikes, she didn't care about much, she had a hard life, so she could take care of herself...Jake loved that, you know? He was always chasing after her..." He frowned, eyeing the wood of the table as the memories floated back, making him sick. He'd run away from his past for so long, he hated the thought of it coming back. "Both of them were ahead of themselves...she got pregnant at fourteen."

Allie bit her lip. She knew how hard pregnancy was- at seventeen it seemed like the hardest thing, she couldn't imagine doing it three years younger.

"She was...half cast." Derek snarled. "Half aboriginal, you know? Poor girl had enough troubles...but she came to me when she was pregnant...said it...ya know, might be Jake's..." He bit his lip, avoiding her gaze. "I said for her not to tell him...blame it on her boyfriend at the time, it could've been his as easily as it could have been Jake's...And-" He growled, staring back at his wife with pleading eyes. "I didn't know he hit her, her boyfriend."

"So..." Allie gaped, her eyes wide. "Jake might have another child?"

Derek shrugged. "Leyla was positive the baby was Jake's...but I couldn't let her do that to him- he was fucking fourteen, and she had a seventeen year old boyfriend. She _wanted _the baby to be Jake's. I can't believe I put that on her, who knows where she is now...that guy bashed her up so much, it was because of that her and Jake fell out- Jake wanted to protect her but Leyla took my advice and pushed Jake away, out of harm's way..." Derek snarled. "If only he knew what I fucking did for him- I've taken on so much..."

Allie reached forward, her hand cupping her husband's. It was a small gesture, but Derek sighed as he felt her warmth spread over him. It was comforting, and he couldn't resist gazing into those wide emerald eyes, soothing and sweet.

"You were there for him..." Allie muttered. "The only time you were- he didn't know it. You can't blame him, or yourself. You were just protecting him."

"Sometimes I wish I hadn't." Derek growled. "After all, he got a kid anyway-"

"Derek..." Allie sighed. "Responsibility isn't based around parenting...Jake really stepped up with Dingo, but you have to understand it was after you cut him out- maybe he had something to prove, maybe he really did grow up, I don't know...but you can't hold something against him that he doesn't know...you can't say he isn't responsible when you never gave him a chance to be."

"I guess you're right..." Derek sighed, grateful for her sensible, calm words. He really didn't know what he'd do without her. He gazed into his wife's eyes, giving her a sweet smile. "I love you."

She smiled back, her fingers squeezing sweetly.

"I love you too."

* * *

"Fuck!" Dread snarled, throwing around random pillows as he stormed through the basement, unable to contain his anger. "FUCKING HELL!"

"WHAT!" Jayden shouted back, already furious at being hit in the face with a pillow. He was sitting by the makeshift living room (two old leather couches and a portable TV) and was watching his partner stomp through the place like a hurricane, looking murderous.

"I lost my fucking iPod!" Dread growled. "How can I blast Bullet for my Valentine without it?"

"I dunno, just use mine." Jayden snarled. He knew music was everything to Dread- hell, that was all he was ever good at. He tapped away at the keys on the laptop in front of him, scanning the screen. For almost an hour he had scanned the same Facebook page- Lizzie's page- in the hopes of finding the names the College Boy had given them. It was the one step closer in finding the gang- and the only way they could do that undetected wasto attack the sidelines- what kept the gang going. Their girls.

"I can't find them!" Jayden snarled, his eyes flashing in anger as he stared up at his partner. "I think that fucker was lying to us- we need some real names."

"Well..." Dread stopped, straightening as a happy grin spread across his face. "There's only one way to get the _real _dirt out of him..."

He let that thought hold in the air, and Jayden smirked in reply. "Okay..." He grinned snapping the laptop closed. "But just so you know, I shotgun the Japanese chick."

* * *

Holly steadily made her way across the crooked pavement, along the path she knew so well- in the neighbourhood she called her own. Shouts and laughter could be heard in the distance, the sounds of cars speeding along beside her, car horns blasting in the air, the leers and jeers of the smart-mouthed teenagers around her...

Yep. This was one of her home sweet homes.

Her heart ached, and her skin felt numb- despite the warm Australian sun blazing down on her. She knew something was wrong, and an eerie silence surrounded her, as if she was missing something. Bonnie hadn't arrived. The redhead had waited at the airport for more than five hours, returned home and there was no sign. Bonnie was still stuck back there, in the States, and Holly knew it wasn't a good sign. She needed to go back. She couldn't let Bonnie down.

She looked around, sighing as she found a well known street sign- covered in graffiti. She turned down the street, heading straight for a home she knew all too well. Her home away from...home. It hadn't changed, she figured, as she moved closer. It still resembled a bricked in box- a standard housing commission home with browning grass covering the front lawn and a 30 year old car rusting in the driveway. Her eyes softened as she found the small collection of potted flowers at the front step, and the small, but seemingly significant signs of labour and repair- the steps had been repainted, the driveway washed, and the cheap pansies were blooming in their pots- adding some colour to the otherwise depressing shack. She sighed, tearing herself away and knocking on the door, waiting anxiously for an answer. Her stomach twisted as she again looked towards the lawn, and she noted that the mailbox had been fixed, another improvement.

The door opened, and a pair of wide, fearful icy blue eyes appeared from the small crack in the open door, and Holly peered through to give the inhabitant the happiest smile she could muster.

"Leyla..." Holly sighed to her sweetly. "It's me, Holly."

Her entire body relaxed as the door opened further, the inhabitant's wide icy blue gaze washing over her somewhat soothingly. The door opened completely to reveal a slim, petite young woman- her darkly tanned skin splattered with what looked like cream coloured paint, and her chocolate brown hair swept back into a messy bun.

"Holly!" She murmured sweetly, her song-like voice washing over her and immediately having a motherly effect. Holly sighed, feeling tears spring to her eyes as Leyla watched her carefully, nurturing and caring. She was always the sweetest mother, sweeter than her own, and Holly always appreciated that about her. "What are you doing here, love? I thought you were in the States...does this mean..." It broke Allie's heart to see Leyla brighten up. "Does this mean you're all back?"

"N...no, Ley." Holly pouted in apology. "Sorry...actually I...came here to ask you a favour."

Leyla's eyes widened once more, but she stepped aside to open the door further, to invite her inside. Holly walked in, and Leyla immediately closed and locked the door behind her. It was a force of habit, and protection, that Leyla still did. She followed the young girl into the newly re-painted living room, where well-worn sofas were spread across the hardwood floors. Holly sunk into the nearest armchair, and Leyla sat opposite her, leaning forward eagerly.

"I need...to see Dread." Holly blurted out, her cheeks warming at the sensitive subject. Leyla blinked at her carefully, but she didn't flinch, which urged Holly on. "Something's happened with Jayden and I need to know where I can find him. And I know if anybody would know it would be-"

"Dread's gone, Holly." Leyla murmured to her softly. Holly froze, completely bewildered.

"Wh-wh-" Holly choked on her words. Leyla sighed gently.

"Jayden and Dread left within a few days of each other, pet." Leyla told her smoothly. "He came over to get the rest of his stuff, they were leaving together...I didn't hear much else..."

Holly's heart sank in her chest, and her throat had gone completely dry. "I-" She rose to her feet, she was completely numb, unable to think. "I have to...I..."

"Wait." Leyla frowned firmly. "If you've been where my boys have been, you have to tell me, Holly."

"I don't-"

"Holly..." Leyla held her petite hand out in front of her, and Holly winced as she looked into the young woman's icy blue eyes- identical to her youngest son's. She had been through so much, and Holly could only imagine what those eyes had seen. She could still just make out the faint scar across her cheek- a long line from the middle of her eyes curling to below her ear- an ugly knife mark across her cheek that was covered by makeup. Leyla frowned at her, those usually calm eyes growing stronger, steadier. "I deserve to know."

"I'm going back." Holly replied firmly. "I have to. Jayden's there, and if Dread's with him..."

"I'm coming with you." Leyla said, equally firm. Her wide ice blue eyes narrowed, and she stood as strong as she was all those years ago. "You're not leaving without me. And that's final."

* * *

"You...You're quiet..." Dodge finally mumbled, breaking the long established silence that had grown between the pair all the ride home, and still existed during the walk to Fanny's door. The redhead only shrugged, staring at the grass beneath her feet. She was confused- so many emotions and feelings tumbling within her. She was confused at the fact Dodge never told her anything, yet it seemed the most important to him...She was angry- because he was obviously keeping secrets from her even though it may concern her. She was hurt, because secrets had the impact of destroying a relationship- and she knew she didn't want to lose him. She was frustrated- because it was obvious Dodge didn't trust her, or didn't care about their relationship enough to tell her. She simply kept silent, wanting so many things, but only really the boy beside her...but still- his silence said a thousand words.

"So are you." She mumbled darkly. Dodge swallowed sheepishly, his icy blue eyes scanning her face anxiously.

"I...I know..." He mumbled, suddenly naked. He wasn't used to all of his guards being down, but she had a way of disarming him like nobody else could. "I just-"

He was taken aback as she suddenly stopped, stepping in front of him with a fiery look dwelling within her face- her eyes glaring up at him defiantly. He froze, stepping back. _That _was the Cherry he knew- and at this point it scared him slightly...

"You care about the gang more than you do us." Fanny spat out before she could stop herself. "You don't tell me anything that involves them and you...even when you said I could be in danger! Are you really that selfish- or does the gang just mean more to you than I ever will?"

Dodge blinked, a flicker of anger sparking within him. His eyes narrowed in automatic defence.

"That's out of order." He growled back gravely. "Cherry- you know it's not like that."

"Then what is it?" Fanny demanded, her arms by her sides and her fists clenched in frustration. "You protect them no matter what, but you never tell me anything even remotely involving them-"

"I've told you more than I've told anyone!" Dodge snarled at her. "Fuck!"

"I'm the second choice." Fanny snarled. "I hate how you lie to me- you say I'm everything to you but clearly I'm not. Hell, I'm not even second choice- after the guys, I'm lucky to be _fourth!" _

"The gang's everything to me!" Dodge blurted out, memories of high school and his automatic defences of his gang flaring back again before he had a chance to stop them. "They're my family! The only family I've had! I'd be nothing without them- fuck I'd be _dead!" _

Fanny withdrew, her face crumpling as she struggled to hold back tears. "So that's it?" She mumbled, her voice dwindling to a mere whisper. "You won't let me in because that place is already taken?"

Dodge's eyes widened, and he shook his head rapidly, still with that angry, frustrated look darkening his features. She'd never seen him like it before.

"Fan- that's _not _it!" He snapped at her. "I love you! That's no fucking joke!"

"Clearly it is..." Fanny muttered, her heart aching as she pushed back the sobs. "Because you say it, but you're not willing to prove it."

Dodge was stumped, his heart throbbing so fast it was humming against his ribs. It ached, like it was being torn in half. He'd never had to make a choice before. Loyalty- the main value that flowed in his blood, had always come first. He could never abandon his family- those that had been there for him when nobody else was. But his heart swelled with want and desire- a life with Fanny he never thought possible before. He shook his head, completely defeated.

"Fan..." He mumbled back, his voice aching with hurt. "You gotta understand that...that I love you with all my heart...I do want you in my life, babe..." He gazed at her with wide, pleading eyes. "You have to believe me. You're the only one..."

A harsh ringing sliced through the silence, and Fanny's eyes glanced coldly at Dodge's pocket- where his phone rang shrilly. Dodge glanced at her anxiously, then back to his pocket.

"Answer it." Fanny muttered softly, but her voice cut through him like ice. "Go on."

Dodge shoved his hand into his pocket, his heart sinking as he read that it was his best friend calling. He answered, giving a grave _"Hey..." _As he thought about what he could quickly tell him that would get him off the phone and back to his girl.

"_Dodge!" _Dingo blurted out, sounding almost relieved. _"Dude, you gotta come quick. Emergency- big time. We need you-_"

"Dude..." Dodge muttered, his eyes on Fanny's- watching her watch him. "I'm kinda busy...can it...can it wait?"

There was a long pause, and that caused Dodge to frown. Dingo actually sounded... panicky. Never a good sign...

"_Dude...it can't._.." Dingo muttered. "_We...Bandit's gone and... we think..."_ Dodge heard a sigh, his heart on the edge as he gripped the phone in a death-like grip.

"_..We...think it could be Dread, man."_

Dodge's heart pounded in his chest, his skin felt numb, all thoughts vanishing from his brain. _Dread. _Dread? _His brother? _No. That couldn't be it. Past memories of destruction and violence flashed before his eyes, and his blood began to pound dangerously in his veins- pumping and rushing as he suddenly gulped for air, his throat closing and constricting as he struggled to swallow- gulping with fear.

"Wh...WHAT!" Was all he could blurt out, his eyes widening. Usually so calm, so in control, Dodge felt as though he was slipping, and even Fanny stepped forward towards him cautiously as she noticed him completely pale, the phone trembling in his fingers.

"I'll...be...right there..." He managed to choke out, numbly hanging up. He stood there for a few more moments, the cool air whipping around him. It was later in the afternoon, the sun was still brilliantly blazing down on them, but all Dodge could feel was cold and empty. He barely noticed Fanny beside him, her voice attempting to soothe him.

"D...Dodge? Dodge? Are you okay?"

"I..." Dodge shook his head, hardly daring to believe it. Dread was here. Dread was after him, he was going to take them back one by one- Bandit was only first. He was going to hunt them down and take whatever mattered to them. Fanny mattered to him. Dread would find that out, Dread will find her. He was close, he would find them. He knew it. He'd take Fanny- he'll take everyone if he had to. _He'll take everything._

"You have to leave." He growled bluntly, his heart still hammering in fear and anger. "You gotta go. Get the fuck out of here."

Fanny frowned in alarm, her fear evaporating and anger quickly returning. "What?" She snarled at him, but Dodge only snarled back, giving her the cold shoulder as he turned away, striding off in the opposite direction. "Dodge! You can't just run away!"

"Get the fuck away from me!" Dodge shouted back at her. "And stay away! I don't wanna see you again!"

"F-Fine!" Fanny growled at him, her face crumpling. "Fine, leave! Don't come BACK!"

She turned too, walking away with her pride clinging to her in the only hope she had. She felt cold- her body strangely hollow and drained. She strode towards her dorm, but it was as if she wasn't in control- her mind was simply clicking in the hopes of thought- but she could come up with none...like a lighter flicking away to gather flame, but none came. Fanny Fullbright simply walked away from the scene, the only thought running through her mind was the finality in Dodge's tone- how he always said what he meant- and he meant when he said he didn't want her.

Blood was pulsating furiously in his ears, his heart was aching and swelling with regret and resentment but he willed his body to move forward- across and away, tearing himself from the redheaded love of his life behind him. He could feel her eyes on him; almost feel her heart snapping as he walked away from her- cold and soulless. He could feel his world slip, and his heart ache. But he knew he couldn't escape it. He had to keep walking, he had to protect her.

He couldn't let her fall with him.

* * *

'_Caraphernelia' isn't a real word...as far as I know. But its on Urban Dictionary :) It's actually a song from Pierce the Veil (featuring the guy from A Day to Remember screaming) that I have not been able to get out of my head for about a month- and it's the ONLY song that inspired me to write- so of course my family is thankful I've finally finished the chapter, because they've had enough of it. _

_Trent's whole dream was the song- so I apologise if that made absolutely no sense. Bandit was singing Pierce the Veil's part- and if you listen to the song his voice sounds just like Bandit's is supposed to (not saying he has a whiny voice- it just sounds sweet, innocent, yet pained to me) and when I heard the song I could just imagine Bandit pleading that to Trent, and Jerome's part (the screaming) sounds a lot like an angry Dread- so that was Dread's part, singing it to Bandit. So yeah, it kinda made no sense...but most dreams don't XD. _

_Thank you everyone who stuck by me with this chapter- I know it was one of the longest waits yet but I hope it was worth it, and I hope I get my confidence back with my writing soon with some honest replies :) don't hold back, please! xxx_


	29. Chapter 29: Lockdown

_***Sigh* O**nce again, my loyal readers, I have let you down :( I had a massive writer's block going on, and I was putting off ths chapter for a while...then christmas, then new year...bleh bleh. Anyways- I hope you like. I have to admit- it is an 'in between' chapter- leading up to the big events. Necessary in it's way :) _

_I hope everyone had a good holiday :) It's boiling hot here- I hate it :( too hot even for the beach! BLEH! Anyways- hopefully this chapter was worth the wait..._

**Warning**: This chapter contains...uh...ahem..._rape. _*shields self* But don't worry! It's not 100% necessary if those of you out there don't want to read it- but I will warn you further violent, what I hope is emotionally effective scenes will come up- and some will affect the KND characters! *Gulp*  
But for nooow- just a warning. The rape scene (even though I doubt my own skills- I've never done a scene such as this before) isn't very graphic, but it is between two males, and well, you know- I tried!

*Fanfare*

deLattre : Thank you! And...thank you? (: I really can't portray Lizzie very well that is true...I struggle at that...and I get addicted to my flashbacks- I try to make them as interesting as possible but yes- thank you for your feedback :) Kuki moved to Japan with her family with her parents- it's implied she went unwillingly but I'm being purposely fuzzy on the details- every KND member's past in the KND is fuzzy- it's a mystery whether they were decommissioned or not ;) [I'm torturous like that] I hope you enjoy the chapter!

simi838 : Haha! Flamers, Shlamers- I don't let the get to me anymore. But thank you! :D Always nice to hear from my fellow Aussie! And noo...I didn't go to that Luna Park thing- I love Luna Park but it gets old fast :( Can't wait for the wet'n'wild though! You know one's opening in NSW next year? :D YEEE! :D Oh, and enjoy the chapter :P

Justwriting7: I love the Lion King! :D seriously one of THE best movies of all time- I bought the DVD straight away. I hope this chapter makes your day too- lots more drama afoot though! :S enjoy lovely! :D

PowerGirl: Naw, I am sorry to keep you waiting :( And aw, thank you! :D I highly doubt that, but I love your feedback all the same. It keeps me writing! :D And no! Mushi isn't dead! I'm sorry you thought that :0! I would never kill Mushi of...yet... Kidding! Kidding! I hope you enjoy :)

numbuh310alltheway : hehe, I love giving Abigail attitude- it seems to be the only thing that puts Dingo in his place. I enjoy my comic relief- it makes the whole story not so grim :D I'm glad you like! Aw, I'm glad Dingo/Abby is gaining approval-I can't seem to tear them apart now... not that I gave them much of a chocie- but still! I'm glad you liked my dream scene- literally was agonising over that for a long time -_- Hope you like my update :D let me know what you think! x

Hey Jessi : GAH! I love your icon :D LION KING! *WOOP*! Ahem...but yes- anyway :D Even though this chapter isn't very happy I hope it makes you smile- and sorry about the wait! I hope you enjoy nonetheless :) I love your reviews- they pep me up! (And I am dead tired and sick right now so it means a lot to me- hehe) And I really want to work on an OC story- when I finally get my butt into gear and pull it onto FP or something I'll let you know! :D Cause I like Belle...she is just so...normal! x

Heather:Aw thank you! :D And yes, feel very special! That was somewhat eerie haha, but it did perk me up :P Like all reviews do...except mean ones... :) I'm glad you like my story- sorry about the wait on the update- I hope it was worth the wait :\ And aw- thank yiu for the pep talk- it means a lot :P x

Kuchiki-san urahara: Naw, thank you :) I'm sorry about the wait- I hope it was worth it! I hope your own story is going well too- I haven't been on fanfiction in a while :\ Let me know what you think! :D! Many more twists coming in ;)

Sam: Aw, thank you :D I hope you like the chapter, and it was worth the wait! I may not be the best writer, but hearing it makes me smile all the same :D thank you so much! Enjoy x

Apples Go Boom: Aw, I love your excitement! :D *dances* naw, wow! It's pretty cool you like my villains! :D I'm glad- even though they're meant to be hated...kinda have a soft spot for them too ;) I hope it was worth the wait- which I am very, very sorry for! And don't worry- Dodge will come to the rescue! :D Let me know what you think! (I love hearing from you :P) x

MidniteCurse4Eternity: Aw thank you for your kind words :) i love your feedback on every little bit of the story- makes me feel like people are listening ;) (which never happens when I usually talk haha) I hope you like the update, sorry for the wait! let me know what you think :D x

Justadreamer15 : Lol! Well I have to say I'm addicted to drama :P I'm glad you can keep up and like it! :D Sorry for the wait by the way, I hope this chapter makes up for it and makes you smile :) Let me know what you think! x

1000GreenSun : haha! I'm surprised ANYONE can keep up- but yes- if Jake fathered Dread then Dread is Dingo's half brother- as well as Dodge's half brother, and Wally/Joey's cousin XD! Thank you! I just like to torture my characters by throwing anything at them ;) It works! Sorry for the wait, I hope you enjoy the chapter :D :D :D!

Dead Embryonic Cells: Hi hi :) Hehe! THank you for the advice :D I should! But now I don't let them get to me- it's hard when you put your heart into something, but I manage :P Thank you so much for your review, it made me laugh :D I hope it wasn't too much of a wait for you- and I hope it was worth it and you enjoy :P I love any review you write ;) Every little bit counts! Let me know how you think I went ;P x

Laurie43: Aw, I know- but don't worry- I can't stand the couple apart either :P Hopefully this chapter answers all questions! And I hope it was worth the wait :D I love your reviews- I appreciate every one! :D And yes- Leyla is Dread n Dodge's mother- so really if Jake had a child with her it would be Dread- meaning Dread would be half brothers with Dodge AND Dingo- and Wally/Joey's COUSIN! *faints* A lot, isn't it? Oh, Jake! *sigh* ;) Thank you love :) Hope you enjoy! x

A New Side Of Awesome : Aw thank you :) hope it wasn't too much of a long wait for you, I'll be faster next time I promise :D hope you enjoy and let me know what you think (:!

comicfan209 : Sorry for the wait, love! :) and don't worry- 9 Months isn't too far behind!

* * *

Patton read and re-read the letter in front of him, his dark eyes skidding across the official lettering in front of him. Trailing from the signature at the bottom, his eyes scanned back to see the official emblem in the top right corner. He sighed, the paper crinkling in his hand as it quickly turned into an angry fist. He'd been in the club since morning, and he had a feeling he would be in there until nightfall.

"_Problem, Pat?"_

His eyes looked up from the ball of paper to stare at his old friend- standing behind the bar he was currently sitting in. His face had slackened noticeably, and the barman quickly noticed.

"Need a double?" Aaron offered, his watery brown eyes widening as his face morphed into one of concern. Patton heaved a sigh, his shaggy black hair falling into his face as he looked down in despair.

"Might need one." He grunted, his lips scrunching.

"What's up?" Aaron again offered, grabbing a glass. Patton simply shrugged, uncaring.

"Don' worry, it's stupid." He muttered, his lips working into half a smile. "Just money, I guess."

"If you need a job..." Aaron smirked back, suddenly interested. "We always need a hand here."

Patton frowned. He had to admit, he liked this atmosphere. Quiet, secretive- not many people around to bug or annoy him. He used to be such an outgoing, interesting person- able to lead an entire group of people with no trouble- like second nature to him. But ever since he first flunked out of college all his confidence had simply disappeared, and now the quiet, shadowing seclusion of the seediest bar in town seemed to be his only sanctuary. Hey- at least the people _here _didn't judge him.

"Yeah, sure." Patton sniggered back. "Doing what? Sweeping up the rest of the cocaine for your _best customers?" _He rolled his eyes, nodding to the stairs at the other end of the room. "Face it, Aaron, you got the seediest place here."

"Only for the right people." Aaron grinned. "Vince has kept this place pretty clean in the public eye- only the worst people get the rooms, ya know."

"I've heard..." Patton muttered bitterly, his eyes flashing with caution. Sure, he knew about the reputation this club had...but it was only for the people high above him, the dealers and sellers that lived with whatever substance in their veins and whatever girls clung to their arm. He knew the scene, he'd been offered back into it...but he'd turned it down and tried to join the army instead...

Thinking back to that official piece of paper, his stomach now fluttered sickly as he processed what a horrible decision that had been.

"You were never like this, Pat." Aaron cut into his thoughts with a bored tone, rolling his eyes to the ceiling as he drawled on. "You always lived life on the edge, back in high school you were always the one who wanted it all. Now you're all depressed, trying to do something that's just not you-"

"It _is_ me." Patton sneered back, his eyes narrowing. "Joining the army, fighting for our country, it's all...it's all I really _wanted _to do growing up..." He sighed, his face slackening. "You didn't know me as a kid."

"Yeah, well..." Aaron smirked. "Kids gotta grow up sooner or later, Pat. And you can't keep dreaming on something that just can't happen."

Patton sighed, his friend's words hitting hard. It felt as though he had swallowed a brick, and it had scraped down his throat only to sit in his stomach heavily, dragging him down and making him want to vomit.

"Yeah." He snarled bitterly, shoving his glass back towards his friend and twisting his face with hate. "Another double."

* * *

In the dark, stale room located on the second floor of the giant, remote warehouse- a small groan cut through the eerie silence that hung in the air. The teenager's pale skin- so sickly white it caused the wrinkled sheets beneath him to appear yellow- rustled against his rollaway bed. He moved, shifting and groaning, for the first time in a few hours- where he'd been thrown there so roughly it was a wonder that his skeletal frame was still intact. His bruised eyelids flickered, opening to reveal those paled, crystal eyes that were weeping and bloodshot- gazing around the plain, bare room tiredly. His gaze slackened, his face crinkling as pain shot through his body.

"_Sandy!" _He heard a shout through the thick walls, and what sounded like footsteps hurrying up the hallway to his door. _"Sandy! Cuz! You up?"_

He frowned, the faint voice almost foreign to him. _What the hell happened to me? _Sandy hissed to himself, his eyes squeezing closed. _I'd left, I walked out of here...I didn't want to be here... I walked...down... _His eyes widened somewhat fearfully. Panic shot through his veins.

_What the Hell did those psychos do to me!_

"_Yeah..." _He groaned to himself, his croaky voice feeling foreign in his throat. "Ye-YEAH!" He managed to shout, a blast of pain shooting through his skull as he winced, pushing himself off the mattress and shakily rising. "I'm up..."

There was a short thump on the door before it flew open, and Ethan walked in, his face growing steadily more troubled the closer he seemed to get to the withered figure on the bed. His dark eyes narrowed, his head tilting as he studied Sandy- who awkwardly gave him a grim smile.

"The _hell _happened to you?" He scoffed, his frown deepening with suspicion. "You look like shit." He added bluntly. Sandy winced again at that, sheepishly raising his hand to rub at the back of his neck. His skin felt numb, prickly. He didn't know what he'd taken but it had surely messed with his senses- everything he touched felt foreign and numb. His head pulsed and the rapid twitches of pain continued. His fingers grazed his skin, fingertips tracing along his neck as he pondered on how to respond to his cousin's curious questioning. His heart leapt in his throat as he suddenly jumped in slight pain, fingers tickling against a dried texture against his neck

_Saliva._

_Dried. SPIT!_

_Fuck. _His brain told him, amongst the fuzzy thoughts and empty excuses. _Fuck. _

"Is that..." Ethan's sharp eyes narrowed in on the spot, and before Sandy could think up a believable retort his cousin's mouth had fallen open in alarm. "A _lovebite?"_

Sandy's fingers withdrew from the bruise, his mind working at what to say to _that. _Pain overcame him, he was still swaying on the spot and now he had woken with a mind humming with thought and a hickey on his neck...And all he could remember were swallowing some pills down in the basement... a pair of black, empty eyes...

"_Fuck..." _Was all he could muster out, a whimper escaping his lips as he gazed into his cousin's eyes, unable to come up with anything to respond with. All he could feel was dread...

_Dread. _

* * *

Wallabee tapped away at a game on his handheld, his eyes narrowed in concentration. His record was growing dangerously close- almost matching his high score. He tapped away eagerly, his tongue between his teeth as his heart began to race. Then- just out of the corner of his eye- a flash of bright, vivid purple seemed to blind him, capturing his attention straight away, and before he had fully regained concentration the game had ended- flashing his score at him teasingly.

And only 500 points from the high score...

"_Kooks!"_ Wally groaned loudly, throwing his arms up in the air as he turned to stare at his girlfriend- still with her eyes gazing at him openly. "You distracted me!"

"Sorry..." Kuki pouted, fluttering those long, innocent lashes at him sweetly. "I didn't mean to!"

Wally sighed, a smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't help it, no matter what his girlfriend seemed to do it always made him feel better, even if it was just being by his side. Kuki seemed to complete him, even if they'd only been together for a few months- it was already clear he couldn't be without her. Her wide, violet eyes stared at him sweetly, her head tilting in kindness and concern. She was so sweet, already so concerning and nurturing. He needed her, just as she needed him.

"It's okay, babe." He smirked, reaching up and cupping her cheek. He pulled her closer, already wanting her lips on his. "I forgive you."

She smiled, as did he, as their lips met into a tender kiss. Sparks seemed to burst in Kuki's mind, and her skin tingled with the same butterflies she always felt when she received a kiss from her boyfriend. She had to giggle as she leaned back, fluttering her eyelashes as she tried to stand steady. His kisses still dazed her.

But she bit her lip, trying to shake herself from the daze. She stood up straight, her hands on her hips and trying as hard as she could not to get lost in those innocent emerald eyes.

"Wallabee..." She muttered. "Are you meeting Dingo tonight?"

Wally scowled at her, his eyes narrowing as he processed the thought. Seeing Dingo... The last time he'd seen his brother they'd almost engaged in a fierce fist fight. He didn't want that again- he didn't need it, he just wanted to concentrate on finding Hoagie- his best friend.

But this conflict between the brothers wasn't going to go away, and Wallabee knew that, and as Kuki gave him a long, knowing look- he knew he couldn't escape it. He had to make things right, or at least talk to his brother as best he could.

"Yeah..." He sighed, turning back to gaze at the screen of his game. "Might as well."

Kuki sat beside him on the couch, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. He was engulfed in her bubblegum scented perfume, and he found himself closing his eyes at the sweetness of her known scent. She ran a few fingers through his hair, soothing him as best she could.

"I'm proud of you, you know..." She murmured softly. "Putting all this aside for the sake of your nephew, your family and friends... it's really good of you, Wal."

Wallabee shrugged moodily, unable to escape the anxiety creeping upon him. "Yeah...but, ya know... it shouldn't be like this- especially with family..." he sighed, leaning forward to place his head in his hands. "And I'm still worried about Hoagie..."

"One crisis at a time..." Kuki murmured, patting his back. "Trust me, everything will be fine."

Wally sighed, his fingers massaging his temples. It offered little relief, in fact it just made him worry more. He never got so stressed out, but he knew this time something was seriously wrong. The fact Hoagie was nowhere to be found and he had no idea what to expect worried him to no end. His best friend, the one who had always been there for him, was gone- and Wally was powerless in trying to find him.

"I hope so, Kooks..." He mumbled, sighing to himself as he pulled out his phone again. He had to keep trying. "I hope so."

* * *

Jayden stomped around their cramped quarters viciously, gnashing his teeth together as he grew more and more irritated. Bullets, clothes, papers- everything seemed to fly around him as he flung objects out of the way- searching and snatching at whatever he could grab. His charcoal grey eyes narrowed, his fists clenched at his sides as he stomped down the hallway to his friends room- his face set.

Even though he could feel his impatience filling to the brim and his fury quickly reaching boiling over, he still remembered to knock before entering his best friends room. His face scrunched in annoyance as he could remember the _last _time he knocked without entering into a room Dread was in. He could safely say he was scarred for life.

"_Yeah..." _he could hear Dread mumble grudgingly from behind the door. _"What, cunt?"_

Jayden kicked open the door, his anger quickly returning as his eyes quickly found Dread- who was sitting on top of his bed, flicking the lighter in his hand. A joint hung loosely from his lips, and he looked up lazily at Jayden glaring down at him, his black eyes flashing in amusement. Jayden scowled.

"Where are the roofies, Dread?" He growled at his best friend threateningly, leering over him. He tried to ignore Bandit's shaky figure next to him- he could only imagine what Dread was planning to do with his stupid _pet- _especially since it was now conscious. "I had a whole bag in a bottle, and this whole fucking plan is going to get screwed without them-"

Dread rolled his eyes, reaching over to pluck something off on the floor. He threw it at his friend, who quickly caught it- looking at the small jar in his hands with sudden anger. He twitched.

"You..._took the whole bottle?" _He spat angrily, throwing the now empty jar back at his friends head. Dread ducked, the hard plastic hitting the bed head behind him. He flinched as Jayden seized up angrily, his hard glare flicking over to Bandit's curled up figure. "YOU USED UP THE STASH ON _HIM?_"

"CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" Dread shouted back, just as fierce. He narrowed his eyes. "Fuck Man! I _didn't! _It was that fucking kid that came in and stole them all..." He scowled, lighting up his joint as he spoke, his voice slightly muffled as his black eyes narrowed in on Jayden. "Jesus..."

Jayden glared back, as if studying to see if what he said was truthful. Dread let out a calm breath of smoke, the pearly air snaking through his lips as he bared his teeth in a sick grin.

"I don't _need_ roofies when it comes to Bambi..." he smirked, black eyes going to the figure next to him. "Ain't that right, baby?"

Bandit didn't respond, if anything he only curled into himself more tightly, his eyes squeezing tightly shut. Dread tugged on a few strands of hair, but otherwise left the figure beside him alone. He stared back at Jayden expectantly, his dark eyes swimming with underlying desire.

"The fucking kid was in here, probably stealing any stash he could..." he rolled his eyes, taking another drag. "Lucky I didn't kill the fucker. I would have if he wasn't the key to the cash."

Jayden rolled his eyes again, thinking of that pathetic little blonde kid. _Sandy. _Dread was right- he _was _the key to getting the necessary reward- the cousins had made that clear when the job was offered.

"But we need the fucking stuff." Jayden growled, his face working into a vicious pout. "Without it the fucking abductions will be messy. You can't just knock people out now, it could accidently kill them or crack a skull and I don't like too much blood-"

"_Pussy." _Dread teased, his tongue between his teeth. Jayden shot him a snarl.

"Shut the fuck up. Druggin 'em up makes everything so much easier. Less screaming. How do you expect to get those fucking chicks, if we ever _do _find them that is." He added, his eyes narrowing, specifically at their biggest 'asset'- Bandit. He was growing more and more frustrated that they were getting nowhere fast, and he could see Dread getting quickly distracted with his old chew toy back.

Dread shrugged, swinging his legs off the mattress and onto the floor. As he rose, Jayden took in how much his muscles stretched against his skin- how much strength he had actually accumulated being locked away, with nothing else to do except stew and work out. He looked away, but found Dread looking straight at him- his black eyes digging deeply into his grey ones. His best friend used to be an inch shorter than him (something Jayden always pointed out smugly) but now he was just as tall- the two standing over six foot, and at an even eye to eye.

"Just relax..." Dread mumbled in a low growl. "It's only been a few days and look what we got- a key player! They'll come after Bandit eventually, and there's no way they can hide their missus, not when they've already stuffed up by making their whereabouts so public. Someone's _bound _to know them 'round here, and as long as we got Bambi we're _set. _They won't touch us."

"We gotta get a better upper hand, play it safe."Jayden snarled. "I'm not going back to jail, Dread. We gotta get these guys on their _knees. _We have to get their chicks- that's the only key. They won't give in any other way."

Dread nibbled on his tongue thoughtfully, his eyes carefully flicking back to the twitching figure on his bed. Jayden was right, they were running out of time, and the gang wasn't in their clutches _yet. _They still had a long way to go- getting Bandit was just the first step, but already Holly had escaped. Time was running out. The whole operation had to be clean and fast- over before it had even begun to avoid any cops. They had to get their hands on some leverage- and fast. A smirk quickly surfaced, his black eyes swimming with sudden excitement as he turned to his best friend eagerly.

"I think it might be time for a little questioning game..." Dread cooed.

* * *

_A slim, tanned brunette hopped across the bush floor- dodging the jagged rocks and rustling passed the fallen dried leaves as she doubled over with laughter- trying hard to stay upright as her giggles echoed through the forest. She kept running. _

"_IT ISN"T FUNNY, LEY!" A shout echoed through the trees, and a second later another figure jumped through the trees, skidding across the fallen debris and stumbling across the scattered twigs and tree limbs as he chased after her, quickly regaining speed as she darted across the uneven ground. He growled, growing annoyed. "STOP! OI! HEY! PROMISE I WON'T DO ANYTHING!"_

_The girl stopped, her tongue between her teeth as she stared back- her flyaway hair scattered across her face. Her worn sneakers scraped across the dirt as she snickered at him cockily, her hand on her hip. _

"_Promise?" She shouted back- her eyes narrowing as she scanned the trees for him. He appeared, tripping over a random stump as his red flannelette shirt came into view. He pouted at her angrily, looking annoyed as he stomped through the brush. His black, shaggy hair hung in his face, and he shook it free as he continued to glare at her, folding his arms in annoyance. He was flexing, and he didn't even know it. The girl snickered playfully. _

"_I promise." He grumbled, stomping across to finally get to her. He was within a few feet before the girl perked up, knowing something was going on. She made to move away but he was too quick, and she found herself tackled to the ground- his arms wrapping around her waist and heaving her to the forest floor. She squealed in anger, fighting back as he held her down. Digging his knees into the ground he jumped up, straddling her. His annoyed pout quickly morphed into his cocky smirk, and the girl growled in annoyance, trying her best to kick up at him. _

"_You promised! Get off me, Jake!"_

"_I lied." Jake snickered back, holding onto her arms tight. "Besides, I like you better this way."_

_Leyla rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Yeah, sure Jake. Save the cheesy lines for your skank friends-okay?"_

_Jake winced, his lips twisting in annoyance. "Ouch, Ley. That hurts. Why the digs at me, huh? Why you suddenly so mean for?"_

_Leyla sighed, pushing him off and propping herself up on her elbows, glaring at him as he continued to straddle her. She gave him a knowing look. _

"_What else do you want me to think?" She mumbled. "I never see you anymore and we're supposed to be best friends- and all I hear is how you've hooked in with this chick...and this chick...I mean, are you trying to root the entire school?"_

_Jake growled at her, but he looked sulky as well as guilty as he looked away. _

"_Yeah, well...you can talk. I've heard about you and Mathers, you know."_

_Colour seemed to drain from Leyla's face, but she held strong as she swallowed the lump in her throat. _

"_That's all rumours, you know that, Beatles. He chases me but I would never go for it. You would never let me do that..." Her eyes seemed to sparkle at the thought of his protection over her. "Right?"_

_Jake rolled his eyes, but gave a sly smirk anyway. "You know it."_

_Leyla smirked back, but noted the sadness in Jake's tone. "What's really up, Jake?"_

_He shrugged sheepishly, looking sulky. He sunk back against the dirt as he sighed- releasing his deepest feelings without even knowing it. Somehow, only Leyla- his best friend since pre school- was able to do that to him. It all tumbled out when she was around. _

"_I've just had a lot on my mind, Ley..." He mumbled. "My bro wants to leave the family, go for a scholarship in America or some shit- and he's full serious!... It's gonna suck being the only child, and I've begged him to stay here, ya know? But he won't listen...guess it's just pissing me off you know?"_

_Leyla frowned, tilting her head in thought. "I thought you hated Derek, and I've known you for a long time, Jake. You two were fighting when you were in nappies!"_

"_I know!" Jake scoffed. "It's stupid, huh? I guess I like someone to argue with...after all he is my big bro...and he's pretty much the only...sane one in the house, I guess." Jake's face slackened, and he seemed to give his trademark pout- his dark eyes flashing in thought. "I don't want him to go, Ley."_

_Leyla looked down, giving him a shy smile as she stared down at her chest. "Me neither...I don't like the thought that everyone's changing...and we're not even fifteen yet!"_

_Jake smirked. "Well...I'll be soon."_

"_Yeah, yeah." Leyla scoffed, finally raising her head to stare at him, a smile brightening her face. Jake was struck by those eyes- bright and sky blue, shimmering like icicles in the sun. Those eyes always seemed to stun him, her eyes alone could gaze at him and scan him like an x-ray- could see right through him. "Rub it in, why don't you."_

"_Naw..." Jake leaned down to hover over her face, his hands stretching out so he lay over her on the dirt covered ground- still straddling her. He gave her a sly smirk. "You know I like teasing you, Ley."_

_Leyla rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny the heat creeping up her neck to her cheeks. Jake Beatles was her best friend, and he had been since they were kids. She refused to let her tiny crush on him affect their friendship- especially when so many other girls were chasing the notorious Jake down...and he actually let them. _

_She reflected his smirk, her icy blue eyes flashing knowingly as she jilted her knee upward- hitting dangerously close to between his legs. His dark eyes widened fearfully- his guard down- but Leyla laughed out loud. She would never be that mean, but Jake got the warning and swung his leg over to let her up, looking sulky. She sniggered as she dusted herself off, staring down at him knowingly as he watched her. _

"_Who are you going out with tonight?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow. Jake grinned cockily, his eyebrows raised. _

"_You."_

"_Ha, ha." Leyla scoffed at him, her eyes narrowing at her friend's smug smirk. "I'm already going out with someone tonight."_

"_Yeah." Jake nodded, rising to his feet so he could stand over her- being a few good inches taller. "With me."_

_A smile involuntarily had worked its way up her face, and she couldn't help but blush as she stood her ground, her arms folding as she gazed up at Jake questioningly. _

"_Oh really..." She muttered. "That's how it is?"_

_Jake smirked, his head lowering so it was even with hers. His shaggy black hair fell into his dark eyes, and soon they closed as his face inched towards hers. _

"_Yeah..." He cooed, his breath frosting her lips, tickling them as he spoke. She held back a shiver, sending sparks tingling through her body. "That's how it is."_

* * *

The numbness had passed and instead dull pain resided, Hoagie trying desperately not to give in to the lulling calm of sleep- and instead trying as best he could to keep his eyes open, watching every move around him.

No sun crept into the room- so there was no telling what time of day it was. It had felt like a lifetime since their capturers had questioned them, and since then nobody had come in. No food, no water. Nothing. He knew he was slowly deteriorating, and with Mushi by his side he didn't know when help would come. He simply lay there beside her, both bound and helpless. He hated to think that they actually _relied _on their captors- and he had no idea what they would do. His eyes slowly closed with exhaustion as he felt a new dull pain creep over him. He had gotten used to it so long ago he barely felt it anymore. The blood on his skin had dried, and the grit from the ground felt permanently etched in his skin. All he could do was flex his fingers and point his feet, and every now and then he strained himself to prod Mushi- letting her know he was still here. Both of their throats ached with pain, so they could barely speak- but at least they knew the other was still alive.

It had felt like a dream when the door finally opened, letting the light flood into the room. A light flickered above them, and Hoagie was awoken from his daze with the sight of a blinding fluorescent light hanging above him hauntingly- and soon Jayden's face hung over his- his blank grey eyes studying him coldly.

"_Your info led us nowhere..." _He sneered gravely, and Hoagie felt his heart sink as he stared up in horror. Jayden grabbed at his shoulders, hoisting him up off the floor and slamming him into the wall, his body sagging as he sat on the floor, his head raised to look into his. "You know we ain't doing shit for you until you tell us something worthwhile."

Hoagie's eyes quickly scanned to Mushi on the floor- where the light highlighted her figure. Her eyes were wide open, gazing at him in horror. They were a light purple in the brightness, and her pale skin was sickly tainted with bruises and purple lines from the rope. Her slim legs seemed to be tangled on the floor, and her pretty face pressed into the ground from how she was tied up. But still, she stained herself to look at him-her eyes wide as she feared for him, her heart racing and her body pounding with pain. She'd never felt so pathetic, so lost. She still couldn't grip that this was reality.

"How do you _expect _this to go on?" Hoagie spat hatefully, his eyes narrowing in anger. "You can't keep us like this forever!"

"I don't _expect _anything from you!" Jayden spat back just as fiercely. "You don't live forever without food- do ya?"

Mushi whimpered fearfully, but Jayden still locked eyes with Hoagie's glare- his eyes shimmering with promising tears.

"You're bluffing..." Hoagie snarled back after a long pause. "You wouldn't let us die. That would be extra mess for you to clean up. Besides- Bandit-"

His words were lost in a bark of laughter from Jayden, who sneered at him mockingly before breaking out into a fit of loud, malicious laughter as he took in the stupid kid's cockiness. He truly had no idea what he was in for- and as Hoagie watched Jayden double over, his heart seemed to sink with doubt. Jayden straightened, a large spiteful grin coating his face.

"Bandit is _nothing _to me." Jayden sneered hatefully, his eyes narrowing at the very thought. "There's nothing I'd like to see more than see that little fucker cry. Hell, I'd grab ya bitch's fucking body and throw it on top of Bandit- watch him whimper like a fucking baby!"

He pointed to Mushi, his eyes never leaving Hoagie's horrified face. "And if my best mate's _pet_ is nothing to me- you can guess where _you _fall on the scale." He stepped forward, creeping closer and his voice lowering to a whisper. "So I'd start talking if I were you... Unless you really wanna risk pissing us off. But the sooner we get these fuckers, the sooner we let you go." His eyes flashed. "So- The names and addresses. _Now."_

Hoagie's head lowered. A lot was running through his mind- at unbelievable speed. Abby and Fanny- the betrayal he already felt against them. How that one night with Bonny ruin his chance with Fanny, Abby and his friendship since school- the way she stood up for him, gave him a chance, the way she was always there. Always fighting for him- her and Fanny together, the entire group- friends. His family- how they'd react if they knew they'd never see him again. Tommy without a brother. Wallabee without a best friend. And _Kuki- _without her sister...

"I can't..." he choked out pathetically, his head rising so he could look at his captor pleadingly. "They're my friends. I can't betray them like that, I can't."

Jayden stared. Hoagie was giving him those pleading eyes- the look of begging, the look of mercy. It did nothing for Jayden, if anything it angered him more. Hoagie was pushing all of the wrong buttons, and it was only a matter of time before he completely exploded. It was surprising, even to him, that the next words out of his mouth came so calmly, so soft.

"You're digging you- and your friend- a deeper grave." Jayden hissed. He turned, but didn't walk out. Instead he grabbed at the chair in the corner, dragging it over so it sat opposite Hoagie. He sat, staring down at the bound figure beneath him with obvious power. He was tense, and as his cold stare locked with Hoagie's- Hoagie could tell he'd just made matters so much worse.

"I wanna tell you a story..." Jayden cooed at him, a smile flashing across his cold face. "You...you remind me of me, when I was so much younger..." Hoagie looked back at him in disgust, but even he couldn't help the fear that began to crawl up his throat. Jayden's cold grey eyes bore into his as he sat casually on the seat, his voice thick with passion as he drawled to Hoagie casually, as though they were discussing the weather.

"When I was fifteen…" He spoke blankly, his eyes flashing maliciously. "Me and my mates…we were a team…just about six of us…Dread, of course." He smirked. "You've met him."

Hoagie glared, his eyes narrowing. He was too furious, yet at the same time fearful, to speak. The way Jayden was talking to him- it was like a game, a big joke. He spoke to him like Hoagie was nothing more than a little kid

"Shane…myself…a couple of other guys…Shane's Hollie's brother, you know her I believe?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, Shane had this girl he was really hung up on. You know, at 15 you think it's forever right?" He gave a heartless, sarcastic scoff that chilled Hoagie to the bone. "Anyway…he found out she cheated on him- fucked another guy at a party. He was pissed. He wanted revenge."

Hoagie could only listen, his heart pounding in his ears as Jayden went on, those cold eyes never leaving his.

"We lured her up to this abandoned field…said it was a party or some shit…anyway we cornered the bitch, all six of us, and it was an old farm, right?" Jayden snickered, as though it was the greatest joke in the world. "We pushed the whore into the barbed wire fence, nobody could hear her scream. It was an old fence, I mean, come on- the stumps were all splintered and the wire was all rusted, like we gave a shit what the bitch felt." He rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair comfortably. "I mean, ya know. I just went along. Pack feeling- you know? Mates in a pack together, hunting like a gang of wolves. You get sucked into that man, it's in our _nature..."_

He gave him a sheepish smirk, his grey eyes glimmering in the bright lights above. Hoagie held his gaze, though he could feel himself steadily sinking as he processed those true words...

"We tied her down and gagged her with her own clothes. None of us wanted the bitch's diseases…" his eyes flashed, Hoagie felt his heart stop. "So we shoved an old fence stump up her instead."

Hoagie looked down, feeling sick, not wanting to hear anymore. He could almost see it. Jayden grabbed his face, his fingers scraping his skin and forcing him to look back up. His tone hadn't changed at all.

"You're not listening…" he mumbled silkily, holding up his thumb and index finger, making a large half circle with it. His eyes shone brightly. "Had to be about _this _round. Covered in thick splinters. Wood was fuck old, man. It was brilliant."

_Shutup…_Was all Hoagie could think, his stomach churning. Jayden spoke with such sincerity he knew the story had to ring true. _Please Shutup…_

"She couldn't scream, she couldn't move, heck all of us were holding her down. It taught the bitch." Jayden gave a chuckle. "Shane did it all…_he _got fucked over, so now _she_ was getting fucked over- with a fucking _stick_!" he burst into laughter, as if it was the greatest source of joy ever. Hoagie glared at him, his pale face, his eyes wide.

"Shane's now a cop!" Jayden added, his face split into a wide grin. "But that ain't the funny part- you gotta hear the punchline…"

Hoagie felt faint, he trembled in his chair as Jayden leaned over, still with that proud, smug smirk, and whispered into his ear.

"I was the one that fucked her! She cheated on him for me! I fucked them _both_ _up_!"

He leaned back and laughed, cackling and even kicking his legs as if he couldn't hold it back. Hoagie was positive he was going to be sick- just the mere thought of a poor girl struggling against a 'pack' of mentally sick bloodthirsty guys, her screams and Jayden's laughter- made his blood run cold and his entire body tremble with grief and fear. That could easily be Mushi- and Jayden was being as plain as day when he was making that hint. He can easily do it to Mushi.

They locked eyes again- and Jayden's quickly flicked back to Mushi's figure before trailing back to his, once again speaking sincerely- but his face still shone with the aftermath of laughter.

"You better start talking, College Boy." Jayden sneered at him. "We don't like people who go against us."

Hoagie swallowed the lump in his throat. He was positive he had never felt so scared in his entire life, even when he was younger and he was known as the scaredy cat of his friends. But this time he couldn't let fear overcome him, this time nobody was jumping in to fight his battles. Still aching with pain, Hoagie straightened against the wall behind him, standing straight and staring Jayden directly in the eye.

This time, he wanted to stay strong.

* * *

Trent stiffened, his nose wrinkling as he seemed to process everything that seemed to be happening around him.. It was too fast, and he was never one to be able to handle stressful situations. Every little thing happening around him was just more to add to his anxiety, and soon he could feel himself about to snap.

"Trent, Dude..." Dingo mumbled awkwardly. He shifted his feet, thinking of what he had said to Abby- what many people had said to him before. He was no good at comforting people. Seeing his friend, usually so stubborn and refusing to show any emotion, so distraught over losing something so important to him...it killed Dingo inside, just imagining himself in the same position- with Abby lost. He had changed, and he wanted nothing more than to reach out to his mate and tell him everything was going to be okay...but he was still learning. "It'll...be okay, you know? I-"

"How can it be _okay?" _Trent snapped back, pushed closer to the edge. His eyes were wild, and he seemed to shake uncontrollably as he forced out the words even he didn't want to say. "He's fucking _gone, _D. Nobody's _okay _with that- Bandit can't handle it! And fuck, it's my fucking fault! I left him here, and I knew I shouldn't have, it was just my own fucking pride and-"

"_Dude!" _Dingo growled back, his eyes narrowing. Trent stopped, gulping. He knew he was in trouble then- _nobody _snaps back at Dingo no matter what the cause. His leader was more likely to punch him out for growling back at him, and Trent started to brace himself for the impact. But he jumped in alarm as Dingo crept closer, his arm grabbing Trent's and his emerald eyes scanning his face- a sincere expression calming his nerves. "Dude, I know it's Bandit. Think about it. No matter what shit life throws at Bandit he's come back up. He may be naive and kinda stupid in some stuff- but he's strong. He won't back down, and even Dread knows this. Fuck, if I had the life he had you know I wouldn't have made it. Maybe you wouldn't have either- but Bandit did, man." His eyes lowered. "If anyone can get through anything, it's Bando."

Trent looked away, sighing deeply. He knew- he knew he shouldn't worry about Bandit, his best friend. It felt wrong to think of his best friend as his _mate, _his _lover... _it seemed like Bandit was the weaker girlfriend- someone who needed protecting. But Bandit did- and that was the plain truth. He tried to be just a regular friend with the guys- but even that seemed to fail. They just met again together- as what they used to be. He scanned around the room again- looking for anything he could to distract himself from the current situation that made him want to cry. He frowned, staring at the cement flooring next to the office door. His eyes narrowed.

"The Hell?" He muttered, stepping closer to examine what had caught his eye. A cell phone- modern, tiny, flashing and buzzing against the cement floor. It was locked under a pickup truck's tyre- looking as though it had been dropped. His head tilted- it didn't look familiar, nobody at the garage had a cell like that.

"_Wally calling..." _Trent read off the screen, his teeth scraping across his bottom lip in thought. He looked over his shoulder, his face morphing into a troubled expression. "Hey D- isn't that your brother?"

Dingo's heart stilled, and he took careful steps forward to see what he was talking about. He too bit down on his bottom lip in worry- seeing his brother's name brought back too many emotions that he had trouble dealing with.

"Shit..." He grumbled. "That's...not good. Here, lemme take it." Trent passed the cell into his hand, the two exchanging glances. "Maybe...it's his friend's? I dunno... It's not like I can ask him."

"Why would his friend be here?" Trent muttered, but his eyes widened. "You don't reckon-"

"Look, there's only one way to find out..." Dingo sighed in defeat, his eyes downcast. "We have to go back to the cop shop- maybe they know something about this. I hate to think it but..." At this, he thought of Abby. It wasn't just about the gang anymore... she could be in jeopardy too...even Jake- maybe his whole family. "This might be out of our league..."

* * *

Bandit knew it was happening before he had even completely woken up. Before he could feel even the tiny ray of morning sun against his skin, he could feel his entire body shake with cold, yet the sheets that hugged him were drenched in fresh sweat. His lips trembled in agony as he could feel his stomach clench and cramp, the rest of his body soon following- gurgling and twitching in a stinging, twisting pain that was overbearing- complete sickness and despair. His brain throbbed, he felt as though someone was yanking on the tendons behind his eyes, and voices were whispering in his ear the thing he needed, the thing that would make the pain and discomfort go away.

The tears quickly came, the sobbing following straight after. He attempted to curl into a trembling ball, his hands clawing at the pain in his stomach. He blinked back his tears, whimpering as he attempted to look around him. He was still lodged in that disgusting bed, staring at the filthy wall next to him with a small stream of light coming from the tiny window- high up, just overlooking the ground above. He gave another pitiful wail, another throb of pain overcoming him as he began to shake again- cold yet slimy with sweat. He gave another sob, feeling completely pathetic.

"_You don't feel too good, do you bub?"_

He gave another feeble shiver as he felt coarse fingers scrape across his face- wiping at his hair that had stuck to his forehead. His body pounded with pain, his muscles twisting and cramping as he gave laboured breaths, his heart thumping hard. With a tiny struggle he opened his eyes wider, staring upward where he saw Dread sitting over him-, his shaggy, black-brown hair hanging from his face and into those deep, soulless eyes. He stared, blinking, cocking his head curiously. Bandit could only whimper back, curling tighter into that protective ball- trembling with pain and sickness.

Dread ran a few fingers through his hair, his dark eyes flashing playfully.

"_I can make the pain go away_..." He cooed, reminding him. "_It'll only take a second, Bambi Babes, only one second..."_

"No."Bandit choked out, his throat tightening as he forced out the words, shaking his throbbing head against the mattress. Dread kept stroking him, a smile creeping onto his lips. His strong hands grabbed around his torso and heaved him towards his chest, pulling his head to place over his heart and holding him there.

"You're only making it harder for yourself, Bambi..." Dread snickered, sweetly cooing into his ear as he hung over him hauntingly, Bandit's face pushed further into Dread's black cotton v-neck, his hand cupping his cheek. "You think you can take this but you can't, you never could. You can't escape it, it'll _eat you alive..." _

Bandit squeezed his eyes closed and tried hard to block out his voice, knowing deep down it was true. He couldn't fight this, he knew he couldn't. He'd tried so many times before, and it had only worked when Dodge, Trent and Dingo had been around to stay up with him- talk him through all of the cramps and twitches, hold him through the spasms and shortness of breath, and stay up with him through all those sleepless nights. He couldn't do it without them. He couldn't fight this. He had to give in...

He wrinkled his nose in disgust, grudgingly opening his eyes to stare back into Dread's smug face.

"What do you say, baby?" He toyed, licking his lips as he sat proudly on the bed, staring over his crumpled form with obvious power. "You'll let me help you?"

Bandit winced, a few stray tears leaking from his eyes. He tried to fight it, he tried to think of the guys and what they'd say if they saw him now. What they had said when they saw him in the same light. He _couldn't _give into Dread again...but right now he was in a long, dark tunnel- and Dread was the only sign of light there was.

Slowly and shakily, he forced his head into a slow, painful nod. Dread smirked. Bandit immediately felt regret, the thought of his friend's faces around him and their reactions to him giving in...

"I wanna hear you say it." Dread pushed, grinning eagerly. Bandit let out a shaky, miserable sigh, tears falling freely. He attempted to cut it out, he really did. But he couldn't stop the overwhelming feeling- that he was falling, and the only thing that kept him steady were those horrible, depthless black eyes.

"_N-n-o..." _Bandit managed to choke out, his stomach seizing with pain as he braced himself for the blowout. He couldn't give in, but he knew what repercussions his defiance had. He was in a bad way, but he'd sooner give into eternal darkness and pain than ever look into Dread's face and openly accept him. He forced his face into a pained snarl.

He'd never do that again.

Ever.

Dread stiffened, his heart pounding in his ears. His eyes rippled with shocks of emotion as he began to shake, looking beyond furious as his face twisted in immediate resentment. Without hesitation he leered over the shivering figure beneath him, his eyes burning with promising threats.

"You won't say it?" He snarled gravely, his eyes narrowing. "Not for me? Your fucking _pride _getting in the way again Bandit, huh? The fuck you fooling, Bambi? You fucking need me. You know you do. Fucking admit it." He spat hatefully, his fingers tightening around him, squeezing his skin. "Admit it!"

"_No..." _Bandit mumbled weakly, tears seeping out of his eyes and down his cheeks. He burbled weakly about what he wanted, unsure of what was even running through his mind. He closed his eyes and let the pain simply take over, trying to think back to better memories, where he _could _be, as Dread began to start up again, throwing him back down, and Bandit barely winced as his closed fists began to slam into his already pounding skull. Bandit only cried, his body shaking with numbness mixed with pain.

"You...fucking.._.idiot!" _Dread seethed, hissing through his teeth as his hits came harder, punching into any inch of skin he could with strong force. "No wonder nobody wants you, you fucking pathetic dirty whore! You fucking reject, stupid fuck! This is why nobody fucking wants you, you know that Bam? _Huh?" _

He wasn't sure if it was the withdrawal of drugs, or just the emotional upheaval of being helpless once again, but soon the sobbing came once again- his entire body shaking as he was pounded into yet again by Dread's hits and insults. He was growing weaker and weaker, and his voice became stronger as he found himself screaming.

"_I'm sorry!" _Bandit screamed back, kicking back weakly. His body twitched with pain, his muscles cramping and stinging as he sobbed back against Dread's slams. _"Don't! S-stop! P-ple-ease!" _He sobbed back, gripping at the mattress as he attempted to fight back. "Don' Dread, please! I'm so sore-"

"_And-" _Dread snarled in his face, gripping both of his shoulders to pin him down. His eyes burned into his face, his black eyes narrowing. "You don't do _shit _about it, do ya? Try and help you and you fucking reject me, after all I've fucking done for you-"

Bandit's eyes squeezed shut, blocking him out. But soon he found himself being heaved from his spot, his body screaming with pain as he weakly tried to protest.

"_Wai-wait no-" _Bandit mumbled, still crying as he toppled to the ground, suddenly hugging at the cement floor. Dread tugged him back up roughly, a strong grip on his shirt.

"Shut the fuck up, _Bambi." _Dread spat at him, yanking him forward towards the hallway with enough force to make his body lurch painfully. Bandit weakly followed, his legs shaking like jelly. "We're gonna go play a _game."_

* * *

As Dodge walked through the doors of his workplace, his heart sunk heavily in his chest as his eyes found the expressions on his friend's faces. There was no denying those sullen expressions- Dingo's deep green eyes were downcast and filled with worry- the same look of complete helplessness and fear that he had worn when he had met Allie in the hospital. Trent, looking more pale than usual, was shaking with obvious nerves- his usually brawny, sturdy figure looked suddenly pathetic and weakened. His grey eyes were wide and pathetic, staring between Dingo and Dodge hoping for any sign of leadership or strength- probably hoping someone would tell him what to do- give any guidance.

Dodge stomped across the room grudgingly, running his fingers through his hair as he struggled to keep his cool. All of this was just too much- he knew he had to keep his head clear if he was to lead his friends out of this, but all he could see was the look on his girlfriend's- _ex _girlfriend's face as he broke it off with her. Out of sheer _fear _as well...he got _scared, _so he _let her go. _That thought alone, and the sight of her shocked, hurt face when he'd snapped so harshly at her, haunted him. He couldn't let it go. He lost her. He had to.

_Right?_

He shook his head of these troubling thoughts, the seas of doubt seem to rock him- giving him one harsh, painful headache. Instead he tried as hard as he could to concentrate on the troubles ahead, the painful memories that came with that one mention of his brother- Dread. And Bandit, one of his best friends, who he always made sure was safe and okay, was gone. The feeling of failure and fear seemed to seep into him, but he roughly pushed them aside too. He had to. Gritting his teeth, he folded his arms as he stood before his two friends- sighing deeply.

"So..." He growled gravely, gulping as he tried to brace himself for the worst. "What is it?"

Dingo grimly looked away, as if afraid to say. Weakly he held up the iPod in his hand, and heaved a sigh. "Doesn't look good, dude." He muttered. "With the bloodstain over there, and Bandit nowhere to be found- I found this, and it looks like it was Dread's. I mean..." At this, Dingo and Trent exchanged anxious looks. "It's got his kind of stuff on it..."

Dodge took it, and attempted to scroll through the contents. He didn't even read what type of music seemed to appear, already the tiny appliance sat in his hand too familiarly- he had seen it too many times before. Music was a huge part of Dread's life, and Dodge could tell from the scratches and smudges all over the player that it belonged to his brother- nobody else could put something through that much hell and it still hold a huge collection of screaming songs. His heart sat heavy in his chest just as the player sat on his palm, and all Dodge could feel was sick trepidation- an emotion only his older brother could make him feel.

"We can't jump to conclusions..." Dingo muttered strongly, his lips twisting in distaste. "I mean, it could be somebody else's..." At this, he gave Trent a knowing look. "There's no need to automatically assume the worst case-"

At Trent's snarl, Dodge quickly stepped in- his throat tight. "We might as well take proper precautions." He growled at them both. His heart was hammering, and his body was screaming at him to take Dingo's side- deny the entire thing, like his brother being in the same country as him wasn't even possible. But his mind powered through with common sense, logically framing his words to come strong, despite the fact he felt like fainting. "Bandit's gone, and we don't know where. Finding him is the number one priority." He bit his lip, gnawing on the already raw flesh nervously. "I think we should talk to Maurice- look at the options. Maybe we can find out how they're doing back home, if they're safe and sound in prison."

"That's the thing..." Trent snapped. "_If."_

Dodge's teeth dug into his bottom lip again as he turned, trying as hard as he could to stay strong. But he knew Trent- Trent was more likely than any of them to lose it and go ballistic. Dodge was the logical, calm one of the trio- but even he was finding it hard to think straight. Looking into Trent's wide, panicking grey eyes- he knew Trent was even closer to losing it.

"I can't lose him, Dodge!" Trent spat before Dodge could offer one word of comfort. "I can't! Not again."

"We won't _lose _anyone!" Dingo growled at him, and Dodge could tell he was close to losing it as well. Dingo hated anyone panicking- it made him panic and he was more likely to snap at anyone. "Bandit's _fine, _didn't I just say that? And it may not be Dread okay? And even if it was, he can't do much damage without his fucking gang behind him."

"And Dread won't kill Bandit..." Dodge added quietly. Dingo cast him a fierce look, but Dodge merely returned the gesture. "We have to take precautions anyway, D. You know that. We can't risk _anything, _especially with Bandit missing. We gotta protect what we can- any way to get to us. You gotta make sure Abby's safe."

"She's fine." Dingo snarled defensively, but his emerald eyes seemed to widen with fear. He hesitated, his heart hammering at the very thought. "Y...you really think she's in danger?"

Dodge shrugged grimly. "We can't be too careful. I made sure Cherry was okay-"

"How?" Trent muttered, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Dodge glared at him.

"Never mind. When Dingo said it could be Dread I took proper precautions. She's fine. Now drop it."

Dingo and Trent exchanged glances, but otherwise remained silent.

"I'll go talk to Abby." Dingo mumbled after a long silence. He looked gloomy. "Try to convince her to...stay away for a while, I guess...She's got less than 2 months to go on this pregnancy, she should be resting anyway..."

Dodge had to smirk at that, but turned to Trent with his eyes downcast. "We'll go talk to the coppers. Might as well make sure nothing else has come up, and maybe we can look more for Bando. Could be making a big deal out of nothing...he could have just stumbled home drunk now-the music could belong to anyone, really..."

Trent sighed. "Hope so."

* * *

_Trend didn't deal with crowds- he practically vomited at the thought of public speaking, couldn't stand being around new people and hated performing. So he really didn't know why he was here..._

_He pushed his way through the crowded club, keeping his eyes firmly locked on his band mate in front of him. Chase- his bass guitarist, could easily tower over most of the people around anyway. The only difficulty was- everyone around him in this heavy metal club seemed to be clad in black- and only black. Getting through the sea of dark bodies was a nightmare for a sixteen year old shortie- clad in a tight grey shirt. He was getting a lot of looks- most disapproving, but some knowing. He kept his head low- his eyes scanning for a familiar face. The moment he found her, he wasted no time in making a beeline for her, his Converse high tops practically skating across the sticky floor in his haste._

"_Emma!" He shouted out to her, but the brunette didn't appear to notice. Trent scoffed in annoyance, jogging closer. "Belle! Hey! BELLE!"_

_Emma turned around in excitement, her chestnut eyes widening happily before falling onto Trent, where her gaze turned slightly duller in slight disappointment. _

"_Oh..." She murmured, but politely kept her composure and gave him a cordial smile. "Hi, Trent."_

_Trent casually looked her over. As usual, Emma was nothing 'spesh'. Her skin was pale, and shone against the dull lighting of the club, a few pimples scattered her cheeks were slightly tinted by makeup, her hippy, curvy figure was clothed in plain black jeans and a simple purple tank top that did nothing for her figure- like she had one to begin with. She was...Regular. Normal. Trent had to pity her. Not that she was ugly, but nobody would have ever given her a second glance. _

"_You seen Bandit yet?" He asked her, straight to the point with wide, anxious grey eyes. Emma had to sigh- he was so typical when he wasn't surrounded by his regular gang of followers. _

"_Yeah..." Emma sighed, nodding to where she had seen her 'best friend' come in only ten minutes earlier. "He came in with Dread, of course. I think your bands before his, so you probably won't see him..."_

_Trent twisted his lips in displeasure. He'd never admit it to his band members, but the entire reason he agreed to do this stupid gig was to get Bandit's attention- an apology mixed with a plea to come back. Sure, he was only seventeen- but having his best friend torn away from him for so long was enough to drive him insane. He couldn't talk to anyone the same way...and nobody seemed to understand him like Bandit..._

"_Fuck." He hissed, growling to himself. Emma gave him a pitying look, though she still looked weary. Dodge appeared from the crowd behind them, nudging Trent with the heel of his hand. _

"_Trent, we're about to go on. Hey, Em."_

"_Hey Dodge." Emma gave him a kind smile. "Good Luck."_

"_Thanks." Dodge rolled his eyes at that, but gave Trent a knowing smirk anyway. "I'll need it, with _his _song of choice."_

"_It's well known!" Trent snarled at his retreating back, chasing after him backstage. He tried to ignore the backflips in his stomach, his throat tightening in warning. His face was flushed with embarrassment, and he wasn't even on stage yet. _

_What felt like a few short minutes later Trent was holding back the thought of vomiting as they stood on stage, setting up for their set. It was a simple gig, a simple contest in a well known local venue- but Trent still felt like bailing. He wanted to surf over that large gathering crowd and bolt towards the front door. He hated singing, especially in public. The only thing that held his feet to the stage floor was what this whole charade aimed to achieve- and that was to get his best friend back. He scanned the crowds for a sign of his face- and his heart drooped towards his shoes as he saw a pair of familiar ocean blue eyes stare at him from the crowd- wide and anxious. If the striking colour didn't get him, it was the dark purple bruise a few inches from his eye- tainting his pale complexion and standing out in the dark lighting. He was biting at his nails nervously, Emma beside him talking soothingly, patting him on the back. Trent locked eyes with him, trying to show he wasn't turning away anymore. Bandit looked away, back towards the left of the stage- where he knew his boyfriend would be setting up for his own set...and probably fuming with anger as well. _

"_Trent!" Dodge muttered to him, narrowing his eyes in warning. Another reason why Trent wasn't running out of the club as though it was on fire- what Dodge would do to him. He had been dragged along to this gig thanks to Trent's begging- and the common knowledge that his guitar skill alone would be able to carry the tune, as well as Trent's vocal chords. They had a good beat, and it was easy money...but between Trent and Dodge- there were further benefits hoping to be gained by this endeavour... And that was the key back to Bandit's heart...What Trent wanted. "Are you ready to do this or what?"_

_Trent quickly glanced towards who used to be his best friend in the crowds- the person he couldn't get off his mind, no matter how many chicks he dated, or hooked up with. He bit his lip. He had to get him back. He had to. He tore his gaze away from those shocking ocean blue eyes- turning back to Dodge's ready icy blue ones instead. _

"_Yeah." He growled, swallowing as he stood strong. "Tell 'em we're ready."_

_Dodge nodded, turning around to gesture at a stagehand. They were already introduced, all there was left was to play. Trent stood at the front of the stage, and the background music stopped- ready for the live play. His throat tightened, but so did his stomach with a strong, throbbing desire to yell and scream- exactly what he was built for. His steel grey eyes scanned the room as he gripped the microphone stand, glaring and ready for battle. Bandit stared with caution, his eyes wide. Trent glared back. _

_He knew who he had to beat. _

_The drums began the steady rhythm, Dodge on lead guitar quickly following with a well known melody. Trent counted the beats in his head- gripping the mic hard as he concentrated on when to come in. A few more taps of the drum, the strum of the electric guitar- and he took a deep breath..._

"_We were both young when I first saw you,  
I close my eyes and the flashback starts,  
I'm Standing there...  
On a balcony in summer air..."_

_Dodge slammed down on the guitar and the drums and bass kicked in, Trent holding his fist in the air as the crowd started to laugh and cheer- some jeering at such a popular song being played at a heavy metal club. Most started jumping with the heavy beat- a rock kick to such a mainstream song. Trent allowed his eyes to wander for that split second- meeting Bandit's sapphire blue eyes. Bandit stared, awed. He was always a fan for that mushy stuff. Bandit never thought Trent would actually put himself in this position...for him. Trent smirked, continuing on shouting the lyrics. _

"_See the lights,  
See the party, the ballgowns,  
See you make your way through the crowd  
And say hello...  
Little did I know..."_

_He pointed to the crowd- ignoring the wild bunch at the front to focus on the miniature Bandit- who jumped in alarm- a deer caught in headlights. Trent smirked, knowing he'd put him on the spot. The band continued to play behind him as he started to scream the next lyrics- fully showing his strong vocal chords._

"_But you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles!  
My Daddy said stay away from JULIET!  
And I was crying on the staircase,  
Begging 'ya-"_

"_Please don't go..." Dodge sang with him, unable to hold back rolling his eyes as he smirked. Trent snickered, jumping up and down as the chorus came. _

"_And I said-  
Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone,  
I'll be waiting,  
All there's left to do is run  
You be the prince and I'll be the princess,  
It's a love story, baby just say YES!"_

"_YEEES!" Trent screamed into the mic, holding it in the air as the crowd screamed with him, rocking and moshing to the heavy cover. Bandit couldn't resist a smile, gazing up at his former best friend and the way he was smirking and only looking at him- he knew the song was for him. Despite everything- despite Dread-_

_His eyes widened, his heart freezing in the spot. Shit. Dread._

_Dread was on the other side of the stage, standing with his own band. He watched fuming as his number one enemy jumped around to the song- noting all the little looks and smiles he and HIS pet were exchanging. He was boiling with anger, shaking with fury. He wanted to knock them both out, make them beg for mercy-_

"_Cause we were both young when I first saw you..."_

* * *

Rachel and Nigel were cuddled up on the couch, watching a movie. Rachel's eyes were slowly closing, and Nigel was already half asleep. Not that the movie was remotely boring, the couple was just so relaxed leaning against each other, snuggled close against the pillows. It was the first time in a long time where they both were completely content- without a worry on their minds. It was bliss, for a moment or two, to finally have zero concerns on their mind...

But they knew it wouldn't last.

And with a slam of Rachel's front door, the couple were knocked out of their sleepy stupor and awoken by Fanny's unmistakably furious shouts.

"_COMEPLETE...FUCKHEAD!" _Rang up the hallway, followed by a serious of angry stomps.

"Fan's home..." Rachel muttered sleepily, her lips crinkling with worry. She hadn't heard her friend so angry in a long time...ever since she got with-

Her hazel eyes widened.

_Oh dear._

"Fan?" She called up the hallway, gently rising from Nigel's chest and perking her head up in worry. "You okay? What happened?"

The couple winced as they heard the furious redhead's favourite sneakers stomp against the floorboards, and soon they were staring into the famous fuming face of the pissed off Irish girl- her frizzled hair falling into her face, her hands curled into vicious fists and her usually warm friendly gaze narrowed and feral. She gave a vicious snarl, launching into one of her rants that Rachel had _not _missed...

"Oh- I'll tell you what _happened!" _Fanny screeched, anger pumping through her with vigour as she struggled to remain calm. "Being spat out and kicked while I'm down is what _happened! _Dodge is a fucking idiot and deserves to be eaten alive by wild pigs! That's what fucking _happened! _He turned around and completely dumped me without a trace of fucking empathy and any consideration for my feelings- that's what HAPPENED!"

Nigel and Rachel were left blinking with awe as Fanny panted with fury, her nostrils flared and her cheeks flushed red with complete rage. She wasn't even making an effort to keep calm this time. She wanted to hold onto this wrath, and never let it go. She knew, deep down, and she hated to admit it- but Dodge had really gotten to her. They really had something, and Dodge had led her into it, only to rip it to shreds within a matter of seconds. She knew she was upset, completely destroyed- but she couldn't cry. That wasn't her...that wasn't Fanny Fullbright. And she wasn't going to let _some stupid boy _get to her like that...no.

_I'll show him..._She found herself thinking, her mind racing with thoughts of revenge. The old Fanny was coming back, she managed to repress the tears easily. _Oh I'll make him regret this..he'll be sorry...I'll show him, he messed with the wrong girl. He lied to me. Oh, I'll show him..._

She stomped to her room, slamming her door in the process as she continued to seethe. As she grabbed for her phone out of her pocket, the ideas began to form- ways to get back at her now _ex-boyfriend _and what he'd done...how he'd hurt her. She couldn't let that go. She couldn't feel the pain. Fanny Fullbright doesn't let any guy-

She stopped, her hand going limp as she stared around her room. Being only a lonely College freshman, she couldn't afford too much of a big room- all that was included in the tiny space was a large double bed and a small dresser with a TV on top. She stared at that bed- and how many memories it truly carried with it. She'd truly met Dodge on that bed- she'd woken up beside him only to scream in horror. It had been the first time she'd ever done anything that reckless, and it had only been to get over her senseless crush on Hoagie.

...

_The redheaded Irish girl frowned in her sleep. She'd just had the weirdest dream- she was at a party, with a bunch of guys and girls from college. She'd felt really bad, awful, as she'd seen Hoagie talking to another girl. She'd drunk a lot…a lot of alcohol…she could hardly remember the quantity. And this guy…that guy…did she kiss him? He tasted so metallic. She swallowed. What a weird dream, she could still taste metal in her mouth._

_Her frown deepened and she shuffled away. She could feel something rubbing against her back. Wait…her back? Why did it feel so cold? Why did her head hurt so much? She reached a hand over and felt it, groaning as her headache pounded around in her skull. Was she…__hungover?__ Was she…NAKED?_

_She groaned, rolling over. She froze as she hit something. A body._

_Her eyes opened._

_"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She found herself screaming, sitting up in bed and looking at the guy next to her. He jumped wildly, looking around in a dazed way._

_"__Wha-"_

_"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" She screamed, her eyes widening at him. She'd never seen him before, she could barely remember him! And yet here he was, some random stranger in her bed!_

_He groaned, reaching over and stealing one of her pillows. He was pretty cute, with a tanned, muscular body with tattoos scrawled over his arms and back. He frowned, running a hand through his dark chestnut hair._

_"Take it easy, Babe." He mumbled roughly, laying back down and yawning. "You'll remember me soon enough."_

_"I-" Her mouth fell open as she realised he was almost naked. Her mouth fell open even wider when she realised she was completely naked. She pulled a sheet up to her chin, gazing at him. "I- You- Did we- What- The- You- HELL-"_

_He groaned loudly, falling back to sleep. __Pillow so comfy…_

_"Shhhhh Babe!" He snarled moodily, waving his hand lazily as he snuggled into his pillow. "Hangovers are a bitch."_

_She reached a hand up and held a hand to her head. "I…Did I…."_

_"Yep"_

_"And you-"_

_"Yep"_

_"We-"_

_"Yep"_

_Fanny's eyes were now as wide as dinner plates. She felt slightly faint. She didn't do this, this wasn't her…she loved Hoagie…didn't she?_

_Oh please __She felt her sore brain snarl. __He barely knows you exist anyway_

_Fanny sighed, sinking her head back into the pillow. She curled up into a ball, her eyes still on the half snoozing boy beside her. What happened last night?_

_The stranger sighed deeply and wrapped a muscular arm around her. She frowned._

_"I don't even know your name."_

_"Dunno yours either" he mumbled carelessly._

_Fanny's eyebrows rose. __Fair point. I bet if he did he wouldn't have gone through with it._

_"Does this mean we're a couple now?" She asked him. She tried not to grin as she thought of her father's reaction if she brought __this __guy home._

_"Nup" The guy muttered, rubbing his cold nose into her back. "Sorry, babes. I don't do relationships."_

_Fanny frowned, there was something familiar about this guy's accent. Australian or something. She eventually closed her eyes. Her brain was much too sore to be able to think clearly._

_Dodge turned out to be right- Hangovers __are __a bitch._

...

Her phone began to buzz in her hand, and the tears seemed to be shaken from her- dripping down her face as her phone continued to ring. She looked down- stupidly hoping to see Dodge's name on her screen. But her heart lifted slightly, as well as her stomach seemed to cramp- as she answered anyway, sighing into the receiver as she sniffed back her tears.

"Patton?" She answered, swallowing her pride. "Hey...I haven't seen you in ages...let's go out tonight..." she kicked at the carpet, and she couldn't understand why this felt so wrong to her. "Yeah..." She sighed again, nibbling on her bottom lip. "Just you and me."

* * *

When Dodge and Trent finally made their way up the police station steps and through the doors, the last thing they expected to see was Dingo already there- looking nervous and out of place near Abby's family. They exchanged glances, and Dodge approached with sly caution as he tried to gather what the hell was going on. Trent followed, his eyes wide and his shakes returning.

Dingo cast a careful look across at Abby's family, who seemed to be circling around a sobbing Cree and giving her any comfort they could. He gently eased away, looking panicky as he approached Dodge and Trent with wide eyes. Dodge held in a groan. What _now? _

"Maurice is under suspicion for murder." He hissed lowly at the guys, quickly glancing back at the family behind him. He turned back, his eyes wide. "He wrote a check to a girl who was found shot near the airport, so was that Hoagie guy. The guy who owns the phone I found."

Trent narrowed his eyes, Dodge merely frowned. His mind was ticking away furiously, but still could come to no logical confusion.

"What...the fuck does that mean?" He hissed back.

"And the guy has disappeared..." Dingo muttered, nibbling his bottom lip. "Found in the same place Bandit was? There's gotta be a connection.."

"Who's the girl?" Trent rasped, his eyes now widening. "The girl that was shot?"

"Jane Doe- They don't have a name for her..." Dingo whispered, his eyes downcast. "She's not in their _system..."_

"Meaning?" Trent asked. Dodge sighed, closing his eyes with a grave sense of foreboding washing over him.

"She might be in another _country's _system..." Dodge answered, his fear rising. All three boys fell into a deep silence, finally broken by Dingo's dark words.

"The girls..." Trent rasped, his lips agape and his face a sickly white. "You don't think-?"

They heard a sniff behind them and turned to see Abby shuffling over with a tissue rubbing against her nose, her bloodshot eyes downcast. She blinked dully, staring up at Dingo fearfully.

"They're going to start the questioning soon..." She mumbled to Dingo, looking ready to burst into tears again. So much had already happened within her family; she hated to think this could happen too...and at what was supposed to be the happiest time of her sister's life...

Dingo's lips crinkled nervously. He hated to see his girl so down, and especially when his own worries and fears were surfacing- his own family as well as his family of friends, were in danger. If one of the girls' bodies really was on a slab in a police station- someone was truly out to get them...and if Maurice was locked up under questioning- they had no way out, no way to safety.

He sensed big trouble ahead. Something didn't feel right.

"Maurice didn't do anything wrong..." Abby mumbled to him angrily, looking miserable. "I can't believe this is happening...he must have been set up- and Chad is apparently gone too..." She added angrily. "But the sergeant said something about a police officer just last week murdered- I bet they're all on edge..."

"Don't worry about it, Baby..." Dingo muttered to her soothingly, brushing his own fears aside. "It'll be okay- Maurice probably has nothing to hide, he's a good guy...they'll find that out soon enough."

Abby nodded, sniffling. She knew Dingo was right, it was just another thing that was going wrong in a world that used to be so simple and easy to her. How could anyone think her brother-in-law could do such a thing? Who _could _do such a thing?

"You guys...take care of yourselves..." Dingo muttered to his friends, his eyes wide suggesting that there was more to take care of. "I'm needed here..." He put his arm around his girls shoulders, and both Dodge and Trent nodded- trying as hard as they could not to let their own panic show. They were skilled in that regard, and merely looked empathetic as Abby buried her face in Dingo's jacket, carried away with her own worries.

"Don't worry, we got this." Dodge murmured to him. The two nodded, and Dingo lead Abby back to her family, who were waiting for any word on Maurice. So far, all they heard was that it was a 'routine' questioning- but hints that Maurice was their only, and number one, suspect.

"_Can I help you gents with anything?" _A voice came from behind the pair. They turned to see a uniformed cop approach them, looking cautious. "This isn't the best waiting room..."

"We...we're looking for our friends..." Dodge blurted out, unable to stop himself. "We haven't seen them for a number of days- we really didn't want to go this far and we hope it's not necessary, but we're worried and...none of us can find either of them."

His brow furrowed worriedly, a look of concern masking over his suspicious glance. "A missing person? Did you want to file a report?"

"Ah...I guess we better- we're pretty concerned..." Dodge mumbled. The policeman nodded, turning around to retrieve something from the desk. As soon as he was out of earshot Trent shoved him roughly, his eyes narrowing.

"What are you _doing?" _He hissed. "We don't know where the girls have gone! They- they could be-"

"We've got no other choice." Dodge hissed back. "It's too much of a coincidence that our inside contacts are under suspicion- Bandit's gone and the girls..."

"Don't get Bandit into this..." Trent mumbled, his eyes wide. "We haven't checked at home yet, he wouldn't want the cops on his ass-"

"Fine- but it's too much of a horrible coincidence that someone who has a connection to Maurice has been found dead- and it's a girl..." Dodge mumbled, feeling sick. "We have to at least find the girls- if it's one of them...well..."

Trent nodded, his eyes downcast. He really didn't want to finish the rest of Dodge's sentence, he knew how much trouble they already were in. He had the feeling something was after them- even when they were logically safe, and they had been for a long time. Something was up, a horrible feeling of dread and worry was washing over him, reminding him of the past- something they'd left behind. He knew only one thing.

He had to find Bandit.

* * *

Dingo stared at the foreign phone in his hand- knowing it was an important key to what was obviously a crime scene. He didn't know who the phone belonged to- all he knew was that it had something to do with his brother...as Wally was the one calling it. Whoever owned it was gone- and the garage was the last place he went.

Dingo bit his lip. Without knowing it, he'd been dragged into a hellhole of drama that included his family- his little brother and his pregnant girlfriend. Guilt overwhelmed him. Somehow he knew this entire mess was his fault...he had to sort it out, but he knew it was out of his control. The only thing that was within his control was this meeting...this supposed gathering between brothers to 'sort out' whatever happened between them...

_It's something..._

He bit his lip. Dingo had always been the leader- the protector of the pack- willing to give up anything to defend and protect his family and friends. It didn't matter what the cost was.

He tightened his grip on Abby's shoulders, listening to her worried sighs against his shirt as she said goodbye to her own family- her own worries about Maurice, and how it would impact her own circle of peace and comfort... it had turned her world upside down- and Dingo knew he could fix it...somehow.

He just had to protect- something he knew he was good at.

_Hey Bro... _he found himself punching into his phone, the message labelled 'to Wally.' _Change of plans- we're meeting somewhere more secure. Meet tonight at the club instead- 10pm._

* * *

Leyla stared over the endless bounds of ocean- her eyes widening at the mesmerising thought. She had never even left the country before, although she'd always hoped to, she never thought it would be under the current circumstances. Twisting her lips in worry, she turned to see her redhead partner, Holly, was already fast asleep on her arm- her hair fluttering softly as it hung in her face, morphed into a troubled expression as she slept. Leyla sighed, pitying the girl as she pushed the ginger coloured hair out of her eyes. She must have lost sleep last night, poor thing.

She tore her gaze away from her, instead staring out of the window again. Splashes of pink, orange and yellow radiated out of the sky and bled over the ocean- coating the entire scenery in colour. She sighed again, watching the sunset with interest. Going on this trip- she didn't know what to expect, what to think, what she would have to face. But she knew once the sun rose again, they'd be on the coast of the USA- ready to face a whole new battle.

She cradled her head in her hands. Leyla had faced enough battles in her life- from the time she was born, all the way through her teens, adulthood- and it was still going. She didn't mind too much- it was all she knew growing up. But the one thing she hated was weakness- how that was what she was known as through the years. The 'weak' one- one to need protection and defending. All because she saw the good in everyone- _and that isn't a weakness_... she always told herself. _It's a strength. _

She looked out at the sky, at the ocean. Now it was different. She wasn't what she once was. She had changed since her boys left- since her boyfriend left. She'd had to take care of herself, she had to protect herself. Now it was different. She knew that.

She snarled, her usually calm, icy blue eyes flashing in disturbance- narrowing with determination. Her hands flittered to her jeans- where locked in between her plain white underwear and the waistband of her light sky blue jeans- a small, sharp butterfly knife sat. It was easier than she thought to sneak it past security- and it was only the beginning. She wasn't playing by the rules anymore.

Now- she was ready to show everyone what she was really capable of.

* * *

Mushi could tell the pain she was feeling would not go away quickly, and as she slumped against the cold wall behind her she could only cry, only there were no more tears left to shed. The poor sixteen year old, always sheltered like the innocent one her parents believed she was, only seemed to want excitement in her life- but she never thought her chase for adventure would land her _here. _She still couldn't grasp this was reality- and all that seemed to keep her conscious was Hoagie's consistent gesture- his arms stretching out from his binds to grip her hand and give it a comforting squeeze.

The darkness still loomed around them, the pain was overwhelming, and Jayden's grave words still rang in their heads. Hoagie knew they were in deep, deep trouble- and if they didn't give answers soon he couldn't imagine what these psychos would do. Hoagie kept glancing over to Mushi- and it broke his heart to see the silhouette of a broken, weeping teenager who had almost completely given in- subjected to so many fears and horrors already that nobody her age should ever have to face...

He knew he had to protect her.

He knew he was her only hope.

The door flew open and sound immediately filled the room. Hoagie could tell the room was soundproof- as the sudden noise startled both of them- and his eyes only widened at the sight that followed.

Bandit was shoved roughly through the door, immediately stumbling onto the cement floor and issuing a pathetic whimper. His bruised skin shone so brightly in the dark light it made Hoagie feel physically sick, and his heart only sank deeper as he saw Dread stomp in after him, looking virtually homicidal.

It was the first time he truly saw his two captors- together, at least. Jayden was still as threatening- tall and lean, the full definition of his muscular physique shone in the dark light as did his light grey eyes- which glimmered with mirth at the both of them. Dread, however, his black eyes showed no emotion- they were dead and lifeless- inky endless depths of black. They were narrowed angrily, his muscular shoulders hunched and his fists balled as he kept a firm grip on Bandit's shirt- shoving him forward and dragging him close. Bandit looked truly terrified. Hoagie vaguely remembered the bouncy, lively hyperactive Bandit he used to work with- trailing around listening to P!nk on his iPod...

"Bandit!" Hoagie hissed in alarm, his eyes widening. Bandit's swollen eyes turned to him, and he seemed to shudder with sudden shock, glancing back to Dread with fear. He knew something was about to go seriously wrong- it was serious this time. Dread stared back, cold and dead. He shoved him into the opposite wall, Bandit slamming roughly to the concrete and crumpling beside Hoagie. Hoagie watched him fall to the floor- collapsing like a house of cards hit by a light breeze. He let out a yelp of pain, gripping at the wall as he struggled to get to a sitting position. Hoagie stared, his eyes widening at Bandit recoiling in pain. He turned his gaze to Dread, amazingly energised as well as infuriated by the display. "You fucking tool! The Hell'd you do to him!"

"_N-no..." _Bandit whimpered in warning, staring up at him pleading. "Don't-"

"_He _knows what happens when you mouth off to me." Dread snarled at him, his bottomless black eyes narrowed. "Unless you wanna learn the hard way too, shut your fucking mouth before I put it to better use."

Hoagie snarled at him, unable to hold it back. Bandit only watched him fearfully, sneaking a quick look to Mushi. She looked distraught and horrified- but still alive at least. He turned back to Dread, hoping he still had some of his 'charm' left to work on him.

"Pl-Please don't d-drag them in on this, Dread..." He begged him. "Do what you want to me but leave them out of it, I'll b-behave-"

"_You _won't answer questions!" Dread snarled at him. "You don't know what's good for you! You answer our questions there won't _be _any trouble Bambi! But you and you're fucking _pride _won't let that happen, will it? Fuck Bandit- you tell us where your pathetic fucking_ friends_ are and this will all be over! You and I can go back to how we once were!"

He twisted his lips angrily as his deep dark eyes narrowed, burning with hate as they narrowed in on Bandit, a twitching figure on the floor. Bandit didn't trust himself to speak. Dread still _loved_ him. He still wanted them together- despite everything...

"You won't even do the simplest shit, you stupid _slut." _Dread sneered at him, shaking with anger. "You protect your friends like they're worth something- they haven't done _half _the shit I have! I gave up everything for you- now all there's left to do is play by our own rules, Bandit- you wanna play this fucking game, let's fucking _play, _Bambi."

"What the hell is _wrong _with you!" Hoagie shouted, his eyes widening in alarm. He thought _Jayden _was off the rails- but here was Dread threatening someone he loved, at least he _claimed _to love- it was brutal, and Hoagie could see Bandit was close to breaking. He was twitching and shaking, unable to stand on his own two feet. He merely whimpered and winced, looking sick and weak. Dread twitched, his eyes narrowing. He lowered down to his level, running a few fingers down Bandit's face.

"Shh Baby..." He cooed to him, causing Bandit to look sick. "Don't worry- it'll be over soon."

Bandit let out a sob, choking back tears as he gazed up in fear- looking from Dread to Hoagie. He wished for anything but this- to be trapped and baited like he was nothing more than the victim again, unable to escape.

Dread left him on the floor, and instead slid up to Mushi- his eyes widening eagerly. Mushi recoiled- trying as hard as she could to back up to the wall. Her eyes were wide and pathetic- pleading for mercy. She had no idea what was about to happen, her body was numb with pain and shock. She let out a sob, a flood of tears as Dread reached down and yanked her frail body off the ground roughly- hoisting her up and dragging her over. Jayden watched with interest, a smirk playing on his features. Dread continued to look furious, throwing the young girl in between Hoagie and Bandit- the three pair of eyes on him. He stood over Hoagie, who clearly had a lot of defiance still left within him. He cared for the girl- he knew it.

"_You." _He snarled to Hoagie, his black eyes narrowed threateningly. Hoagie held back a wince- feeling Dread's hot breath over his cheek sent foreboding chills down his back. He held himself against the wall, trying to hold back the pain that still existed in his body. Dread bared his teeth, gnashing them like an animal. "-Are going to tell me where to find my fucking brother. _And _his fucking friends- AND their fucking girlfriends! I know you know fucking _something! _And if you don't- you're no fucking use to me! We'll play this fucking _game _until you're useful!"

He stepped back, his face set.

"So now..." Dread began, his muscles tensing. His entire body was stiff and leering over him, his dark hair hanging in those dead eyes. "The first round."

"I don't know _anything!" _Hoagie insisted- flashes of Dodge, Fanny, Abby and Dingo rushing through his head. He tried blocking them away. Dread ignored him, his black eyes flashing in annoyance, and instead watched the two on the ground- Bandit, shaking and whimpering with pain and withdrawal- and Mushi, shaking with fear and squeaking with pain. He smirked. _This is gonna be fun..._

"You get this question right- you win the round..." He snickered darkly, his teeth bared. "And you will be rewarded handsomely...food, comfy place to sleep, I'll even run out to whatever fucking fast food restaurant you want..." He gestured randomly, as if truly impersonating a cheesy host on a game show. "_But..."_ And at this, he glared back at Mushi and Bandit angrily. "If you get the question wrong- you'll have to have something _taken away... _something I want. Something _I_ need_, _instead of what _you _need."

He crept closer, so close their noses were almost touching. The tips of Dread's dark hair tickled Hoagie's face, and caused his stomach to tense with immediate sickness. Staring into those black eyes- those bottomless pits of hate and anger- brought him close to vomiting. He could only feel the true desperate nature of their situation creep closer; he knew he had to protect his friends...his family...Mushi...

He stared back, trying to be strong. "You're sick." Was all he could choke out. Dread's smirk split his face, and his tongue swiped at his lips.

"And right now, College Boy..." He sneered, grabbing at Hoagie's collar. To his horror, Hoagie felt himself be dragged forward so his head rested on Dread's solid shoulder, Dread's lips pressing against his ear. His blood run cold- frozen in his veins as his captor hissed into his ear.

"I'm fucking_ horny."_

He let go, stepping back and giving him a mischievous grin. Hoagie felt his bottom lip droop, his body numb and limp.

* * *

Wallabee jolted awake, a steady vibration thumping against his leg. He quickly whipped out his phone, anxious to see who was calling him. His heart sank at the sight of a text- and even more depressing was seeing his own brother's name. Surely Hoagie would have contacted them by now? He was growing much more worried- Hoagie wasn't the type to just run off without telling anyone...

Fear filled him and he shook it off, trying not to think of the worst. Instead he glanced at the text Dingo sent- noting the change of location of their meeting. Immediately he was suspicious, narrowing his eyes at his brother's words. _Tonight. _He still dreaded going- he didn't want to face his brother after what he did- he didn't trust himself alone with him...maybe Dingo didn't either- that's why they were meeting somewhere more public.

He threw his phone aside- glancing at the time. Only 5 'o'clock. He glanced over at his girlfriend- who was laying beside him on his bed, tapping away at her laptop on an assignment she was working on. She was everything to him- the way she fluttered those long, thick lashes, her bright, glazy violet eyes, slim line, smooth, milky skin- the way she lay her petite body in front of him- draped in the way of affection...

He sighed, soothed by her very presence, and leaned down to give her a sweet kiss on the shoulder. His golden blonde hair draped over his face and tickled her skin, and Kuki gave a tinkling laugh, turning away from the screen to smile at him. He immediately smiled back, his ill feelings immediately extinguished.

No matter what- she made everything better.

* * *

"And now..." Dread cooed, "Our lucky contestants!"

Bandit whimpered again, weakly attempting to fight back as Dread snatched him up one handed- gripping onto his shirt with one tight fist and wrenching him to his shaky feet. Mushi soon followed, a gasp escaping her as Jayden grabbed onto her- the pair stood up in front of bound Hoagie as he stayed attached to the wall- powerless. He looked on, horrified.

"_N-no- _don't hurt her!" Hoagie shouted, pulling against his bonds. "L-let her go! Sh-She's not part of this shit! Let them both _go!"_

"Your question!" Dread barked over him, shaking Bandit threateningly as he spoke. Bandit's eyes widened at Hoagie- pleading and fearful. "Where's the rest of this fucking gang, huh? We're missing a fair few, aren't we? Where are their chicks, more importantly? How can we get to them?" He snarled in a low whisper, grabbing at Mushi's face- his thumb and fingers gripping at her cheeks so he forced the girl's pale, bruised face to gaze at him, deep violet-blue eyes wide. "You don't wanna hurt this face even more, do ya?"

Mushi sniffled, and Hoagie noticed Jayden had a tight grip on her and he looked overjoyed at holding the weak teenager, watching her feebly trying to fight back with no hope at winning. He snickered, and Mushi's wide eyes turned to stare at Hoagie- begging and scared. She was shaking, and Hoagie could see she desperately needed food and water- she was wasting away, too weak to even stand and obviously in deep pain-

"I can't!" He begged them, eyes wide with his appeal. "Look I don't know where they live! They kept to themselves-"

Dread snarled at him, grabbing a chair and heaving it across the room in one quick movement. He turned back- his face twisted with rage and his chest heaving like a wounded animal. The chair splintered into pieces, and Dread's grip on Bandit became agonising as Bandit buckled with the pain, letting out a small wail.

"WRONG ANSWER!" He screamed at Hoagie- who shook at the force, his head splitting with pain.

"No!" He screamed back. "I JUST DON'T KNOW! JUST LET THEM GO!"

"Oh- I'll let them go!" Dread sneered at him. "Which fucking one?"

"W-wh-" Hoagie stared at him, his dry mouth agape. "What-"

"I said- I'll take what I need." Dread repeated angrily, his eyes narrowing. "So which one, ay? Which one will you spare- which one do you throw to the dogs?" He threw Bandit forward, so he stumbled to the floor at Hoagie's feet. "The precious _Bambi..." _He growled, turning and nodding to Jayden. Mushi, now breaking down with frightened, uncontrolled sobs, soon joined Bandit on the ground- sprawled out so her weak figure crumpled on the cement. She was cold, frightened and all she could think about was home- her mother, her father, her sister... "Or your fragile, innocent teenager?"

Dread cocked his head. "You have to decide. Who will it be?"

Hoagie shook his head, but he could tell Dread was ready to kill him on the spot if he didn't play along. This was all it was to them- a game, a creative way to destroy people, all to get what they wanted. He shook against that hard, cold wall. His muscles were trembling and shaking in agony- pain soaring through his body and singing his skin. His eyelids drooped tiredly, his mind and body completely exhausted. His eyes lowered to the floor- where two shaking, weak bodies lay.

"I-I can't-"

"Oh...You _Will..." _Dread hissed through gritted teeth, pulling out a knife from his jeans. It opened with a click- the blade shimmering in the limited light. Hoagie gulped- his adam's apple quivering. He could just imagine that sharpened weapons slicing into his skin- and the look locked into those forbidding black eyes confirmed his suspicions. Dread would easily slit his throat- just as he did that young girl...just as he had done to probably many people...

"_I...I..." _Hoagie's lips quivered. He could feel the sick rising up his throat- his stomach twisting in anguish as he took in what he had to do. Dread glared at him expectantly, his patience ticking away. He had to choose...who will suffer. "I...I- I'm s-sorry..." He lowered his eyes, especially taking in the wide, misty ocean blue eyes that were already swollen and leaking- his body shaking against the floor as he could sense it coming. "B-Bandit...I can't- I just-"

Bandit let out a tiny sniff, a few tears seeping from his eyes. He knew it- he knew what Hoagie was trying to say, and he couldn't blame him. Of course he'd protect Mushi, she was innocent- unspoiled, still fragile-

Dread seemed to lighten up, his face breaking into an excited grin as he picked up the 'lucky' winner from the floor, gripping Bandit tightly as he took in his prize. Mushi gasped- her numb, throbbing mind processing what happened. She looked up at Bandit in fear, tears cascading down her face once more.

"NO!" She sobbed, going to crawl towards him. _I can't let this happen- _"Let him GO!"

Jayden, quick as lightening, launched over and dragged her back by the leg- lifting her half off the floor and slamming her back into the ground again. She cried out in pain, begging and pleading nonsense as she struggled through the tears- the rising fear in her throat. Bandit joined her, sobbing and crying as he fought weakly against Dread's arms around him. He felt his ex lick at his throat- gnawing and biting at his skin. He stumbled and shook, his mind cloudy and his body pulsating through the pain. Dread grabbed at his jeans, blindly fumbling for the button to rip them open. He froze, his tired mind ticking away in panic.

"NO!" Bandit screamed, now completely terrified. "Please-please-p-p-please n-n-no-"

"_Too late for begging NOW." _Dread spat in his ear, holding down his arms with one strong grip as the other ripped the material down his legs-his fingernails leaving marks down his pale skin. "You've fucking done it now, Bambi. You've fucking DONE IT!"

"ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Bandit screamed- his mind scrambling with panic and horror. He clawed for release, his vision blinded by tears and his body numb with shock. All he could feel was Dread's grip on him- holding him down, suffocating and forceful- it was happening all over again... "DREAD NO! PLEASE NO! PLE-E-EASE!" He broke down crying and begging, screaming and clutching him, anything to get it to stop. It didn't, and Dread kept going- mercilessly tearing Bandit's jeans down his legs and holding him down- his teeth latched onto Bandit's skin- Hoagie and Mushi looked on, helpless. Hoagie had to look away, closing his eyes-

Bandit screamed as loud as his lungs allowed as he tried to wrestle away- but to his horror he found himself pushed against the wall next to him- a few feet from where Hoagie was tied to. Bandit pushed against it- but Dread's strength locked him in place. He sobbed against the brick wall, his skin scraping against the rough edges as he felt Dread push against him. He felt lowest of the low- thinking only of pain, shame, humiliation, degradation-

"Dread! DREAD! STOP! _STOP!"_ Bandit screamed, his throat tightening painfully from lack of breath. His heart was racing- thumping wildly against his chest- but he pushed and fought, biting back screams as he fought for freedom. He couldn't imagine anything worse- his worst nightmare. He never wanted that closeness- that horror- "PLEASE! PLEASE! NO! NOOOO-"

Dread slammed his closed fist against the side of Bandit's face, already pressed against the wall. A deep _crunch _echoed around the room, dulled by his pleas and sobs. Dread's eyes only grew deeper with hunger, grabbing him from the wall and instead shoving the shivering body further down- right into Hoagie.

Hoagie stiffened, his heart thumping in his throat as he was met with wild, wet and desperate blue eyes- Bandit pleading wordlessly as he was pressed into his former co-worker, shoved against the wall where he was bound. Hoagie was powerless- merely a barrier between Bandit and brick. Bandit whimpered at him, and Hoagie's face crinkled in a wince as he saw what he'd be faced with- the full force of his decision.

"Just stop!" He screamed at Dread, who snatched at a handful of Bandit's hair. Bandit yelped, pushed back into Hoagie as Dread shoved himself into him. Hoagie tried to shake him off, fighting against his bonds to do anything to help him. Bandit sobbed back helplessly, clawing at Hoagie as Dread dragged his arms back, his teeth gnawing at his neck and face. "Fucking enough! He's-"

"_He's _none of 'ya _fucking concern!" _Dread sneered at him, saliva dripping down his lips as he gave Hoagie his trademark grin. "You gave him up, didn't 'ya? He's mine now..." He grabbed at his hair again, dragging Bandit back to swipe his tongue over his cheek, Bandit panting in panic- his eyes darting in alarm. He was looking for anything- _anything- _to get out. To escape. Hoagie could only look on pathetically- Bandit's screams and Mushi's sobs echoing in his ears.

"You gave him up." Dread snarled, securing his hold on Bandit so there was no escape. He held Bandit's arms by his side- Bandit sniffling and gasping in complete panic as he made a few more feeble attempts to get away. Dread pushed further against his back- trapping him between the two. All Bandit could do was claw at Hoagie feebly- his wide, fear-filled eyes gazing at him pathetically. "And I have to say- I'm glad, mate..." He smirked, his tongue between his teeth as he rested his chin on Bandit's shoulder, his grip tightening on Bandit's skin.

It was sudden- too fast for Hoagie to react. Bandit latched onto him harshly, his nails digging into Hoagie's sides so hard he tore clothing and drew blood. A sharp sting echoed through his skull as Bandit screamed into his ear- a bloodcurdling yelp that followed by immediate pleas to stop- but was only followed by rough, harsh thrusts- slamming him further into Hoagie and against the wall. Hoagie couldn't hold the tears back, nor could he hold back his apologies. Bandit tried to hold it in- but he knew he couldn't ignore the tearing, agonising sensation of being torn apart- inside and out. He was back in his old hellhole- a pit of torture and destruction that only came with being in Dread's clutches. He couldn't think, speak or hope- all he could feel was pain and possession- all forming into despair. He tried to cry again- but his throat tightened with pain. All he could do was take it, feel Dread's fingers clawing into him, marking him all over again. His hot breath in his ear, his skin, insides, everything stung and cut. _His _voice in his ear seemed like fresh salt in his wounds- ripping open the stitches that once healed him.

"_Dread..." _Bandit whimpered pathetically, his voice nothing but a croak. He sniffed back some tears, his knees buckling and his knuckles whitening as he struggled to stay standing. The withdrawl, the pain- everything was overcoming him and he felt horribly hazy and sick, his body twisting and throbbing with every unforgiving hit Dread gave him. He continued to sob as Dread pushed in harder, panting against his neck and clawing at his chest. It was unrelenting, agonising, and he showed no signs of stopping. _"P-please n-n-no more-"_

"Fuck, Bambi..." Dread slurred in his ear, his teeth snapping against the outer shell. "You're still so- so _fucking tight-"_

Bandit held in a sharp cry as Dread pushed hard and fast, his fingernails raking through his skin and drawing sharp, singing cuts through his chest and stomach. Dread latched on for dear life, lost in ecstasy- it was heaven to him, and he couldn't help but latch on and chow down- suck his precious treat dry. He moaned and slurred against Bandit's skin, practically drooling with contentment.

Hoagie felt he was about to vomit, he couldn't hold back the sickness that seemed to overwhelm him- not to mention the loss of hope and optimism. He felt completely doomed- but not just him- Mushi too...and Bandit...if he could ever forgive him.

"_Come on, baby..." _Dread cooed to him roughly, gripping at Bandit's face with blood-stained fingers. He pulled his face to meet his, smirking proudly as he drove into him. _"Say my name, baby. Say it."_

"Ah! _Ah!" _Bandit cried again, twitching with the torture as he struggled to stay conscious- his eyelids drooping and his body following as the anguish took over. He groaned quietly, his vision fading. He slumped back into Dread, whimpering as it seemed to take over. No more fight was left. _"D-Dread..." _He sniffled pathetically, his breaths coming in quick, shallow gasps. Hoagie had to tear away, his own heart hammering and his own body and mind exhausted from the entire trauma. He couldn't take it- he was ready to break.

Dread grinned as Mushi let out a hurt sob, unable to watch anymore. He latched his teeth into Bandit's shoulder happily, lapping at his skin. He snuggled his face against Bandit's- those black eyes swimming with hunger. The thrusts grew harder, faster. "_Say you're mine." _He demanded through gritted teeth. "Say it, Baby. For me."

Bandit slumped against him, his body heaving and twitching with the motions. His deep eyes flickered, his eyelids drooping. His lips twitched, but he still held himself up- his eyes still managed to stare into those black, lifeless orbs. Numb, tired, sick and overcome with pain- he could feel himself black out from exhaustion- a fate Dread knew all too well. He held him close as Bandit mumbled those sweet words that sent him over the edge.

"_I-I'm yours..."_

* * *

Allie stomped down the foreign hallway, already regretting the trip she had made to the other side of town. It felt forbidden, even though in her mind she had convinced herself it was totally innocent. Visiting Jake...he was family, after all. Completely innocent, she wasn't doing anything _wrong..._

She sighed, pausing to lean against the wall beside her as she took it all in. But it was- and she knew it deep down. Her husband, the love of her life, would be upset, not to mention furious, at her attempts to be the peacemaker once again. Already she knew Derek was suspicious at her reaching out to Jake, his little brother, who even he had no time for. It was bad enough he was occupying so much of her time, to go and visit him just appeared so unforgiving... Almost like the forbidden fruit.

_Which is what he was in the first place._

Allie shook herself of these thoughts, snarling to herself as she took a determined step forward. She wasn't that girl anymore, as she had repeated so many times. No longer lost, confused _or _stupid. No longer a teenager. Jake couldn't affect her like that, after all she had a _husband- _who she loved and adored!

But as she knocked on the door to Jake's apartment, her stomach twisted in those familiar knots, her breath hitched in her throat, and her heart seemed to hum that knowing fast pace. She growled in defeat, glancing at the floor as she heard footsteps approach.

He still affected her.

Jake stumbled to the door and flung it open, a toothbrush hanging from his lips and a full carton of milk clenched in his hand. He jumped back in alarm, dark eyes blinking rapidly. Of all the people to see in the late hours of the afternoon- his sister-in-law was not one of them. He looked down awkwardly, cringing at the sight he must have looked like.

"Um..." He swallowed the rest of the toothpaste in his mouth awkwardly, wincing at the strong peppermint taste. He struggled to make eye contact, and when he did he sighed in defeat, gazing at her with a faraway, careless glance he struggled to uphold. "Why are you here _this time _Allie?"

Allison narrowed her eyes at him, and with no hesitation she pushed through his hold on the door, striding into the apartment as if she owned the place. Jake stared after her, eyes narrowed, but closed the door after her- turning around to stare expectantly at her determined form.

"You know why I'm here." She snapped back harshly, looking irritated. She felt out of place in the apartment, and she knew it. She knew she wasn't wanted there- she was probably the last person Jake wanted to see- but she was one of the few people who could get through to Jake...and she knew that. Being Dingo's mother, she had a hold over him nobody else had- and for once she wanted to use that position to her advantage.

She took a deep breath, raising her head to stare him straight in the eyes. She remembered back- a flash of vivid memory- where he stood the same height as her- right before his last growth spurt. He'd shot up a head taller than her and grown outwards in shoulder width- towering over her with a bored expression in place. She narrowed her eyes. She could just make out the fear in his form- the knowledge that she had a power over him nobody else could hold.

"No, actually I don't." Jake muttered back darkly, his eyes flashing in annoyance. He hated her here- it just reminded him of the weakness she caused him to feel- how powerless he was against her. Like back to being a teenager. "I don't know why you're here Allie. I don't know why you're a sucker for punishment, and I don't know why you're stupid enough to come back after I've pushed you away."

Allie narrowed her eyes defensively at that remark, challenging and ready. Jake stared back, guarded. Several long, awkward seconds of silence passed- neither of the adults making a move. It was a stubborn stand-off. Allie broke it, heaving a sigh after she couldn't stand it any longer. It was eating away at her- the news that Jake and Derek were so stubborn and prideful in ignoring each other that Jake could have another child he didn't know about. It frustrated the blonde to no end, but she couldn't get involved like that...she was positive Jake wouldn't listen to her, anyway.

"You're being a child." Allie spat at him. "Derek has been there for you, if only you knew how-"

She was interrupted by a sarcastic bark of laughter from Jake- who snarled at her venomously before turning away- a sneer ominous on his face.

"You're full of shit, Allie." Jake snarled at her, just as bitter. Allie actually winced at that, her eyes wide as she stood taken aback. "Derek's done nothing for me but run away when I need him, and when I catch up to him he's the first to criticise me. He's a pig, and tries to destroy things that may inconvenience him and his fucking perfect life. It's why he took it out on me- tried to wipe me out. I was a fucking stain on his white sheet of a fucking perfect existence."

Allie stared, her heart racing in her ears. Jake was changing. His face twisted hatefully, and Allie could see the fury evident in his voice- and the hurt locked in his dark eyes. She could see him try and push the hurt away, and instead force the anger- much more powerful and hurtful. She'd seen it before- not only in her husband, but her boys too. It was a Beatles trait.

_But Jake..._ She could barely recognise him. His usually calm, plain brown eyes- glazy with drunkenness or dancing with laughter, had formed into solid, harsh orbs of deep brown- so solid and daring they had morphed into black. It took her back almost two decades- back when she actually feared the stranger in front of her. Staring into those brown-turned-black eyes chilled her to the bone, she knew something had cut him deep, something was taunting Jake so much the fury radiated out of his face. It changed his entire appearance, his whole aura. Only a few people had affected Jake that much to turn him into such a fierce monster- but once it was seen, there was trouble.

"_Jake..." _She murmured, dropping her tone. She felt sheepish, trying to brush away the fear and take back control before Jake lashed out at her. It looked as though he was ready to. "Calm down-"

Bad Idea.

Jake's eyes narrowed further, and Allie repressed a shiver as those bottomless eyes fumed at her silently, Jake's hands forming fists as he glared at her.

"_Calm...Down?" _He repeated gravely. Allie swallowed, her fingers immediately going to her temples and rubbing them soothingly, attempting to relieve the stressful headache that was becoming unbearable. "My fucking kid's mother and the wife of my shithead of a brother is telling _me _to calm down? After fucking me around for twenty fucking years and standing up for her loser husband after he's done _shit all? _And abused _our _fucking baby Allie? Really? _Me? _Am I not _calm _enough for you Allie?" He sneered through gritted teeth, creeping closer to growl in her face- challenging her.

Allie's wide green eyes looked up to meet his, and Jake held himself back from drowning in them- those pools of emerald. "I can't talk to you." She sighed, twisting her lips in frustration and disappointment. "You should talk to your brother, okay? You need to have peace- stop being children and just let it go, for the sake of-"

Jake sneered at her again, his black eyes flashing in warning as he ground his teeth together. Allie stood strong, trying to ignore her thumping heart.

"F-fine." She attempted to snarl. "If you won't listen to me, or your brother, I suggest when you go back to Australia you look up _Leyla_- maybe _she'll _knock some sense into you."

Jake stilled- completely freezing on the spot as that name sunk into him. "..._What?" _He hissed, but uncertainty sunk into the anger that radiated out of him. He snarled. "The...what about Leyla?" He growled at her. But Allie had already shrugged, giving him a quick glare as she turned on her heel- strutting away with her head held high. Jake snarled, stomping off after her.

"How'd you know about Leyla!"He shouted after her. She didn't turn back, she just kept walking. He watched her sunshine hair bounce along with her steps as she stalked back to the main staircase- opening the door and shutting it with a slam. Jake sneered after her, his skull now pounding with a painful headache.

"_Is it any wonder why I drink_?" He hissed to himself, stomping back into his apartment angrily. _"Women!"_

**_TBC..._**

* * *

_Juuuuuuust to let you all know- I hate Taylor Swift. Bleh. Hate. BUT I love Pop covers- and Falling for Beloved and Amongst the Ruin both do FANTASTIC covers of 'Love Story'. I suggest you check them out- both are good but because Falling for Beloved was a little less hardcore I framed Trent's version around their song :) amazink. They're on youtube- I love them both. Fantabulous. _

_Thankyou for reading :D (And waiting for me!) let me know what you think _

_xx!_


	30. Chapter 30: Blurred

_Ok my beautiful, patient readers- no excuses this time. I am very slack, and there is no time like the present to say I'm sorry! I'm sorry I took so long- my life has been very hectic and a lot of drama and...ahhhh screw it- no excuses, I've gotten over my writer's block and am trying to gain back my confidence! I hope this chapter makes up for the wait! :) I missed all of you! Thank you so much for your reviews and please keep 'em coming! I love hearing about how I'm going...lately I've been rather down on my writing and would love some tips_

_MWA!_

* * *

Ana: _Naw, I'm sorry for the wait love! Though your begging truly makes me feel special :D I love your Bandit observation- I never thought of it like that! I love Kuki's innocence so that does make sense- poor little Bando just gets the wrong end of the stick :) Thank you so much for your review! I hope it was worth the wait x_

JustWriting7: _Wowza! Please tell me I made another awesome coincidental chapter release that co-insides with your viewing of an awesome Disney movie? :D Because that would be just too cool/freaky! You have an awesome taste in movies- my friend! I'm writing a story right now that has a Beauty/Beast storyline but is Bandit/Emma related :) Hope I can get my butt into gear and finish it! Thank you for reviewing love, your reviews always make me smile :D enjoy! x_

NinjaxTurtles: _Of course I love Falling for Beloved! An amazing band- fo shizzle. And aw, thank you :) I love knowing I make my reviewers happy- it truly makes my day! I hope this chapter fulfills your expectations! Thank you so much for your lovely review :) x_

simi838: _Ello my dearie! And I think it is 2013, but who knows with these predictions. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Hope it was worth the wait and makes you smile :) x_

Apples Go Boom: _Aw, I hope this chapter distracts you from something else very important ;) haha joking love, I hope you enjoy it! Sorry it took so long, and I hope you let me know what you think- I love your reviews :D they never fail to make me smile, and I love you dissecting the chapter to let me know what you think about every part :D it makes me feel actually talented! yay! :D let me know what you think, gorgeous! Cause you, not I, are ! x _

MidniteCurse4Eternity: _Oh thank you for dropping a review :D I really do appreciate the feedback! And thank you so much! Naw, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing your feelings about my little characters :D It honours me that they cause such a splash! :D sorry about the long wait, I hope this chapter was worth it! x_

oh coconuts: _Aw, I hope this update keeps making you smile- I'm sorry about the long wait! thank you so, so much- and I hope the new year brings a lot of happy things for you too! :D Naw, yay! I'm glad to see you like my lil' characters- I love writing them :) Thank you beautiful! x_

Kuchiki-san urahara: _Haha! Thank you so much for your review :D I love knowing what people think of my characters/scenarios- it makes me smile :D! I love your update as well- hope your story's going good too! Let me know what you think love x_

Sam: _Oh my, love I don't know what to say! On one hand I'm very sorry my characters have scarred you so much! But on the other hand It was one of the most touching, gorgeous reviews I've ever gotten! I'm so touched to know that my writing has actually affected someone! such an honour :D thank you so much for that lovely review- you put so much thought into it! If i could kiss the ground at your feet I would- alot! thank you so so so much for your overactive emotions! Believe me you can't get any worse than me, but you really made me happy for an entire day just seeing how in depth you saw my characters and writing :D YAY! x_

PowerGirl: _Aw, I'm sorry if I scarred you love :) But I'm glad you liked my chapter :D Thank you so much love! Hope this chapter was worth the wait x_

AnimatedCharacter: _Thanks gorgeous! :D Hope you love this one just as much! Let me know what you think! x_

numbuh310alltheway: _Aw, thank you! :D I'm sorry I took so long! Hope this one was worth the wait! :D x_

Laurie43: _Happy (belated) new year to you too, dollface! hehe! I'm glad to see you still take an interest in my story :D sorry for making you wait so long, I hope it was worth it! Because I love seeing your reviews :D x!_

* * *

Bandit was out cold, and Dread predicted he would be out for a long time. His pale, sickly skin shone in the darkness, and his entire body was limp- easy for Dread to pick up and carry. He watched him close as he walked, taking him in.

Bandit looked innocent and fragile- like he could easily crumble with just one shove. But Dread knew better. Sure, if he wanted he could break Bandit in half- he could make him do anything he wanted. He made sure Bandit submitted to him every day, and Bandit broke without fail...but then he seemed to stop- his eyes wandered, and Dread had to force him back into line. Bandit had that innocent defiance about him- so subtle it was invisible. If it was going to work he'd have to watch him, be more suspicious... Never let him go.

Bandit whimpered as he slept, twitching against him. Dread hugged him closer as he carried him down the hallway, one arm hooked under his knees and the other his shoulders, pulling him into his chest. Bandit mumbled something into his shirt, frowning and twitching as he slept. Kicking open the door to his room, Dread placed him gently down on the bed, laying him down so his head rested against a pillow. He threw a blanket over his thin form, but Bandit didn't stir. A few long minutes had passed before Dread finally moved- he was too busy simply gazing at him, taking him in. Only a few days, and already he'd taken Bandit for his own...he'd given in. It must be real- it must be fate.

_Bandit is mine. He always was. _He thought angrily, his dark eyes flashing with determination.

"Don't worry, Bambi..." Dread sighed, his thumb stroking his cheek as he cupped his face. "It'll be okay... _We'll _be okay. I can't stay mad at you..." He looked down, his black eyes boring into his innocent, sleeping face. "I forgive you for everything..."

Bandit whimpered again in his sleep- a troubled look crossing his face as he rolled over in his sleep. He was a restless sleeper unless someone was beside him- somebody's body heat was against his, or someone there to hold him. Then he slept soundly. Dread knew this- anybody who was close to Bandit knew this. Dread couldn't help it- he tried to hold back but he found himself lowering back down to the mattress and laying beside him, throwing an arm around his shivering form. He pulled him close- his petite frame pushed against his own muscular physique. He breathed in his scent- sweet and calming, like his favourite lollies and alcohol all mixed into one. Bandit steadied his breathing, snuggling against the warmth and falling deeper into calm slumber.

"_Mm...Love you..." _Bandit mumbled tiredly- half asleep and half passed out. He was slipping in between consciousness and unconsciousness, unsure of what was reality and what was a dream. All he could think of was the warmth- someone cuddling him and making sure he was okay. Dread froze against him, his grip tightening possessively around him. His eyes closed, taking in the moment, the feel of his body against his- murmuring that love still existed between them. This moment was worth everything to him, thinking back to all of the drama and the conflict- it was worth getting over and making Bandit his own...again.

With difficultly he tore away, Bandit recoiling at the loss of touch. He ran a few fingers through the younger boy's hair- finding it hard to leave him, just as it used to be. He growled to himself, already growing restless. He knew it would be hard- like starting his addiction all over again- hit by hit.

Jayden met him outside the hall, his face showing no emotion. He hated seeing his best friend this way- all taken away by some guy- some pathetic waste of oxygen. It messed Dread up- and Jayden could see that.

"_So..." _He couldn't help but snarl once Dread had locked the door. "Are we going or not? We need this shit, and I told the guys we'd meet them at the club- apparently its a hotspot for deals, at least its private."

Dread growled in annoyance, his black eyes eyeing the locked door beadily. He didn't trust Bandit alone, he didn't want to leave the house without him. But he knew they needed their stuff soon- they wouldn't be able to cope without it, nor would they have an upper hand...especially against the guys.

"Fine." Dread growled, looking sulky. "We'll go- but we'll be quick. I don't wanna leave him alone too long..."

Jayden rolled his eyes. If possible, his hatred of Bandit seemed to swell. It was as if Bandit was a virus to him- every time he got closer Jayden grew sicker. "Oh, what?" He spat, turning on his heel and striding up the hall, his hands dug deep in his pockets. "Worried your pets gonna run away? Guess you better hurry then- wanna drug him before he remembers your name."

Dread narrowed his eyes, his body trembling in anger. Usually, he'd take a knife to anyone's throat for saying that- but he couldn't with Jayden- his best friend, his partner in crime. So he settled on giving him a fierce snarl, trailing after him with a furious expression locked on his face.

* * *

Trent sat in the empty apartment, feeling more alone than ever. He was cross-legged on the cold floorboards, opposite the front door and staring at it with those wide, expectant grey eyes. All he was fixated on was that lone front door- nothing else seemed to faze him. Not the storm beginning to brew outside, not the fact that all of the lights in the apartment were off, not the fact he was completely alone- all he saw was that one door, the one he wished, hoped and prayed would open soon with some happy news.

He'd already searched all he could of his tiny abode- he'd torn both his and Bandit's room apart in the hopes that maybe- just maybe- he would catch a glimpse of those cheeky ocean blue eyes under the bed or hiding in the closet with his phone as a flashlight- waiting to 'scare' him like he always used to attempt to do.

_Not that he was ever any good at it... _Trent's lips seemed to twitch in the shadow of a smile. _Being scared of the dark- he'd never hide anywhere you couldn't see him. _

Trent's face slackened as he slowly sank back into reality- the empty abyss of black around him, Bandit would go crazy with all of this darkness and silence. The exact opposite of Trent- who would bravely sit in dark silence anywhere- Bandit hated being alone, he hated silence and he hated the dark...though strangely these fears only became a problem when he was older, not when he was younger. Trent frowned at the memory- way back when he knew something was up, the moment he was positive Bandit wasn't the same, and never would be ever again...

...

_Trent sat alone in a room he knew too well- the lights on and with the stereo playing. He had his legs crossed on the bed, leaning against the headboard. The room was bare, with stained grey carpet and peeling old wallpaper. His head was lowered- his rust coloured hair sweeping over his face as he concentrated on his right knee- where he was busy scribbling on the denim of his jeans with a black Sharpie. _

_He could hear him coming, and he tried his best to keep calm even though his heart began to pound in his throat. He kept his head lowered, trying to concentrate on the CD playing in the background. _

_The door opened and Trent heard a tiny gasp- and he quickly glanced through his ginger strands of hair to see a familiar slim figure in the doorway- completely frozen in awe. He turned- his face feigning calm. _

_He hadn't changed...yet. Trent drank that in with immediate relief. He scanned his slim figure- taking in his familiar black skinny jeans, his worn converse high tops and familiar _Anberlin _shirt- his black hair ruffled and his chapped lips hanging open in awe- his snakebite piercings gleaming in the light. His Spongebob backpack dropped to the ground as he stepped forward- a challenging shimmer in his dark blue eyes. _

"_What are you doing here?" Bandit snarled at him, but Trent perked up at the slight tremble in his voice, and he felt warmer. Bandit was still nervous around him. Not all hope was lost. "Th-this is my room!"_

"_It is." Trent said slowly, surveying him. He held back a smirk as he saw Bandit shrink away, afraid of the judgement. Trent straightened out his legs, swinging them out on the bed and to the floor, rising to his full height- an inch taller than he was. Bandit looked up in annoyance, his eyes scanning for a quick way out. There wasn't any. Trent advanced closer- his grey eyes narrowing. "But it looks like you haven't been here in a while."_

_Bandit twisted his lips nervously, stepping back into the door. He knew he had some explaining to do._

"_Yeah, well..." He mumbled darkly, glancing towards the floor. "I-I've been busy. With Belle."_

_Trent raised one eyebrow suspiciously, his lips curling into a sly smirk. "Really. Belle."_

"_Yeah." Bandit swallowed. "Yeah. I have. Do you have a problem with that?"_

_Trent narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling more than annoyed. Dark, hot envy suddenly flowed in his system, and he couldn't hold back. He furiously turned back to the bed, kicking the frame of it in frustration, his arms folded. He attempted to not look sulky, but still came off as pouting- a silence coming over the pair where only the music from the stereo was heard. _

_A troubled frown tainted Bandit's face, and he gathered the strength to drag his feet forward to face him. "You do." He muttered harshly, but his face seemed to slacken with weakness. His expression softened. "Don't you? You have a problem with-"_

"_I have a problem with you fucking lying to me!" Trent snarled harshly. "I know you haven't been hanging around Belle! You've been avoiding me!"_

"_I haven't! I swear!" Bandit squeaked, faltering under the pressure. "I-I just-"_

"_ADMIT IT!" Trent hollered at him, causing Bandit to jump. He knew the best strategy was to scare it out of him- Bandit cracked so easily under pressure. "YOU'RE AVOIDING ME!"_

"_Ah!" Bandit yelped, jumping back with his ocean blue eyes as wide as saucers. "Y-NO! I'm NOT! You-You're scaring me!" _

"_Dodge TOLD you to stay away from me!" Trent yelled harshly, narrowing his eyes. "I wanna know why! I wanna know why you're abandoning the gang!"_

"_I'm not Trent, I promise!" Bandit whimpered back. "You guys are my only friends! Why..." his ocean blue eyes lowered to the floor. "Why would I do that?"_

_Trent's hands became fists. It was an insult to him that his best friend still thought he didn't know him- that he still thought he could get away with lying to his face. Bandit couldn't lie. Not to his face. _

"_You're lying."_

"_I'm not." Bandit mumbled to the carpet._

_Trent cracked- snapping his fingers to his friend's chin and flicking it up. Bandit's eyes snapped to his- and Trent's stomach churned as he saw those deep ocean blue eyes were misting with tears. _

"_You are." Trent growled at him. "I wanna know why you're dogging us- I wanna know why you're fucking me off when I'm supposed to be your mate. I wanna know why it's going around town that Dread Mathers is suddenly so fucking interested in you." He narrowed his eyes. "I hate that prick."_

_Bandit shifted his shoulders, avoiding those charged grey eyes. He couldn't ignore the telltale blush crawling up his neck to his cheeks, and the fact that he was trembling. He felt Trent's fingers against him again and his chin was pulled up- his eyes millimetres from Trent's. He gulped- his throat swelling as he felt his heart leap. He felt like he was about to vomit, looking into those angry eyes. The stereo switched to a new song._

I was raised in the valley  
There was shadows and death  
Got out alive but with scars  
I can't forget

_Open and blue- daring and grey, the two stared at each other for the longest moments, short of breath. Neither of them knew why they were panting, but their lips were agape- struggling for breath. There was an awkward silence between the pair- amazingly broken by such a soft tinkling of a violin- a calm, romancing tune that echoed from the stereo. Bandit swallowed, turning to face the modest music player. It was the only thing he liked in his room- and it was a gift from the very person in front of him. He blinked, fighting back shock as the music continued to play- a familiar violin that was so unlike what he usually listened to- and a rough, screaming voice suddenly sounded- mixing with the vocals in a callous, but somehow beautiful way. _

This kid back at school  
Subdued and shy  
An orphan and a brother and Unseen by most eyes

_Bandit turned back to his friend, his eyes wide at the realisation. He took in a shuddering breath, unsure of what to say. Trent shifted his shoulders awkwardly, looking away. So many different thoughts and emotions kept spinning through his mind- an unsure, helpless feeling somehow mixed with...fear._

I don't know what it was that Made a piece of him die  
Took a boy to the forest  
Slaughtered him with a scythe

"_This is my song." Bandit frowned at him, creeping forward to stare at his best friend closely- as if searching for any sign of a joke. "How'd you find it?"_

_Trent frowned, looking furious with himself. He hated what he was feeling- these unknown emotions churning within him. He shuffled on the spot as the song continued. He hated to admit it- that he missed his best friend so much, that he felt how he felt._

Stamped on his face  
An impression in the dirt  
Do you think the silence  
Makes a good man convert?

"_I love this song." Trent admitted, mumbling shamefully. "It...reminds me of you."_

_Bandit's frown deepened, looking down with confusion rich in his face. The screaming voice- his favourite singer- was echoing in his ears, touching his heart and worming its way into his soul. He felt cold and empty then- only the two of them in the room, so close yet so far apart...and it was all his fault._

We all have our horrors  
And our demons to fight  
But how can I win when  
I'm paralyzed?

"_I've been waiting for you." Trent snarled over the music. "Ever since Dodge told me you left. I know he told you to...I wanna know why." He added, now determined. "You need to tell me."_

_Bandit shook his head, tears now leaking from his eyes. "I can't."_

_Trent ran his hands through his hair as the music continued to blast through the speakers- as though it was getting louder. It was too much. He knew this song, it was Bandit's favourite- he had taken anything that was Bandit's, just to have a piece of him back- even if it was just his thoughts in song. The problem was it was too much like him- so much so it mirrored his own motives...too much so. _

_It was too much._

They crawl up on my bed,  
Wrap their fingers round my throat  
Is this what I get for  
The choices that I made?

"_I thought we were mates. I thought I fucking meant something to you." Trent snarled, pushing passed him roughly. "Just leave it."_

"_You do!" Bandit yelled, grabbing his arm to stop him. Trent turned- his piercing eyes facing Bandit's. Tears glistened on his pale skin. "That- that's why I left, okay? M-me and Dodge thought it was best!"_

God forgive me for all my sins  
God forgive me for everything

_Trent's eyes narrowed, his lips agape. His hand shook within Bandit's, and his heart hammered in his ears. _

"_I..." Bandit's eyes pleaded with him, and he seemed to finally break as his arm slackened, his fingers still wrapped tightly around his best friend's. "I told him I was in love with you."_

God forgive me for all my sins  
God forgive me

_The music changed, and a mournful cry that sounded too much like their own inner demons filled the room- and in a split second Trent had thrown Bandit's hand off his- simply staring at him in shock- scanning for any sign of a joke. But all he saw was a broken vision of his best friend- stripped bare and looking beyond fixing. He soon realised as the screaming singer continued, the song became their own, and he didn't hold back this time. _

God forgive me

_He launched himself at his best friend, wrapping his arms around him possessively and holding him close- his lips attacking Bandit's._

Don't go  
I can't do this on my own

_Bandit gaped in shock, too surprised to kiss back. Trent's eyes closed, and he pushed- Bandit collapsing onto the bed behind him and Trent following, his lips never leaving his. Bandit's skin was ablaze as Trent's hands held him close against his body- their bodies igniting as they were reunited. Bandit jumped into life, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and clinging on- his lips tingling with passion and life. He felt warm- for the first time in a long time. _

Don't go  
No I can't do this on my own

_Trent lowered to the bed- Bandit trapped underneath him, the two still holding one another tight. Their eyes closed, their hands searching, their lips scraping against one another's- it was a reality they never wanted to end, but a fiery passion they couldn't understand. It was so wrong. It wasn't right. Bandit's eyes flickered- feeling something wet slide down his face. He opened his eyes to see Trent above him- tears leaking from his closed lids to drip onto Bandit's face. His eyes opened- the usually fierce cold orbs lightening- like the sky on a mellow, cloudy day. Bandit stared, unaware his fingernails were still imbedded in his neck. _

Save me from the ones  
That haunt me in the night

"_What's wrong?" he asked, afraid he'd already done something wrong. He held him closer, afraid to let go- afraid this wasn't real. But Trent didn't let go. The warmth against him held strong, and Trent only lowered his forehead to connect to Bandit's- and he gave a very real, vulnerable sniff. "Trent..." He whispered, a secret already existing between them. _

I can't live with myself  
So stay with me tonight

"_Please don't leave again..." Trent begged, his voice a shaky whisper. His eyes flicked back to his- wet and pleading. "I can't...let you go." He admitted- his arms tightening around Bandit's torso- as if hoping to squeeze him so tightly the two would be morphed forever. "Don't go."_

"_I won't." Bandit whispered, raising his head and pushing his lips to his- so his breath frosted against his lips. His heart soared as his grip tightened- his arms secure. "I promise."_

Don't go  
Don't go

_It seemed so right- both of them seemed to fit. Smooth and silken, they embraced each other, breathing in each other's scent. Their lips scraping on each other's- tears trickling from their closed eyes, it was so wrong but yet neither could stop. Both were afraid to let go, to let the moment end. _

If I let you in, you'd just want out.  
If I tell you the truth, you'd vie for a lie.  
If I spilt my guts, it would make a mess we can't clean up.

_Bandit's fingers slithered up Trent's chest, and Trent couldn't help but shiver under the touch. It didn't feel weird or forbidden- only right and fitting. He didn't know what he was feeling, but he couldn't deny the warmth of Bandit beneath him- the fact these dazed, warm emotions seeping through him were ones he had never felt before. _

If you follow me, you will only get lost.  
If you try to get closer, we'll only lose touch.  
Yes you already know too much, and you're not going anywhere.

_Trent pulled away from the kiss, his wet eyes opening to gaze at his best friend's face. Bandit's own ocean blue eyes opened- wide and anxious as he felt the kiss stop. Trent searched his face- taking in everything. The music continued to play, and Trent's throat tightened with the amount of emotion he felt- the lyrics that seemed to speak his heart._

Tell me that you need me 'cause I love you so much.

"_Tell me that you love me 'cause I need you so much._.."_ Trent whispered the rest of the lyrics to him, nuzzling his nose against his. Bandit's grip tightened on Trent's neck, his eyes flickering as he whispered the rest of the words to him.  
_  
"_Tell me that you need me 'cause I love you so much..." He murmured back, his cheeks flushing with the heat of the words. Trent captured his lips in another kiss- more passionate and heated than before. The song continued, the two clutching each other in more desperate need, their breathing becoming harsher and their clothes finding the floor. _

Say you'll never leave me 'cause I need you so much.

_..._

Trent jolted back to attention, his eyes widening in alarm as he stared around the lonely room- his chest suddenly heaving as he panted for breath. The memory of _that _night- what had happened so long ago but still continued to haunt him. Guilt seeped through him at the memory, the knowledge that Bandit didn't know...that it was his fault Dread was so angry with him, it was _his_ fault Dread pushed the boundaries like he did...

_It's my fault Belle's dead._

He jumped up off of the floor, unable to take it anymore. He grabbed his keys and shoved the front door open, stomping up the hallway to talk to someone- _anyone – _that could help him get his mind off this pain.

* * *

A few hours had passed and day had fallen to night. Fanny nibbled her bottom lip nervously as she looked up at the starry night sky- taking it all in. It had seemed like only such a short time ago when she and Dodge had looked up at that very sky, talking about their deepest desires and fears. Had that meant nothing to him? _Was it all a lie?_

_Clearly it meant nothing to him. _She told herself firmly, scowling as she wrapped her jacket tighter around her. She tripped over a small crack in the sidewalk and struggled to find her feet. She stopped, gasping and grimacing in embarrassment. _I should stay away from heels... _She thought to herself angrily, staring down at her three inch black pumps. _Or at least not stomp like I do when I wear my combat boots..._

She sighed, continuing on to the club. Dodge always said her ass looked great in jeans and heels, she couldn't believe she was still thinking about him when she got ready to see _Patton. _Her friend...right? She tried to push the image of Dodge out of her head- the face he would make if he knew where she was going. She tried to tell herself it didn't matter, she tried to tell herself what he thought didn't matter...it was over and he was gone...

But her face remained the same- slackened and still with sadness still visible. She couldn't shake it- the feeling of loss and betrayal, the fact that Dodge had simply dropped her like what they had was nothing...when it had meant so much to her- it was the only thing that made her feel special...wanted...

_And he'd taken it so easily..._

"Fan!"

She jumped in alarm, looking around wildly for the source of her name. Patton appeared from a small crowd just beside the door, a few people already lining up to be let inside. He beamed at her with excitement, his chopped black hair spiked up with some gel and his baggy cargo pants replaced with clean cut jeans. Fanny forced a smile, trying to brush aside her whirlwind emotions. Patton did look..._nice. _And she shouldn't feel guilty about meeting him- after all she was single...

"Hey, Pat." She greeted him. The two embraced, and Patton planted a sweet kiss on her cheek- a friendly gesture. She caught a whiff of his aftershave, as well as the strong scent of alcohol. She frowned, trying to remember the last time she saw Patton drinking. She didn't think he was into it...

He gripped her hand lightly and lead her directly to the front door, bypassing all of those already waiting and nodding to the bouncer casually. Fanny, who was about to fumble around for her ID, frowned as Patton guided her straight past and into the club, with the bouncer giving her a curt nod.

"So how have you been?" Patton asked her, looking over his shoulder to give her a winning grin. "Everything going good with...ya know...uh...Daniel or whoever? David?" He led her to the bar, nodding against to the bouncer and bartender there. Fanny's frown deepened.

"Dodge." She corrected automatically before she could stop herself. "And...well...no, really. But Patton-"

He let go of her hand, reaching for the drink Aaron had just slid across the counter at him. The club was pretty crowded, but it seemed that Patton was making himself comfortable leanng against the side of the bar away from the crowds, casually gazing at her. Fanny's eyes seemed to narrow as the blonde bartender tilted his head at her, muttering to Patton "Your friend want a drink?"

Patton turned to her, already smirking. "Fan-?"

"No. Thank you." She mumbled, feeling suddenly irritated. "I'm-"

"She'll have a vodka cranberry." Patton told him, before turning to her with a knowing smirk. "I know they're your favourite."

"I don't drink, Patton." Fanny told him irritably. "Ever since...well...the last time I drank- I made a promise not to anymore-"

"Oh really?" Patton snickered, winking at her as he took a sip of his own beer. "What happened? You do something you regret?"

Fanny frowned. Truthfully, the last time she drank to excess was the night Rachel threw a welcome home party for Kuki- the night she and Dodge ended up together—a night she still couldn't quite remember.

"It's not...something I regret, really..." She admitted sheepishly, now feeling glum all over again. "I just..." She shook her head, trying to forget thinking altogether. "You know what? Forget it- give me the damn drink." She snatched the glass of crimson-pink liquid from the counter and took a large gulp, her eyes sparking at the familiar taste. Patton gave her a sly grin, sneaking closer to her. This was what he missed- being alone with her like real friends should be, able to see her smile and her hear her laugh without anyone around to share it with.

"That's the Fanny I know and love." He cackled at her, poking his tongue out teasingly. Fanny winced at the name, trying to brush it aside. It had been so long since someone had teased her for her name- she almost took it as a direct insult. But she shrugged it off, taking another gulp of drink and looking around the club curiously. It was stupid to think Dodge would find her just like he did the night at Rachel's- it was stupid to think he'd want anything to do at her after he let her go...and it was stupid of her to think about him to begin with- feel sad, feel hopeless, feel lonely...

_Just like I used to... _She couldn't help but think, tears sparking at the corners of her eyes.

"Come on, Fan." Patton grinned with excitement, grabbing her hand again and heading for the dance floor. "Let's dance."

* * *

Wallabee sat at the bar, quietly fuming amongst the strobe lights and loud house music. He gripped at his glass venomously, chewing on his tongue and resenting the very moment he walked through the door. He couldn't believe he was actually meeting his older brother- when the last time he'd met with his older sibling they'd threatened to rip out each other's throats. He planted his chin in his palm, trying to ignore the rest of the club-goers that were consistently brushing up against him to get at the overpriced booze. He snarled to himself.

_Kuki said I was doing the right thing... _He reminded himself firmly, stiffening his shoulders. _I have to sort this out... _

He felt someone brush beside him, but this time they didn't leave. Without even looking over Wallabee could tell his older brother (slash cousin) had already arrived.

Dingo shifted awkwardly in his seat, trying to concentrate on choosing between vodka and bourbon rather than what to say to his younger brother. He twisted his lips awkwardly, rapping his fingers against the wood of the bar. Clearing his throat, his emerald eyes scanned over to see that Wallabee already had his eyes on him, a bored and expectant expression already in place.

"So..." Dingo began awkwardly, trying his hardest not to let his familiar anger bubble to the surface. It had been so long since he'd had a proper conversation with his brother, he'd almost forgotten how to speak somewhat _civilly. _"Uh...um..." He winced. "You wanna...drink or something?"

"I'm underage." Wallabee replied stiffly, trying his best to hide his scowl. He could tell Dingo was really trying- for whatever reason- to be nice to him. But he still didn't trust his brother.

Not one bit.

"Oh...right..." Dingo forced out a scoff, resisting the urge to nibble on his nails. "I...forgot the drinking ages were different here...but ya know that never stopped me when I was younger..."

"How about you cut the crap, Dingo?" Wallabee snarled over him, unable to keep it in anymore. Fake calmness didn't suit Dingo one bit, and immediately the blonde was rewarded with a harsh glare from his brother's identical gaze. "And tell me why you really dragged me here- because polite conversation isn't your strong point."

Dingo swelled with frustration. Already he was on edge, he knew dealing with family members was the last thing that would soothe him...but he didn't expect his own sibling to be this difficult- especially when he was trying to save his hide! Here he was trying to reach out to him and already he was being hurried along...how was he supposed to explain the situation anyway? _Hey bro, some psychos from back home are trying to hunt us down, you might wanna run for the border and keep your lips shut?_

"For your _information." _Dingo couldn't help but hiss through gritted teeth. "I didn't come here to fight with you, for fucks sake-"

"Really?" Wally sneered cautiously, his eyebrows rising so they became hidden in his sunshine blonde bangs. "That surprises me. Because ever since you met me you've done whatever you can to push my buttons."

Dingo held back a snarl. "Look-"

"Sleeping with my girlfriend pretty much did it, in case you're wondering." Wallabee growled, unable to hold back. He was shaking now, his fists balled around his drink as though it was a loaded grenade. "So if you're looking for a peace treaty, dragging me to a bar ain't gonna get you on my immediate good side-"

"_Shut the fuck up!_" Dingo finally exploded at him- their faces inches away from each other. Hard emerald eyes glinted fiercely at each other- neither brothers backing down. A few long seconds passed, with the two staring daggers at each other and their bodies trembling like they wanted nothing more than to knock the other out. Dingo finally looked away, across to the barman who was giving the pair a cautious, fearful look.

"Uh...can I-"

"Vodka straight." Dingo snapped at him bitterly, before turning back to his brother with his eyes narrowed- cautious and ready. His chest was heaving as he sucked in soothing breaths, trying to clutch at anything- _anything- _to keep him calm. He imagined Abby standing behind Wallabee- her arms folded over her enlarged chest with her stern expression crossing her face- the one expression that gave him more fear than Jake yelling at him while swinging a blunt object.

"Look." He growled through gritted teeth. "I honestly first called you here so we could settle this..._in the only way I know how." _He added lowly, a promising threat lingering. He looked away, and even he couldn't hide the worry in his blank expression. "But something else has come up, something big. I thought I had to be the one to tell you- and you shouldn't be too worried, but I feel it's-"

"I don't have to be dragged into your shit." Wallabee dismissed, already hearing enough. His brow was furrowed with frustration, and already he was straightening against the bar, ready to leave. 'If you have shit in your life you deal with it, don't drag me into your drama-"

"For fuck's sake bro!" Dingo finally snapped at him, reaching across and dragging his brother back by the hood of his jacket. Before Wallabee's closed fist could connect with his jaw, Dingo had already hissed in his ear "_You and Mum's life can depend on this."_

Wally's heart sank, and before he knew it he had whipped around, his eyes narrowed in defence as he kept his guard up- his brother's warning ringing in his ears over the club music. "What?" He snarled. "Dingo, if you're playing with me-"

"Look at me." Dingo demanded, his own eyes narrowing with seriousness. "I'm not."

The two brothers stared at each other- the flashing lights and dancing bodies that surrounded them didn't seem to matter. Wallabee studied his older brother fiercely, taking him in. Dingo stared back, still and silent. Wallabee swallowed- his throat dry and tight.

"Some people...might be after us." Dingo admitted, biting down on his bottom lip. "I swear, we didn't do anything-"

"It doesn't sound like it." Wally snarled. "What does Mum have to do with it?"

"Everyone...can be at risk, okay?" Dingo growled back. "Fuck- I'm worried about everyone! If they find you, you're dead. They can track you down! Keep your fucking girlfriend close, for crying-"

Dingo sucked in a harsh breath as all of a sudden Wallabee's fingers were wrapped around the collar of his shirt, dragging him closer to stare into those furious emerald eyes. Dingo fought back, but his younger brother surprisingly had a good grip- and kept scarily still as he pushed his face into his, furious and demanding.

"You..._involved Kuki in this?" _He sneered hatefully, his fingers shaking with promising rage. Wallabee's heart beat painfully fast in his throat, his hands becoming shakily clammy as they clasped around his collar. "My _girlfriend?" _

"NO!" Dingo shoved him back, his eyes wide and earnest. "I didn't involve _anybody! _I just don't want anyone to get hurt because of this! They're crazy! And if they get to you-"

He broke off, his face slackening and his eyes widening as he stared over his brother's shoulder. Wally, his heart hammering with sudden anxiety, stared at him expectantly. Kuki, his family- everything seemed to flash before him. He was suddenly shaking with fear, horrified at the very thought something could happen to his family or the girl he loved. His eyes widened, staring at Dingo expectantly.

"What?" Wally hissed. "What about it? What the hell's going on Din-"

Dingo wasn't paying attention- instead his eyes were locked on a certain redhead across the club. Immediately his heart rose in his chest, with caution as well as worry. His best friend immediately came into mind- the thought of how Dodge would ever react if he found out anything happened to the girl he loved, and what would happen if the certain girl he loved would ever be put in danger.

"Jus...just a second..." Dingo muttered to him, his stern gaze switching back to his brother. "Stay here. Do. Not. Move."

Wallabee snarled, anger returning as he was treated as though he was a child. "What? But I-"

"Stay." Dingo sneered back, his eyes flashing in warning. "Here."

Before Wallabee had a chance to retort his brother was gone, darting through the crowds and pushing people aside like a charging bull- aiming for the one person that was on his radar.

_Cherry. _

* * *

Dread scarcely glanced at the bouncer as he entered the familiar looking club, glancing around with malice at the scantily-clad idiots that were already giving him flirtatious winks. Jayden promised they wouldn't waste too much time here, just grab their stuff and go, but being inside a club again- a bar, with all sorts of whores and weaklings around him- it brought back the familiar rush of adrenaline- the excitement and buzz of causing trouble and having a good time. He was soon smirking- an expression Jayden was all too familiar with. His best friend had a weakness for partying.

"_Don't _get too distracted." Jayden warned him, just as a busty blonde brushed past Dread with a wink. Jayden almost spat at her. It was plain bad luck on their part that his best friend had the body and face to draw maximum attention- and when he was released into a club filled with willing girls (and- God forbid- guys) it was like setting a bull loose in a china shop.

Of course, it wasn't just Dread that was a magnet for trouble. Jayden was pretty good looking- and he used that to his full advantage...but he knew Dread had as much self control as a leech in a blood van. He _couldn't hold back._

"I won't..." Dread mumbled innocently, but already his dark eyes were widening and his were already curling into an evil smirk, his face lighting up with excitement. Jayden groaned, scanning the crowds for one of the bouncers. He spotted one by the stairs, and turned to Dread with his eyes narrowed in warning.

"You keep a lookout." Jayden snarled. "Somehow- I don't trust these guys 100%, This seems like a popular hangout, though..."He added- glancing around with interest. "Who knows? We may spot someone here- just keep your eyes open- and _focused." _He added with a slight growl.

Dread snarled, his arms folding across his chest. "Fine." He mumbled. "I'll keep a look out. Be back here in less than half an hour, though."

"Yeah, yeah." Jayden muttered. "If anything goes wrong, ask for Vince- and kill the motherfucker."

"Will do." Dread smirked, already setting off for the bar. Jayden rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, checking before he set up the stairs if he had his pistol in his jacket. He did. He made his way up to the second floor, asking the bouncer before he left if Aaron was already set for them.

* * *

_Jake wandered around the hallways of his school blindly, feeling as hungover as he always did on Monday mornings. He never seemed to grasp how essential it was not to drink Sunday nights, no matter how many warnings his brother drilled into him. But he knew Derek would never rat him out to the parents- he had too much on him. _

"_Jake." He heard a familiar snarl behind him, and straight away he put on his best smile before whirling around to meet those fierce eyes- like miniature x-rays. _

"_Leyla..." he cooed to her, disregarding the obvious annoyed look on her face. "You feeling okay after last night?"_

_Leyla rolled her eyes, resuming her narrowed icy glare. Her stomach was churning, she had a pounding headache and the poor fourteen year old hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks. She was continually sick- and she knew staying up all night with Jake drinking Sambooka mixed with Bailey's was a bad idea- despite his assurances it will make her feel better. She stared at him hatefully, weak and sick. _

"_No." She growled at him fiercely, shoving him for good measure. "I feel worse, thanks to you."_

"_Naw..." Jake ran a hand down her arm and she twitched- as if tempted to bike it off. "Poor baby."_

"_Don't play with me, Jake." Leyla muttered angrily, but her voice had weakened. No matter how many times he seemed to screw her around- she could never stay mad at him. She always saw the good in Jake Beatles when nobody else did. Perhaps to her, he was still the six year old that lived next door and always let her borrow his bike. Or maybe it was because she saw the good in everyone- no matter what they did. "I feel really sick."_

"_Me too." Jake smirked playfully. "Wanna ditch?"_

"_No!" Leyla scoffed, giving him a small smile. She winced, a hand going to her stomach again. It was gurgling ferociously, it seemed whatever she ate it disagreed with her. Her mother had even remarked to her that morning it was as if she was possessed- like she had a 'devil inside her'. _

_She just hoped this sickness went away. _

_A huge group of guys passed the two and one latched a hand onto Leyla's forearm, dragging her away casually with the group. She heard Jake growl, a possessive snarl in place as he stepped forward- ready for a fight. Leyla narrowed her eyes in warning and he held back, but gave her a warning look as he backed off. _

_Leyla's eyes jumped back to the hand holding her arm- a firm grip digging into her skin. She sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She could already feel those brown eyes on her- and she could feel a fight coming on. The last thing she needed when she already felt so sick. _

"_I thought I told you to stay away from him, Leyla." Chris Mathers snarled at her through gritted teeth- staring ahead as he dragged her forward. As a senior, he stood a foot taller than her and almost twice her width in his shoulders. _

"_We were just talking about a class, Chris." Leyla mumbled to him, already on guard. "There's nothing to-"_

"_I don't like ANYONE near what's mine!" Chris sneered at her, dragging her closer so he could snap in her ear and his friends wouldn't hear them. "He's always checking you out! If he comes anywhere near you, Leyla, I swear-"_

"_Would you relax?" She hissed at him, her eyes narrowed. "We've barely started going out! And you're already forbidding me from seeing friends-"_

"_I know there's something going on with you two." He hissed at her, his arms folding stubbornly across his chest. "I can't prove it, but I know it. Everyone wants that fucking Jake Beatles- just like his brother-"_

"_I have NO Interest in Jake, period!" Leyla snarled at him, trying to ignore the guilty churn in her stomach. "We've never been together." Once, twice, maybe three times... "So stop accusing me of such crap, Chris!"_

"_Hm." Was all Chris said, twisting his lips angrily. "Whatever."_

"_Ugh..." Leyla put a hand to her head, her eyes closing as pain soared through her skull. Her stomach squirmed uncomfortably and she tugged her hand away, slapping it to her mouth instead. "I gotta go..."_

"_We're still on for tonight, Leyla!" Chris called after her. Not a request, but a demand. She waved him off and ran to the girls bathroom, pushing a few girls aside as she locked herself in a cubicle, vomiting up whatever she had eaten into the nearest toilet bowl. _

* * *

"Dude...can I just say you really need to get laid?"

Trent glared up at him with narrowed charcoal grey eyes- his knuckles whitening as his grip on the beer bottle grew tighter. Jake raised his eyebrows innocently, sipping at his own, raising a hand in a sign of surrender.

"Dude- I dunno if you're top or bottom- but whatever it is you need that stress release _pronto."_

"_Jake!" _Trent snarled hatefully, his eyes burning. "That isn't helping! In fact- that's the LAST thing that would fucking help right now!"

"A'ight, okay. Alright." Jake muttered, his teeth scraping his bottom lip sheepishly. Even drunk he could tell he was barking up a very wrong tree. "Just a suggestion- calm down..."

"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN MY BEST FUCKING FRIEND IS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE AND I DUNNO WHERE!" Trent suddenly hollered at him, getting to his feet and leaning over the now wide-eyed Jake. "FOR ALL I KNOW HIS PSYCHO OF AN EX IS AFTER HIM!"

"Yeah, I know!" Jake muttered helplessly, cocking an eyebrow. "Jeez mate- calm down! It's not doing anything cryin' about it, is it?"

Trent glared at him, his chest heaving with the emotional upheaval. He knew Jake was right- but at the same time he really wanted to be assured that Bandit was safe- he didn't want Jake's hard-hearted way of telling him to toughen up.

"Bandit's been through Hell and back- he'll be fine." Jake muttered, but even Trent could see in those dark brown irises he looked troubled. Usually so energetic and down to earth, Jake clenched his bottle of beer a little more tightly than usual. He seemed to catch the vibes of the jittery redhead as soon as he walked through his front door. Usually so fierce and in control it seemed that something had finally gotten to Trent- he was suddenly left defenceless and vulnerable without his best friend- without his loving sidekick trailing behind him. Jake tilted his head, his eyelids drooping. He really felt for Trent, he knew how he felt. He was feeling a loss he couldn't control- something was gone that he couldn't replace, and he had no idea if it would never come back.

Both of the guys quickly jumped, staring wide eyed as the front door opened and Dodge came into the room, slamming the door behind him with a grim expression still in place. All three seemed to wilt with disappointment at seeing each other's identical blank looks- perhaps hoping someone, _anyone _would bring good news.

"I've been called down to the station..." Dodge muttered anxiously, his teeth scraping across his bottom lip. "Something about my missing person's report- I think they found Bonny."

Those grim words sat in the steady silence of the room for a good few moments before Trent sat up a little straighter, his eyes widening. "Well- at least that's something!" he pointed out, looking around at him hopefully. "Maybe she'll-"

"That's the thing, Trent." Dodge muttered over him, his voice solemn and his eyes sad. "They only call you down if they want you to inspect the missing person. Namely- the _morgue_."

A tense silence fell onto the room, the three boys frozen in shock. Dodge's heart pounded in his throat, and he felt for sure he was going to vomit. All three thought of Bonny- their childhood friend, Dodge's ex-girlfriend, a person that had been with them for over 15 years. It seemed unreal, like a dream so far from reality. The room grew cold. Bonny couldn't be dead. Bonny was bulletproof- she could survive anything. He looked around stupidly, as if expecting her to jump out from behind the couch with her wicked smirk- shrieking _'surprise!'. _

"That can't be right..." Trent muttered, shaking his head. "Dude- maybe you better go down there. Maybe she's just fine, picked up on prostitution or something. Or they got some other girl-"

A twitch seemed to go through him and Jake stood, drowning the rest of his beer as he grabbed for his jacket.

"We ain't gonna find out just sitting here." He snarled, and the boys did a double take at the serious snarl that seemed to escape Jake's throat. An authoritative voice...like an _adult's _voice. They blindly followed as Jake lead them to the door- his usually lopsided smirk replaced with a grim, blank expression.

He was ready to take charge- launch into 'Father' mode. He frowned, folding his arms across his chest.

"Let's go."

* * *

Fanny tried her best to concentrate on the music blaring from the speakers, but it was hard when all she could think of was how close Patton was to her- how eagerly he brushed up against her, how quick he was to put his hands on her back, her hips- she couldn't help but wrinkle her lips in discomfort. It didn't feel right- she took this night out to escape with a best friend, but suddenly Patton didn't feel like her best friend anymore...especially with his breath drenched with beer and his eyes glassy, constantly winking at her. She plastered on a smile, but truthfully she didn't think she could take it anymore. She missed Dodge, and found herself wishing for something, _anything, _to take her back to his apartment, where the two would sit up and watch whatever was on TV, goofing around and talking about stupid stuff until they fell asleep on top of one another.

She sighed, trying to drown in the sea of bodies with the music pounding through her ears. Even now- locked in this club with countless amounts of other strangers, she found it impossible to escape. That boy had stolen not only her heart- but her mind.

She never thought it possible before...

Aaron snuck through the crowd, spotting Patton quickly and tugging on his sleeve- shouting something into his ear. Patton's eyes narrowed, then rolled to the ceiling. Sheepishly he stole a quick look over to his supposed 'date'- who was still standing alone, a lost and faraway look in her face as she swayed blindly to the music.

"Fan!" He shouted to her, tapping her on the shoulder. "I'll be back in a second, kay?"

The girl nodded and Patton gave her his best smirk, disappearing into the crowds with Aaron and up the main staircase to the next floor.

* * *

Maurice sat in his lonely holding cell, his wide eyes gazing up at the ceiling above him. He couldn't think, he could hardly breathe. All he could do was stare in bewilderment at the sudden predicament he found himself in, his heart had been hammering so hard it was now numb with pain and his body was weak from fighting back- trying as hard as he could to convince those around him of the truth.

He had no idea what he'd done to deserve this.

"_Fuck..." _He hissed through his teeth, running a hand though his thick dreads. His body sagged against the thin mattress and his skin was crawling from the cold. He wished more than anything he could be curled up with his wife- dressed in his favourite comfy pants and the two sipping Cree's cocoa while watching late night sitcoms. He never appreciated it until now- locked in a jail cell on suspicion of murder.

He blinked back the tears itching at his eyeballs as he stared around the holding cell- extra security. He bit his lip and tried to keep calm, just hoping- _praying- _that he would soon be free to sort this mess out.

* * *

Dread smoothly made his way through the crowd, using his broad shoulders and burly arms easily parting the crowds as he made his way towards the bar. He'd only been in the club not even five minutes and already a handful of girls had approached him asking for his number, a drink, a dance. He was used to it all, and dismissed them casually. He couldn't help but smirk as he leaned against the counter, ordering his favourite drink. No matter what he did- he still had them lining up. Like lambs to the slaughter.

A figure caught his eye and immediately he turned- his attention fully captured. It was rare, for someone of that stature to actually grab at him in such a way. In fact- he was positive the last person to do that was Bandit. His smirk only widened, and he found himself slinking over with sudden excitement- the thrill at another chance, the chance at the impossible. Without so much as batting an eyelid he grabbed his drink and slid closer, his eyes wide and shimmering with malice.

"Hey..." he smirked, giving his best sly grin."S'happenin' cutie?"

Wallabee blinked in alarm, his emerald eyes scanning slowly over to view the new face beside him. He almost fell of his chair in alarm as a pair of pitch black eyes scanned over him closely- sparkling with endless depth. A greedy smirk was in place- and way too close for comfort. He shook his head in alarm. For a moment, he could have sworn it was his own older brother staring at him...except a little older, malicious, empty black eyes, dark brown hair, with more of a tan...and a really, sinful smirk.

"Uh..." Wally choked on his drink awkwardly, completely taken aback by that wide, unforgiving gaze. "S-sorry..." His cheeks blushed a fierce red, his heart once again racing with sudden annoyance and nerves as he studied the stranger, hoping he didn't hear what he thought he did. "What did you just say?"

"I said- how are you?" Dread corrected, his teeth scraping against his bottom lip innocently as he held back a snarl. _Dumb prick doesn't want to play? I'll make him play... _He licked his lips, his eyes flashing. He stuck a hand into his pocket, rustling around busily. "You seem really bored..." he sloshed his drink around busily, eyeing the untouched liquid in his glass.

"Oh...yeah...I guess." Wally muttered awkwardly. "I mean- I'm alright..." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, taking him in. He didn't really trust him, especially when he was so sure this guy was up to something. "Look dude, I don't swing that-"

Dread cackled, his eyes flashing. "Oh no dude, I get it. I don't either, trust me on that one." He shrugged, attempting to be careless while his heart was pounding in his ears. "You just seem bored- that's all. You seem like a cool guy."

Wallabee shrugged his shoulders casually. "Yeah...thanks, I guess."

"Wanna drink?" Dread offered, sliding his over. "Ever tried Absinthe?"

"Uh...No..." Wallabee muttered, eyeing the glass of pure aqua green liquid beadily. "I've never really heard of it-"

"It's illegal in some countries..." Dread muttered casually. "It's pretty awesome- kinda an hallucinogen, if you wanna get technical."

"Well..." Wally twisted his lips, curiously eyeing the drink. It sounded pretty hardcore- something that caught his attention. "You sure it's...safe?"

"Oh yeah..." Dread snickered, sliding it over. "Have a sip."

"Uh-"

"Dare ya." Dread smirked playfully. Wallabee rolled his eyes, gripping the glass and taking a cautious gulp of liquid. It burned fresh in his mouth and seared his tongue- like swallowing strong mouthwash. He wrinkled his lips in disgust, but managed to not vomit or choke as his eyes began to water, the thick, singing liquid sliding down his throat. He coughed subtly, unable to hold back his gagging. Dread cackled, his tongue between his teeth. "You don't like it?"

"N-no!" He choked, sniffing and batting away at his watering eyes. "That stuffs sick!"

"Only 60% alcohol." Dread smirked, dragging the glass back. He didn't take a sip. "You okay?"

Wallabee coughed again, his eyes burning and his throat scalding. It hurt- the taste still burned in his gums, scalding his tongue. He hastily took a large gulp of his own drink to wash away the burn, but it still remained- singing his mouth. He felt sick...his skin prickled, his muscles ached...his head became strangely woozy...

And the room began to spin...

"_The fuck?" _He hissed, gripping at his head. All he saw was the stranger's coal black eyes- staring into his, wide and curious.

"Wass'a'matter, Cutie?" He cooed to him, looking concerned. "You feeling okay?"

"Uhn..." Wallabee struggled to regain his vision- in fact he felt fainter. He tried to grip onto the bar for support- but he could scarcely feel his skin, any of his fingers... "Wha-"

_He was in trouble._

"Cutie..." Dread cooed to him, his fingers gripping at his face. "Lemme take you somewhere- I think you need some help, hmm?"

_Big trouble._

* * *

Dingo pushed through the dancing bodies easily, his eyes narrowed in on his target. She wasn't hard to find- that long, bushy red hair down her back, she stood out amongst the crowd like a sore thumb, and Dingo made a beeline for her, not caring who he shoved aside. His heart raced in his chest as he attempted to form a proper explanation in his head, but all he came up with was mindless rambling.

"Cherry." He grumbled harshly as he got closer. With the music pounding loudly and everyone surrounding them dancing wildly, he wasn't surprised that she didn't hear him, but it still annoyed him. "Cherry!"

Fanny jolted with alarm, whirling around with drink still in hand. The name itself was what made her heart leap into her throat- but her eyes catching Dingo she immediately felt slight disappointment, her face slacking slightly as she looked over to see a pair of emerald eyes gazing at her- not icy blue.

"Oh..." Fanny mumbled, but raised her voice over the music. "Hey, Dingo." She took a casual sip of her drink, her eyes scanning the club lazily. "What-"

"You can't be here." Dingo blurted out, his eyes wide. "Didn't Dodge tell you? It's not safe-"

"What!" Fanny scoffed, choking on her drink. Her eyes were wide and angry on Dingo, and he took a cautious step back, already regretting how he worded that statement. "What do you mean I _can't be here? _I can be wherever I want, thank you very much!"

"N-no!" Dingo spluttered, shaking his head rapidly. "N-no, Cherry- listen. You could be in danger, we're all being careful because someone could be after us-"

"What do you mean, _I'm in danger?" _Fanny snarled back, her eyes now narrowed. She couldn't hear very well over the music- but hearing Dodge's names followed by a demand already had her in a bad mood, and coupled with what sounded like a caution had her heart racing in anger.

"Dodge didn't tell you?" Dingo shouted back over the music, his eyes wide. "Cherry- you need to under-"

"No, _you _need to understand, Dingo!" Fanny shouted back, trying to hold back the whirlwind emotions that were tumbling back onto her. "Dodge and I aren't together anymore! He-he broke up with me!" She finished, sniffing back anymore emotion and turning back to Patton, who was watching the two with his lips agape. Dingo's eyes widened in shock.

"WHAT!" He shouted back, completely alarmed. "B-but he loves you, Cherry! I don't fuckin' get it! I know he loves you, he hasn't been like this with anyone else! I mean- what'd you do-"

He shut up quickly, his mind racing- as he processed his own best friend's actions. Stupid enough, he knew Dodge and how he thought- how it was more important to him that his family and friends were safe and protected than his own happiness. He inwardly cursed his friend out, seeing in her face how upset the redhead was- and that it hadn't worked, she was still out and in danger's line. But before he could stutter out another word Fanny had already rounded on him, now positively fuming.

"What did _I do?" _Fanny snarled at him, advancing. "I didn't do anything! _He _is the one who's acting-"

"Cherry! Cherry!" Dingo talked over her, his eyes wide. "I didn't mean that! I mean that he did it because-"

"Just leave me alone, Dingo." Fanny spat at him, unable to take it anymore. She was already hurting from hearing the same heartbreaking words ring in her head- she didn't want to be reminded by someone who was making excuses to her, trying to explain how somebody who hurt her so much _loves _her. She didn't want to know, she just wanted to escape. She began pushing through the crowds to the bathroom, but Dingo didn't give up that easily.

"Wait a sec!" he called after her, annoyed. "Wait! Cherry! OI! You can't just-" He pushed through after her, stumbling through the amount of feet he was stepping on. "You gotta listen to me, we just-" He growled, stopping as he saw she wasn't going to listen, no matter what he said. He watched her disappear into the flood of people- his stomach churning at the helplessness that sank into him as he watched her retreating back.

He had to hand it to Dodge- he dated the most impossible women ever.

He ran a few fingers through his hair, debating whether or not to call Dodge and warn him and/or yell at him. He didn't know what to do- as much as he hated to admit. He hated that he had no control, no way of knowing what was going to happen or how much danger they- or any of their family members- were in. He sighed, shaking his head and making his way back to the bar. The only thing he could do now was at least warn his family that something may come up- at least keep them away while he figured stuff out. That was his main priority, the only thing that made him remotely calm was keeping everyone safe-

He froze, his heart leaping into his throat as his stomach seemed to drop to the floor- his jaw soon following as a humungous wave of complete horror crashed down upon him- the pumping club music ringing in his ears and the crowds of people around him seemed to slow as he stared across at the bar. He felt numb, dazed and suddenly afraid all at once. He could only tremble, suddenly feeling very, very small and helpless as all he could do was watch with wide, fearful eyes.

A tall, broad- shouldered figure- dark hair, dark eyes, an untrusting smirk and a malicious, untrusting stature- he could spot him a mile away, and the fact he was hanging over a familiar blonde, talking and giving him the same look he gave one of his best friends...Dingo felt sick, filled with complete panic and horror- his eyes widening as he stared helplessly- feeling for the first time in his life horribly afraid.

_Shit. _Was all he could think- completely frozen to the spot without another logical thought running through his mind. _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. _

He couldn't believe it- possibly the only thing in life he was afraid of and it was right in front of him. His little brother being played by his worst enemy- the one person who had caused so much horror and grief in their lives- his best friend's brother, his best friend's ex... Panic jolted through him and he gave an involuntary shiver.

_Rubbing shoulders with my brother. _

_NO!_

_Think. _He urged himself suddenly, breathing heavily with fear now lodged deep in those emerald green eyes. _For once. Think._

He nibbled on his bottom lip fearfully, glancing around the club for any sign of inspiration. Nobody would believe him if he explained the problem, the bouncers were no help and he couldn't get to any of his gang in time. And he couldn't do it on his own. Dread had no mercy, and would have no qualms in slitting his throat for show- leaving the gang and his girl for the taking. For all he knew Dread was already making plans of his own. He was here wasn't he? And he already had Wallabee...

With difficulty he broke away from the scene, throwing one last look to his oblivious brother- who was giving him a suspicious look. Crossing his fingers, Dingo prayed this would work- shoving through the crowds at top speed to get to the DJ booth- where already flocks of people were grinding and dancing on each other near the thumping speakers. Dingo shoved passed- breathing heavily as he struggled to produce words that made sense.

"I gotta make a request." He panted to the DJ- who looked up at him in alarm, his hand still clutching the speakers to his ear. The DJ scoffed, rolling his eyes to the flickering ceiling as he looked back down.

"I don't do requests." The DJ bit back loudly over the thumping remix. Dingo began to swell with anger, his patience running thin. For all he knew his own brother could be _taken _by now.

"It's an _emergency!" _Dingo sneered back loudly, slamming a one hundred bill right in front of him. The DJ paused, frowning in suspicion before giving him a winning smile, pocketing the cash and leaning towards him.

"Of course dude! What can I play for you?"

Dingo winced at the words, but he leaned forward to quickly hiss it in his ear. The DJ leaned back, looking hesitant. Dingo's heart was still humming in a blind panic.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Dingo mumbled, already making his way back into the crowd in a hurry, frantic and stumbling. "Just make it happen!"

The DJ was left looking puzzled, but nevertheless went to his computer to find the song.

* * *

"So...what do you want from me, dude?" Patton was muttering to his friend, his eyebrows rising as Aaron lead him further up the stairs and towards the private rooms. "You know I don't want to be involved in this shit anymore..."

"I know, dude." Aaron muttered busily, his eyes wide and cautious as he reached the landing. "But this guy seems pretty serious- and Vince isn't around to help. I just need you here with me. You know how it is with these big deals, right?"

"Yeah." Patton scoffed, rolling his eyes. He knew too well. "I know."

Aaron gave him a grateful smirk, heading down the hall to one of the back rooms and giving him a look of great relief. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah..." Patton dismissed. He cautiously looked back to the club, wistfully gazing at the bright flashing lights and small sea of bodies below. He thought of Fanny. "Let's just make this quick, though."

"Yeah, yeah..." Aaron mumbled, unlocking the door and pulling him in.

Patton quickly followed him and heard the door lock behind them- standard procedure. The room was pretty small and cramped- with only a loveseat and coffee table present. The lone figure standing in the room was standing with his arms folded- a fierce, determined glare locked in place. Patton narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He looked familiar- but he couldn't place where. He was tall and muscular, and stood with a threatening demeanour- as if leering at them. He looked impatient, but cool and calm. Like no other customer he'd seen before. No wonder Aaron called in for enforcements.

"Took 'ya time..." He drawled at them, rolling his eyes impatiently. Patton took note of his black hooded jacket- the perfect article of clothing for hiding a weapon. He threw a quick warning glance to Aaron, who simply smiled at him in reassurance. He was used to guys like this- whereas Patton always took on a cautious stance.

"Yeah, sorry..." Aaron muttered, scratching his forehead. "Uh- what's your name again?"

Jayden rolled his eyes. He knew then this would be easy- he was dealing with amateurs who displayed their weaknesses for all to see. "You can call me Clubs..." He muttered, with the hint of a smirk. "It's my old name, after all."

Aaron grinned. "Clubs?"

"Like the suit in cards. My mate downstairs was once 'Spades'." Jayden snickered, planting himself on the couch. "And I don't really care about your names, to be honest. I'm here for the deal."

"Oh...right." Aaron muttered, pulling a bag out of his pocket. He handed it over to Jayden, who handled it delicately. He laid the merchandise over the table. Patton quickly counted three bags of pills, a sealed bag of coke and a substance powder he wasn't sure of before Jayden piled it back in again, throwing a handful of notes into Aaron's hands. Aaron quickly flicked through the bills, his eyes scanning back and forth as he counted. When he was satisfied he pocketed the cash, beaming from ear to ear. Jayden only gave him a casual smirk in return as he pocketed his own bag.

"So what brings you to our humble abode?" Aaron asked him, suddenly intrigued by this figure only named Clubs. "You looking for anything in particular?"

"As a matter of fact, we are." Jayden cooed slyly, rising to his feet. "My partner and I have a deal, we're bounty hunters searching for some runaways."

"Who?" Aaron asked suddenly, his eyes wide. "Maybe we can help, you know, me and my buddy here-" At this, he gestured to Patton, who looked back horrified at being involved suddenly- "Are locals here."

"I dunno..." Jayden sighed offhandedly, shaking his head as he slowly made his way towards the door. "They're kinda slick, you've probably done business with them and we don't like to mix with those we can't trust. Besides, we ain't after them." He shot them a calculating stare- as if judging whether or not these amateurs were of use after all. "We're after their girls- their partners that could be...at risk."

"Who are they?" Aaron asked, captivated. "We-we can help anyway we can, man. I see so many people come through-"

"You know anyone by the name of Ace?" Jayden asked suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he struggled to contain himself. Aaron shook his head. "Jack?" Again, his head drooped as he shook it. "King?"

"Are you sure you're looking for people?" Aaron asked him, suddenly smirking. "Or a Poker hand?"

Jayden snarled at him, feeling annoyed. Stupid people were wasting his time- when they were supposed to be hot on the trail of their subjects. Already they'd found Bandit and Holly- the rest of the gang should have _fallen _into their hands by now! They must have gotten a whiff of what they were doing... He thought venomously.

"_I know a Joker."_

Jayden whirled around so fast he thought he might have gotten whiplash. Aaron did the same- his mouth agape.

"Wha-"

"His name's Dodge." Patton said steadily, his eyes watching him. "And he has a _Joker _tattoo across his hips- and he has brown hair and bright blue eyes." He folded his arms. "About six foot two, with tan skin and a whole heap of other tatts."

Jayden's jaw dropped, but he quickly snapped it back shut again as he retraced his steps, slowly making his way across to the scrawny looking kid. His eyes shone with sudden excitement- his fingers twitching in anticipation as he looked over the stranger- trying to be sure he wasn't lying.

"So you know Dodge Mathers..." he cooed, a smirk in place. "One of our most wanted."

"I _knew _he was dangerous." Patton whispered, awed at his own discovery. "I saw his mug shot- he's wanted for murder, isn't he?"

"Of the worst kind." Jayden nodded, trying to contain his excitement. "You know where we can find him?"

* * *

Dingo snuck back to the bar quickly, watching with apprehension as he noticed Dread get closer and closer to his target. Dingo's fingernails bit deeply into his palms as he held back launching himself at him and ripping his throat out. It was so difficult not to react, so hard not to burst in and slam his fist into his face- just like it used to be. He never knew it would be taken this far. It was fighting fire with fire.

He looked anxiously back at the DJ booth- where the song that had been playing was dying down. He bit his bottom lip- hoping, _praying- _this would work.

* * *

"_I miss Kuki."_

Hoagie blinked his heavy eyelids- trying desperately to stay awake. The pain and the exhaustion- coupled with agonising hunger and dehydration- was becoming too much for the young captives, and they had already cried out all of their tears and screamed all of their fears. All that was left was being confined alone in the dark- with only themselves and the horrific memories of Bandit's fate etched in their minds.

He jiggled his cuffed wrists slightly- just a tinkle of sound in the solemn, silent room.

"I miss her too." He muttered. "I miss everyone, really."

"I just miss Kuki..." Mushi whispered- her voice choked from her aching throat. She longed for sustenance- her mouth and throat were dry and her stomach was aching horribly. So many awful things were running through her mind- all she could think of was pain and regret- and what would happen if she never got out of here. If she didn't survive this. "I was hiding from her this entire time... just afraid of what she'd think of me, you know? If she'd be disappointed..." She blinked her dry eyes. "Now I may never see her again..."

"Don't talk like that, Moosh." Hoagie rasped, staring around the grim, pitch black room with slight defiance. "We'll get out of here, I promise"

"How can you say that?" Mushi choked up, her voice warbling with panic as she began to shake- fear looming over her. Hoagie tried as hard as he could to slide next to her- reaching out and tapping her with his foot.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Mushi."

Mushi blinked. Every word of Hoagie's had been spoken in a weak voice similar to hers- one that had been broken from all of the crying and shaking- except for that statement. It was strong and determined, sounding so true that Mushi had no choice but to trust his words- the first time in a long time she had trusted anyone.

Hoagie sighed, closing his tired eyes. He could tell his body was about to give up- his brain was buzzing tiredly and he felt woozy, like the world was closing in on him. He groaned, pushing out the last of his energy before falling asleep- slumping against the wall.

"If it comes to it- I will save you."

* * *

Wallabee was in a bad way, he couldn't tell what was happening but he knew it wasn't normal. His mind was swirling, his vision blurring many shapes and colours- everything was distorted, and all he could hear was an unfamiliar coo in his ear- hot breath frosting his neck as a harsh grip was yanking on his hand. He tried to hold on, but he could feel himself slipping.

"_Come on Cutie..." _The harsh voice simpered. _"I'll get you some help..."_

"No..." Wally snarled harshly, attempting to find his balance as his fingernails scraped across the countertop. He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to gain his bearings again. The wooziness overwhelmed him, his stomach began to cramp and he felt strangely weak. "I'm good...I just-"

"_Naw..." _The guy's hands suddenly crept around his waist, and Wallabee felt suddenly sick- his skin prickling in discomfort. _"Let me take care of you-"_

"_And now- a request!"_

A familiar beat suddenly engulfed the club and everyone seemed to chuckle in disbelief, dancing anyway despite the change in music. Wally winced as the hands already clasped around him clenched in sudden alarm, and Dingo couldn't help but smirk in relief as Dread tore himself away- his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"The FUCK!" He yelled out, his disbelief drowned out by the loud music- the song he hated so much.

_We were both young when I first saw you,  
I close my eyes and the flashback starts,  
I'm Standing there...  
On a balcony in summer air..._

"I _hate _this song!" Dread suddenly snarled, his heart beating furiously and his fists clenching as he pushed himself off the bar- looking around wildly. His mind clouded with hatred, his black eyes darting in their sockets. _Who dares to disrespect me? It's too much of a fucking coincidence! Who's fucking with me?_

"You." Dread snarled in Wallabee's ear, grabbing him again. "Stay right here, precious. If you know what's good for you."

_See the lights,  
See the party, the ballgowns,  
See you make your way through the crowd  
And say hello...  
Little did I know..._

Wallabee only blinked, trying to shake his head out of his daze. Dread pushed himself away, hurrying away to the staircase as the offending song continued to play. Dread grinded his teeth, stomping through the crowds and pushing away anyone who got in his way.

"I HATE this fucking song!" He snarled to himself, stomping passed the guards and up to the room, his eyes narrowed.

_Someone was after them. _

Dingo hurried out of the crowd, wrapping his hand around Wallabee's arm and tugging him from his seat, ignoring the fight he put up.

"We gotta get you out of here." He snarled, dragging him towards the front door. "Just trust me."

"_D...Dingo?" _Wallabee snarled at him, stumbling and falling on his own feet. He was barely conscious- all he could concentrate on was his brother's voice- and he followed it without hesitation. "Wh...what's happen-happening-"

Dingo stole a look over his shoulder, seeing his brother half asleep as he crashed into his shoulder- slurring his speech and looking ready to pass out. A thick wave of anger shot through him as he held back a snarl, swearing under his breath as he directed him to the door.

"The fucker _drugged you!" _Dingo hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "When I get my fucking hands on him-"

He suddenly froze, his eyes widening as he stared back at the club. _Fuck. _

_Cherry!_

* * *

Nobody would have guessed that behind those innocent icy blue eyes and shy, sweet smile there was a side that only few have seen- the ruthless, destructive side only to be delivered in dire times. Yes- there was a side of Leyla Mathers that you wouldn't want to get on... but she'd never let that show. Only few had managed to cross her so severely.

"Evening, gorgeous." The airport security officer greeted her with a flirtatious smile as she placed her bag delicately on the conveyer belt- her petite frame almost getting lost in a sea of tired passengers. "And where are you girls heading off to tonight?"

Holly- who had just come out of the second 14 hour flight in 3 days- rolled her eyes at the man's efforts, in no mood to tolerate even the slightest sleaziest action. Leyla, however, took it in stride- brushing aside her annoyance and giving him a kind smile.

"The other side of the city..." She said silkily, her eyes fluttering innocently. "Would you be so kind as to point me in the direction of the rental car desk?"

"Certainly." He gave her a cheesy grin, gesturing grandly to the other end of the security desk. Holly's eyes narrowed- it seemed so unlike the Leyla she knew to fall for the cheesy pick up lines. But as she studied her more- the simple smile, the airy look- and as she walked through the security barrier and set off the metal detector alarm- she suddenly understood.

"Oh, dear." Leyla looked afraid- gazing around wildly at the noise she had created. "It must be the metal rod in my hip...I had an operation years ago..." She widened those anzious eyes at the guard, her fingers going to her jeans. "I can show you my scar, if you'd like-"

"That's not necessary, Ma'am." He grinned at her in assurance, brushing over her leg with the wand. "These things happen. Just walk on through..."

They gathered their bags and walked briskly through to the next gate- their expressions neutral. Holy immediately smirked at the older, but shorter, girl as soon as they were a fair distance from the security gate. Her eyebrows were raised in admiration.

"What have you got, Ley?" She asked, grinning with interest. "I have to admit, that was good. You barely batted an eye."

Leyla grinned. "I've learned a few tricks since you guys have been away. A girl needs protection."

* * *

"Patton- what's going on?" Fanny snarled at her friend as he quickly dragged her up the stairs to the room. His own heart was pounding with nerves, and the anger of what he'd just been told. To think- his own friend had been taken in by none other than a convicted criminal- a con artist just using her!

"Just trust me on this, Fan." Patton growled at her. "You'll see- I'm trying to make this right with you-"

"Right with _what?" _Fanny demanded, now growing angry. She had been completely taken aback when her friend had run back to her alarmed, grabbing her and hoisting her up the steps with a somewhat important reason. "What are you on about, Patton?"

"It's about your fucking boyfriend, if you must know." Patton snarled to her. And before Fanny could even open her mouth he threw the door open, dragging her in. Fanny stared- her eyes wide. She suddenly felt vulnerable, with three pairs of eyes staring at her as though she was a buffet, and clung onto Patton's arm, hissing through her teeth.

"_The Hell is wrong with you?" F_anny demanded. "Why did you bring me here?"

Patton shook his head, his head turning to face the taller one of the boys. Fanny followed his gaze, her eyes still narrowed with suspicion. She couldn't help but feel sudden fear- something didn't feel right- and those steel grey eyes watching her hungrily didn't help her suspicions at all.

"So..." Jayden cooed at her- his eyes scanning over her body greedily. He had to admit- the kid had a good taste. The chick before him was athletic yet curvy, with pale freckled skin and long red hair- complete with a dangerous glare. _Fiesty. _"You're the one dating Dodge, huh?"

"No." Fanny snarled at him angrily, looking ready to drive a fist into his face. "I'm not. Does someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on?" At this, she turned to glare at Patton, her eyes narrowed. He directed her to the couch, and Fanny weakly complied- but still with that untrusting glare.

"Fan..." Patton attempted again. "You could be in danger. This guy, Dodge- he's a criminal. He's wanted for murder, Fan."

Fanny looked alarmed, and her gaze on Patton was suddenly one of suspicion as she took him in. His eyes were wide, watching her carefully. Her glare flicked back to the stranger- Jayden- as his eyes scanned her. She didn't feel comfortable at all with his eyes on her. She didn't trust him at all...he looked too familiar...

"That's not true, Pat." She hissed at him. "He explained-"

"These guys are here to _track them down, Fan." _Patton talked over her in a hiss, his eyes wide. "You have to believe me."

Fanny rose from the couch- her glare fierce and defensive. She pushed passed him towards the door, her head low. Her heart rose to her throat and she couldn't dismiss it- she didn't trust these guys at all and she was sure they were up to something. And without Dodge- she didn't want to be involved in _anything _to do with him. His warnings still rang in his ears, and she fought to keep her composure as she walked briskly towards the door- Patton calling her back. Before she could make it, the door sprung open and a figure stomped inside- almost running into her.

And when she saw him, she felt her stomach drop.

He looked almost _exactly _like Dodge- only darker. Darker hair, black eyes and skin slightly more pale- but his dark eyes sullen and narrowed, fierce and shadowed from his thick hair. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal his muscular arms- and he stood almost a head taller than her, looming over her figure threateningly. He froze- staring at her with confusion in place, before staring back to his partner- then back to her.

Fanny stared back- this time keeping her composure. Her eyes were steady- eyeing every move he made. Suddenly everything seemed to sink into her- a harsh, dark reality that she couldn't escape from. She thought of Dodge, and her fingers tightened around her palms as she struggled to contain the fear building within her. It had been a long time since she'd felt fear- but suddenly it was overwhelming, singing her with panic and helplessness...something she'd never felt before.

"_Fanny..." _Patton sighed exasperatedly behind her. "This is-"

"Dread."

Dread stiffened- his eyes widening. Jayden froze as well, completely taken aback at the girl- who still stood strong before him, eyeing him off with narrowed eyes.

"Wh-"

"Dread." Fanny said again, this time harsher. Her lips curled into a snarl, and she looked up at him with no fear- simply a daring gaze he'd never received before...from any girl. "That's your name..." She added in a whisper. "Isn't it?"

Far from being taken aback, Dread smirked- his eyes shimmering with malice.

"Well...well...well..." he cooed silkily, creeping towards her. Already he was reaching a hand out to her hair hungrily as he murmured her name."Cherry."

"You've heard of me." She spat, backing up with her eyes guarded. She immediately knew it was true- everything Dodge had told her. The man in front of her looked innocent enough- but she could see it in his eyes, his black, empty irises- they were empty, and shining with guarded malevolence. His smirk was cruel, joking and ready to curl into a snarl. She kept her guard up, not trusting anything about him.

"Of course I have." He snarled back at her. "My little brother's head over heels for you."

Patton gaped- his eyes flicking back from either of them as they stood off- eyeing each other. "Wha..." He frowned suspiciously. "What are you talking about? How-"

"Pat." Fanny snarled, not dropping her gaze. "Meet Dodge's brother. The psychopath who's escaped from jail."

"Bu-"

"I didn't escape, Beautiful." Dread cooed to her, closing the distance between them smoothly. "They let me out. I'm walking around legally." His black eyes sparkled in the dim light, and he gave her a soft laugh. "Cruel world- huh?"

Fanny's lips twisted hatefully, backing up again. She didn't want to be anywhere near him. It scared her- how much he looked like Dodge. Their faces were similar- but Dodge was different...much more soft, sweet. His face was open, showing every emotion and thought. But Dread was different- he was guarded, a permanent expression of cruel spite in place. A permanent smirk- his eyes shadowed from behind his hair. It was dark- not a hint of kindness. Complete polar opposites- but yet so similar...

She never thought anything would scare her- but that fact alone did.

"Keep away from me." She growled threateningly, trying to find her voice. Dodge's voice rang in her head- everything he'd done, everything Dread was...and now the monster was in human form- right in front of her.

"Why, baby?" Dread grinned at her, his sharp canines shimmering in the dim light. His black eyes gazed at her- his endless onyx eyes boring into her. "You scared of me?"

She wanted to run- to bolt to the door as fast as she could- but he blocked her way, and she doubted her ability to break through. Self doubt and anxiety weighed her down and she suddenly felt helpless- her body captured in a thick panic. Her heart hummed against her ribcage and all she wanted was Dodge. She tried to imagine him stepping between them- his eyes hardening and his mouth curling into a protective sneer- but it didn't help. She was alone. Patton stood off to the side- his mouth agape and his brows furrowed with confusion.

"What the FUCK?" He suddenly shouted at the two. "How do you two know each other?"

"We don't." Dread snapped simply, still looking thrilled. "My wittle brother should have done a better job protecting you, _Cherry." _He spat the nickname challengingly, his eyebrows rising as if daring her to do anything about it. She simply glared at him- staring daggers. He had to admit- she had a pretty fierce glare. She was feisty- that was for sure.

_Just the way I like them. _

"A'ight Cherry..." he cooed at her. "Just come with us, and there'll be no dramas. We won't even hurt you, honestly. You're just bait, after all-"

A wave of fear washed over the redhead girl, and she could feel her knees tremble as she looked into those dark eyes- which were set with promising strength. He wasn't lying- they were taking her no matter what. She still managed a scoff- looking over to the other. He had the same expression in place- his eyes narrowed daringly. Both of them had their hands balled into fists- readying for a fight. She did the same.

"Over my dead body".

"You're not taking her!" Patton suddenly jumped into action- running to stand beside her. Guilt replaced confusion, as he stood dumbstruck in front of the two threatening males. He felt awful- leading his best friend into a trap- and he was ready to defend her. No matter what it took. Aaron stood off to the side- simply watching and hoping they wouldn't notice him.

"You can't! What the fuck has she done?"He demanded of them, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously. He was determined to take back charge. "She's done nothing to you! Sh-she's not even with that jerk anymore! Just leave her-"

"Ah, but he _wuvs you..." _Jayden cooed to her, his mouth curling into a wicked grin. "And we gotta have some of that- after all you catch more flies with honey..."

"And she's al the honey we need..." Dread added silkily, licking his lips. "Now I don't wanna leave any marks on such a pretty face..." He grinned slyly, tilting his head as his black eyes scanned her face. His hand slid into the front pocket of his jeans, and he ran his thumb along the handle of his favourite switchblade fondly. "But if you don't come with us- I'll have no hesitations in leaving a few scars..."

* * *

Bandit felt so tired he could scarcely lift the heavy bulk that was his own arms. He was cold and shivering, hungry and weak. All he could do was cry- and even then his numb face was hopeless, only a few tired tears scraping down his face as he struggled to open his eyes. He felt so sick. He knew this pain. He needed a fix.

_Bandit..._

He froze, his heart hammering and his chest rising and falling rapidly as he processed the voice- the voice that echoed through his own mind. He knew that voice- those honeyed tones, usually slowed down to an easy-to-understand drawl. That voice was sweet and girlish. It had the greatest laugh...a laugh he missed more than anything...

_Bandit... _The voice echoed within him again. A huge burst of energy shot through his system and he turned, his tired eyes searching for her. He could hear her- he knew she had to be somewhere in the darkness.

"Belle..." He croaked to the dark room, reaching out and flexing his fingers. "B-Belle..." He began to cry, softer now, as he waited for her voice again. "Please don't go Belle..." He murmured into the darkness, swaying as he tried to rise from his bed."I-I need y-you..."

_Bandit... _The voice cooed again. _Bambi..._

"Belle!" he squeaked into the darkness, too afraid to move. He clutched at the thin sheets, unsure of what to do. His head was heavy, his eyes tired. It was too much- his numb skin prickled with sickness and he couldn't understand what was going on. _Belle is here. Belle is here. She's here. _

"Belle...where are you? You gotta help me..." He whimpered shakily. "I don't know what to do..." he mumbled shamefully, curling back up into a defensive ball.

A loud thump sounded from the corner of the room, and Bandit stumbled out of bed without a second thought- running across the room as fast as his shaky legs could carry him. He buckled under his own weight, too weak to manage.

"Belle!" He squeaked, grabbing at the doorknob. It was locked. He felt ready to burst into tears, and began thumping on the door in return. He had to get to her- he had to! He owed it to her. "Belle..." He whispered hopefully, swaying as he tried to remain upright. He knew she was there- somehow she'd found him. His head pounded in protest but he held strong, feeling faint. His best friend was behind that door and he couldn't get to her- that thought alone was heartbreaking. He was letting her down _again. _He thumped on the door with his already split knuckles, choking up with sobs. "Belle! Ems! Help m-me!"

Miraculously, the door opened and light was brought to the room, leaving Bandit to blink in pain as his head pounded in distress. He opened his eyes- and his bottom lip drooped in alarm.

Belle was there- standing in the dim light like an angel. Her medium length brown hair, her slightly heavy figure, her face- with just a few scattered pimples- was open as always, her kind eyes gazing at him with a neutral expression- her mouth a delicate thin line. She was even wearing her All Time Low concert shirt- how he remembered her.

"Belle..." He mumbled to her, his voice croaky and hoarse. He tried to stand strong for her, working up all the courage he had to blurt out apologies, anything to make it right- to make her smile again. "Y-you came back to m-me...an' and you're okay..."

* * *

Sandy charged down the main hall leading to the basement- his face stony and his mind set. His body gave away his nerves- shaking and trembling as he threw open the door leading to the narrow staircase. But only a brief second, heaving a shaky sigh he made his way down to the darkened depths of the lower story. He was ashamed to note that his legs were shaking- he had to grip the railing as he slowly descended into darkness- feeling around for a light switch. He could only faintly remember what happened to him the last time he snuck down here, and he really didn't want that to happen again.

He felt around the walls, but only felt the sharp, rough edges of brick. He stumbled into a door, thumping against the hard wood. A harsh curse escaped his lips as he rubbed his head- which was now pounding from the slight blow. He rubbed his scalp, snarling to himself in the silent hallway.

The silence, however, was broken when- instead of the door opening- a few knocks answered him. His heart leapt into his throat and he jumped back, immediately weary. Behind the door- faintly- he could just make out some pitiful sobs. He bit his lip, his eyes flicking up the hallway for any signs of life. There was none- only the tiny, pathetic whimpers behind the door. A battle raged within him.

_Someone could be in trouble. _

He frowned, shakily fumbling over the rough wood for the handle- and turned the knob with a click. It was only locked on the inside- to lock somebody _in. _He opened the door apprehensively- his eyes widening hopefully in the dark. He slammed his hand inside the room and thankfully found a switch, flicking it on.

Immediately he jumped back in alarm- his heart jumping into his throat and his skin crawling in sudden chills of fear- for the widest pair of blue eyes were gazing at him so serenely from the abyss. He was panting as he scrambled to find his feet- his eyes widening as he recognised one of his former dealers- standing there- simply _staring _at him.

"SHIT!" he yelped, his own eyes widening at the familiar figure. Petite and pale, the one he guessed as 'King' stared at him in shock. He looked weak, and was trembling as well as swaying back and forth in the middle of the room- just trying as hard as he could to stay upright. He looked pathetic- and it was hard for Sandy to believe he used to fear him, now that he was looking down at him with such disgust- and Bandit was gazing up at him with apprehensive eyes. They were glassy and faraway, Sandy guessed he was either very drugged or suffering from very serious withdrawals.

_But more importantly... _He sneered to himself. _If he is one of the dealers- Why is he locked in our basement- and why haven't these bounty hunters killed him or turned him over to us? _

"B-Belle..." Bandit mumbled helplessly, shaking on the spot. He fidgeted, his wide eyes gazing at him with sudden awe- his pale, chapped lips agape. Sandy stared back in alarm, wide eyed. "Y-you came back to m-me...an' and you're okay..."

"Wh...WHAT?" Sandy spat in horror, stumbling back in alarm. Bandit followed him, his paled eyes wide with hope and trailing along like a lost puppy. It freaked Sandy out immediately, and he clung to the wall with his eyes narrowed. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He snarled, but grew quickly cautious- Bandit was a few inches taller than him and he'd seen just how fierce the gang could get- especially when he owed them money and none of his cousins were around. "I'm not Belle! I'm a DUDE!"

Bandit winced at that, he looked horrified as he recoiled at his shouts- looking close to sobbing. "Bu-Bu-" He whimpered, shakily stammering anything that came to mind. "I'm really sorry Belle! Don'-Don't turn m-m-me away! I miss you! Please Belle! I'll d-do any'fing! B-Belle-" He broke down into tears, his body trembling as he gasped for air. "Don't l-leave me Belle! I n-never wan-wanted this t-t-to happen!"

In his eyes- Emma simply stood there, a slight frown on her face and a small sneer on her lips. It was the closest expression she got to disgust with him. And he'd only seen it once- when she'd truly been disappointed in him- and it tore at Bandit's heart. He truly believed and sensed Belle there, hearing her voice and seeing her before him in his state was all he wanted to believe. It was his reality- and he couldn't lose it.

Sandy couldn't tear his eyes away- seeing Bandit completely distraught was another world he never thought existed- the person before him seriously thought he was somebody else, so broken and distraught hallucinating was rock bottom for his current emotional state. He'd heard of withdrawal symptoms but _this _was something different.

"I...I dunno..." He cautiously looked over his shoulder- to the top of the stairs- and back to Bandit. His former hunter- one of the guys who had given him his first deal- what had gotten him into this mess in the first place. His eyes narrowed at the trembling Bandit- and his head jerked towards the stairs, his feet backing up towards them. "Come with me."

Bandit froze, his eyes darting back and forth. Belle's face had suddenly softened in his mind, and she was cooing to him in her familiar way- her lips splitting into a cheeky grin she always used to give him- hinting at the mischief and mayhem they always seemed to get into. His heart lifted. He wanted to go with her- he really did. But the fear still sat within him.

_Dread will come back for her. _

"Bu-but-" Bandit whimpered, his eyelids fluttering at the ghost before him guiltily. "Dread-Dread will come back..." He broke off with a fearful sniff, his chapped, dry lips protruding into a shaky pout. "I can't le-let it happen again, Belle..." His heart swelled with sudden hurt as he saw how he'd let her down yet again. "I gotta stay h-here."

Sandy frowned at him- the pathetic shaky mess trying so hard to stay upright. Who he once saw as a merciless gang member was now afraid to leave- no ropes or handcuffs required- just scared shitless of what would happen if he crossed his 'master'.

"Then you wait here." Sandy snarled at him, his eyes narrowing with thought. "I'll be back."

* * *

"Din...Dingo-" Wallabee slurred incoherently, babbling anything that came to mind. Dingo still clung to him strongly, dragging him along to the car. His number one concern was to get him _out _of the firing line- especially when he was so quick to be targeted. His next concern was to get Cherry and get out of there- _fast. _He didn't want to be anywhere near the place- especially when a rabid dog was running around loose.

He reached his car and quickly unlocked it- shoving his brother into the passenger side. Wallabee blinked up at him helplessly- his long blonde hair falling into his faded green eyes. He felt sick and weak- numb and confused. The drugs had taken immediate effect- clouding his senses and lulling him into a deep need for sleep. Dingo was positive they didn't have much time before he completely passed out and became immobile.

"Stay. Here." He snarled at him sternly- trying to ignore the anger that was building in his system. He longed to fight- to destroy anyone who would attack his family in such a way. It was no time for emotion- strategy was needed to ensure survival...Especially with nobody else around to help him. He groaned as his brother gave him a dazed smile, his head drooping onto the seat as he draped over the passenger side. He hated to leave him- but he knew if they left Dread could easily track Fanny down- they'd already found out where they lived, and with Bandit missing...

He pushed those fears aside, running back towards the club.

* * *

"Sorry to get you in so late..." The police officer apologised quickly as soon as the trio walked through the station door. All three grimaced in surprise- Jake especially- as they weren't used to being spoken to so politely by authority (without _'I'll have to ask you to leave the premises' _added to it). "But a very serious circumstance has come up and we need to speak to you as soon as possible-"

"Yeah." Dodge grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah that's...ah...okay... Did you find her?"

The police officer didn't answer, and Jake immediately stiffened protectively.

"He asked you a question."' Jake snarled at him through gritted teeth. Trent also narrowed his eyes- his patience already wearing thin. The police officer seemed to sigh, grabbing his papers and nodding towards the back of the room. His eyes landed on Dodge- a grim glance that Dodge knew all too well.

"Follow me. Just you."

* * *

The redheaded girl remained as strong as she could- fearlessly gazing up at the cold man's eyes without a hint of anxiety- the exact opposite of what she was feeling. After all she'd heard from Dodge, Dread was the last person she wanted to see in front of her. He looked so much like Dodge- tall and masculine, with a heart shaped face and wide black eyes- big and innocent like those of a four year old- but dark and flashing with promising malice. His features were dark- with shadows under his eyes and underlying black stubble on his tanned skin. She wrinkled her nose at him- her brain ticking away for a way- _any _way- to get out of this.

"You're wasting your time." She snarled at him, trying to bring back some of her old toughness to stall him. "Dodge and I are separated. He broke up with me only recently. You missed your chance." She narrowed her eyes- her voice remaining strong. "You have to find something actually important in his life."

Dread chuckled, and Fanny resisted the urge to shiver. His cold laugh sent freezing chills down her spine. He reached forward and touched her hair, a firm grip that she couldn't shake from. She snarled, her skin crawling unpleasantly.

"_Little Cherry..." _Dread cooed to her, and Fanny really did shiver at how he cooed her name- so unlike Dodge's tenderness. It was cold and empty, simply mocking. "You must think I'm really stupid... Dodge doesn't just date _anyone... _no, no, no..." He grinned, his eyes flashing. "My little brother- he's always been the _quiet _one- the _reserved _one. He's a_ good boy."_ His face seemed to twitch with annoyance, but he shook it off. "He would never date someone he didn't truly believe in- he'd never do that. He let you go because he was afraid I'd find you." He smirked, his tongue between his teeth. "I guess he's smart like that."

Fanny began to tremble, images of Dodge forming in her head only to fade away. She was completely alone- Patton didn't know what he was up against, and her worst fear was for him to suffer too. All she could see was Dread advancing- slow and steady, his shoulders hunched and him looming over her. She bit her lip, willing herself to stand strong.

_Stay strong. Stay Strong. Stay strong-_

She fell back in alarm as a figure burst through the door, causing all of them to jump.

* * *

Jake and Trent waited impatiently in the police waiting room- Trent with his head in his hands and Jake gazing around the room curiously- an impatient frown still in place. Both were sick of the waiting game- they wanted answers and they wanted them _now. _It was too much- too much was in stake and hanging in the balance.

"I'm so sick of this shit!" Trent suddenly broke, standing from his position to stalk around the room. "I hate not knowing what the fuck's going on!"

"Tell me about it..." Jake growled, staring ahead. He barely flinched at Trent's sudden explosion of emotion- he knew it was unavoidable. "But we have to stick it out."

"Stick it out _bullshit!" _Trent hissed angrily, folding his arms. He was shaking with emotion, trying to mask fear with fury. "I wanna know what's going on. If Bonny's in there and she's just wasting time, I swear to God I'll..."

He broke off, closing his eyes. Stupidly, he felt tears rush to his eyes and he willed them away as much as he could- trying to mask all vulnerability. He couldn't let Jake know he was this helpless.

Unfortunately for Trent, Jake- being a father- could sense this a mile away, and tactfully ignored Trent's trembling bottom lip and looked around the room thoughtfully, attempting to take their minds away from their current situation. It was nerve-wracking, he knew this, especially when it concerned his own little family.

Trent froze, sucking in his teeth as his fists suddenly contracted- his eyes narrowing in on a newly plastered poster on the board behind Jake.

"_Fuck!" _He hissed, his heart sinking further into his gut as he jumped forward hardly daring to believe his eyes.

He could recognise that face- and that name- anywhere. The slightly tousled brown hair- the plain brown eyes and innocent expression, smiling. It wasn't a mug shot- it was a college ID photo. Of course the kid would have never gotten into any trouble before- he was never meant to be plastered on the board at a police station- stating _Wanted _and _Missing. _Trent cringed as he felt Jake stand beside him- and a terrible feeling of guilt suddenly washed over him. He'd seen that same innocent, young face before- untainted and naive. He'd laughed at it, seen it almost every day at work for a month. And now...

_It was too much of a coincidence. _

"I...I know that kid..." Trent croaked at Jake, his gaze shifting to the floor as he tried to concentrate on remaining calm. Cool headed. "We all do. We worked with him. Even...Even Dingo's brother knows him."

Jake studied the picture, tilting his head and chewing his lip. He could feel Trent slump beside him, and he knew the kid was losing it. His world was falling apart around him- without his best friend to help him pick up the pieces- and it seemed as though all hope was lost at finding out who was behind it. He sighed, draping an arm around Trent's shoulders and giving him what he hoped to be an optimistic glance.

"Don't worry, Trent-boy. It's gonna be okay. There's no use stressin'! If we need to sort out the issue believe me- _it's gonna get sorted."_

Trent shook his head, unable to conjure up the energy to do much else.

"Just stay strong, Trent. It's all you can do."

* * *

Dodge followed the policeman in front of him numbly, trying his best not to let his mind wander. In situations such as this, it was dangerous for him to think- and he knew it. He didn't want to imagine why he was here- or what this could possibly be about. Already his mind had jumped to the worst conclusion- he really didn't want to conjure up any more horrific ideas.

"Just tell me what this is about." Dodge muttered shyly, but kept his gaze strong as he followed the cop in front of him. "Is it about my friend Bonny? The one I reported missing? Because-"

"Look, kid-" The cop said gruffly to him, and Dodge had to bite his tongue. _Kid? _"This is just standard procedure, I don't know what it's about, you were just called down."

Dodge narrowed his eyes sceptically, unsure of what to think. He had grown up not trusting police, but as he was lead further and further into the depths of the station- he knew it was their only hope in shedding the tiniest of light into the situation. And as he was faced with guarded double doors to the room labelled '_Authorized personal only' _his stomach only sank further as he dreaded what he was about to face.

* * *

Holly followed the older, yet shorter, woman as they wandered down one of the side streets out of the city- the two on foot after seeing that they couldn't hire a car. Leyla glided along on light feet, looking around curiously at the nightlife around her. Despite it being so late, she seemed so at ease. This came as a surprise to Holly- who kept biting her lip anxiously as she looked around nervously. She knew the city, and she knew how much of a target they would be...usually so nervous, Leyla seemed so calm...and why?

Nothing had happened, and no words had been said, in the half an hour they'd been walking. Their bags tucked under their arms they seemed like harmless travellers- and only a few cars had passed them in the long distance they had walked. Holly could feel herself growing tired. She wished longingly for cash.

"_Leyla." _She suddenly hissed- her voice a high pitched squeak. Leyla immediately whirled around to see the bright headlights approaching them- slow and threatening. Leyla gripped onto Holly's hand, dragging her behind her and out of harm's way. Her bright blue eyes were guarded- still sparkling innocently- as the old pickup truck rolled up beside them, a middle aged man sitting behind the wheel and giving them a hungry glare as well as a sleazy grin. Holly's heart beat in her throat.

_Just my luck. Approached by a complete weirdo... _She thought desperately how to get out of the situation, what she could offer. _I have to get back to Bonnie!_

"Evening ladies..." The older guy cooed at them as he eyed them, leaning back in his chair. "Awful late for two pretty girls like yourself to be walking by yourself, ain't it? How about a lift?"

Despite Holly shivering next to her, Leyla kept herself steady as she smiled at him.

"No, thank you." She muttered politely, as if they were discussing the weather. "We're fine."

The grin disappeared from the man's face, and his yellow eyes narrowed sourly as his entire face seemed to change, his hand disappearing and diving into his pants. Before Holly's gasp could escape her throat he'd already pointed a loaded pistol at them- the weapon poking out from the open passenger side window before the girls had time to react.

"_Get in." _He snarled at them, the man licking his lips greedily. _"I won't ask 'ya twice."_

Holly's legs began to tremble as she eyed the barrel of that gun- the weapon not a stranger to her. She weakly gave a frightened whimper as she clung onto Leyla's hand, ready to comply. Leyla, however, didn't move, and as Holly turned to her- she hadn't even dropped her smile.

"Now, now..." The petite woman sighed shakily, her eyes widening. "There's no need for violence, we won't put up a fight, I'll jump in the car first and Holly, you can-"

Within the space of a second Leyla leaped forward- grabbing the weapon with both hands and the limb that held it- and slammed it into the frame of the window- causing the man to release a howl of pain and a stray bullet to fly up into the sky. Leyla's face twitched as she twisted the limb roughly- still with it hanging uselessly out of the window- and the weapon dropped to the ground. The young mother heaved on the man's arm with all of her strength and he slammed into the door. Holly watched, her mouth agape.

The petite woman wrenched open the car door and let the man's body slide out onto the pavement- still with that painful grip on his arm. She slammed her shoe down on his shoulder, earning a pained wail. Without words she leaned down and grabbed the lump in his back pocket- pulling out a wallet. She let go of his arm and instead swiped up the gun, pointing it at him as she thumbed through the folded leather, pulling out cards and photos with the trained skills of a card dealer.

"Now I have your address, and pictures of your family..." she mumbled emotionlessly- her icy blue eyes flashing at him as the man turned over to gape at her- his chest heaving. He lay sprawled out on the wet sidewalk, in complete shock with his arm in agonising pain. Leyla threw the wallet back at him, holding a few bills and cards up with her fingers. "I took some money for the trouble too. Unless you want me to track your ass down and fuck you up further, you won't report this to the police."

She turned to nod at the now trembling Holly, jerking her head towards the car. "I'll drive."

Holly wordlessly gathered the bags- laying forgotten on the roadside- and with one last glance at the man that was as shocked as her she climbed into the stolen pickup truck and collapsed onto the seat- her heart racing in her ears. Leyla climbed in beside her, throwing the gun, bills, photos and licence onto the floor near her feet and turning the key in the ignition. The car sped off down the road- leaving the injured and bewildered man where only a few moments ago they had been walking. Holly let out a breath of air she didn't know she'd been holding and turned to gape at her mentor.

"_LEYLA!" _She gaped at her, her heart still thumping hard. "What the-"

Leyla shrugged- her face had returned back to its meek cheerfulness, her eyes back to innocent ice blue.

"With my babies gone, I had to learn to defend myself somehow." She beamed, looking back at the shocked redhead. "Nobody needn't worry about me anymore, Hol. That's for sure."

"Yeah..." Holly said breathlessly, leaning back into the seat and trying to catch her breath. The fact that they were in a _stolen _car- that had previously been in the hands of someone who was ready to _hijack _them- was something she hadn't quite grasped. "I...I guess you have changed."

"For the better." Leyla sighed, thinking back to her old self. How weak she was, how scared she had been...she could still feel that within her- the same fearful, meek girl her mother had always berated. She shook her head as the memories came back, and tried to concentrate on the road.

* * *

_Leyla waited on her mother's splintering porch, tapping her foot anxiously as she kept her arms out-a son dangling on either hand. Clinging onto her left Dread was kicking out angrily- his face screwed up in annoyance as he attempted to break free of his mother's grip. At only seven he already had a fiery personality- his long brown hair sticking out at all angles and his baggy jeans so big and long his worn sneakers were covered. His black eyes were darting around daringly, especially narrowed at his little brother, who was gripping onto his mother's right hand. _

_At only four Dodge already had a few significant features in his face- his wide icy blue eyes were definitely his mother's, and a few cute freckles scattered across his lightly tanned skin. His cheeks were already stained with dry tears and he was sniffling. The complete paradox to his brother he was recoiling away, trying to remain still as he tried to cuddle up to his young mother's leg. Every few moments he'd release a nervous whine, whereas Dread only growled. _

"_Cut it out, Dread!" Leyla snarled at him, dragging him away from her by the hand. He growled in annoyance, his arm raised high above his head as his mother clung to his wrist in her death-like grip. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she returned the glare. "I mean it. How many times do I have to tell you to be nice to your brother?"_

"_He's not my brother!" Dread grumbled back, aiming a kick at his brother. "He's a CRYBABY!"_

_Dodge's eyes widened with hurt, and his nose twitched as another wave of tears hit him. "I'm not a baby!" He whimpered back in defence, breaking down into pathetic cries. "M-Mummy-"_

_Dread only snickered at him, sticking his tongue out at him and blowing a childish raspberry. Leyla sighed as she heard the familiar sound of her younger baby's cries, and fiercely yanked on her older son's arm in warning. _

"_Stop it!" She hissed at Dread- her icy blue eyes growing stormy. "I will smack you one."_

"_He STARTED IT!" Dread pouted at her, trying again to kick out at his baby brother. "Baby baby baby baby BABY!"_

_Dodge began to wail again, trying to grip at his mother's leg and begging her to make him stop. She growled, trying to pry them apart. At only 21 she had former friends who were out partying and studying- whereas she had to worry about whether her and her babies had enough to eat for the day. She cast a worried glance over the two boys as Dread lurched forward to poke his brother again, Dodge's bottom lip trembling in warning. _

_Before the siblings could start up again the door opened, and Leyla immediately sighed in relief- despite the dark eyes that glared at her judgingly. _

"_Mum..." She sighed, dragging the two boys through the door after her as she crossed the threshold. "Sorry we're late. I had some issues to sort out-"_

"_Feh. Say no more." The older woman growled, checking over. A young grandmother at 45, she was already prematurely aging- a few wrinkles lining her tanned face, she was a wise Aboriginal woman who was always strict on her daughter's choices in life- especially when they'd already had many years of hardship. She rolled her eyes and lit another cigarette, wandering into the kitchen. Leyla followed, two pairs of feet tottering after her. _

"_You sit." Leyla snarled at her oldest, pushing him towards a dining room chair and plonking him on it. Dread returned the glare, folding his arms on the table. Leyla picked up Dodge and sat him in another chair. The older, stern faced woman before them suddenly softened- walking up to the younger boy and running a few fingers through his light brown hair. _

"_How are you, my little Bunjil?" She asked him, a kind look on her face. Even Leyla was amazed at how much Dodge could soften the hard woman. Dodge looked up at her with tear-filled eyes, but gave her a sweet smile anyway. _

"_I'm okay, Nana..." he mumbled to her sweetly, kicking his legs. Dread narrowed his eyes at both of them, his mouth twitching with what appeared to be jealousy. _

"_I'm okay too, you know." He grumbled at her, his mouth working into a pout. The older woman rolled her eyes, sniffing slightly as she turned away. _

"_I'm not surprised, Bunyip."_

"_Don't call him that." Leyla tutted at her, stiffening protectively. "I've told you a million times, Ma-"_

"_Better than his real name." The Aboriginal woman scoffed. Leyla winced at that. _

"_Yeah, well..." She cast a thoughtful glance at her oldest child. "We'll change that soon- as soon as I have the money..." _

"_Why bother?" She sniffed carelessly. "It suits 'im."_

_Dread's eyes widened at that- and for that small moment he actually looked...hurt. Leyla was left feeling guilty. Usually so guarded and fierce, Dread never showed any emotion to her. Of course he didn't understand what 'dread' even meant- but he was growing to know he was different...especially when members of her family followed her mother's example. It wasn't his fault, Leyla knew this in her heart. She stood beside her oldest proudly, reaching down to stroke his cheek subtly. Dread seemed to grimace at the contact, but upon seeing that nobody was watching them he leaned into her touch- his head tilting to the side. _

_She loved her little boy- she always will. _

"_Where's Daddy?" Dodge suddenly chirped to the room, his eyes wide. Leyla stiffened, her hand freezing on Dread's cheek. Her mother scoffed, sliding over a plate of biscuits to him. _

"_Your pathetic deadbeat father is probably down at the pub, sweetie, drinking away his dole payment..." Leyla snarled at her, and as the older woman met her gaze she softened her voice again, speaking to her youngest grandchild kindly, "...Sweetie..." _

_Dread's face seemed to crinkle with annoyance, his lips protruding into an angry pout. Leyla tugged on his shirt, silently telling him to get that look off his face. Her mother looked up to study her oldest grandchild- the same knowing look crossing her face. Leyla narrowed her eyes._

"_What?"_

"_Nothing." She dismissed, but still stared at Dread with the same blank look. Dread stared back, unabashed. Leyla stared between them, before hurriedly telling both of her kids to go play. Both scrambled off, Dodge tottering off after Dread like a lost puppy. _

"_What is it, Ma?" Leyla snarled at her mother as the two boys were out of earshot. "I know you have something to say, so why don't you-"_

"_Funny." The older woman sniffed, folding her arms and standing before her daughter challengingly. "I would have thought you had something to say to _me."

_Leyla bit her lip, not meeting her gaze. "I don't know what you-"_

"_I thought there was something off about him- the oldest-" Her mother sneered, her eyes narrowing beadily. "Something in his eyes- I knew something was wrong-"_

"_There's nothing wrong with Dread!" Leyla immediately piped up, anger swelling within her as someone dared criticise her baby. Her mother glared at her, sneering. _

"_For once, Leyla, I agree with you." She scoffed, her hands on her hips. "I thought there was, at first- those eyes were devil eyes, I told you that from the start-" At this, Leyla rolled her eyes. Her mother was so superstitious- "But then I got thinking...of someone else with those eyes..." Leyla's own icy blue eyes widened, and she looked towards her mother fearfully. _

"_Ma-"_

_She ignored her._

"_The same callous nature, impatience, disregard for anyone else, ill-tempered, violent...thsoe are the eyes Leyla...you can tell that in a person you know... I always knew he was different, but I knew I'd seen those eyes before. I knew they weren't _his- _that Goddamn lush, that sick husband of yours- he has the eyes of a dunce, I tell you- but that kid of yours... my grandson..."_

_Leyla could feel her heart beat in her throat as she pleaded silently with her mother- her eyes wide and hopeful for her not to say it out loud. Her mother only smiled, winking as if they shared a special secret. _

"_I know Leyla...I know I've seen those eyes before. And I know you look in those eyes and can see the exact same thing I can..." _

* * *

Dingo ran through the club, his eyes wide and anxious as he searched through the large crowds searching for a familiar face- pale yet sweet, heart shaped and scattered with freckles. He tore through the bodies that littered the club, his heart thumping loud in his throat. He had to find his best friend's girlfriend- he had to! Now that he'd seen Dread running around loose he knew Fanny was right in the firing line, and he knew firsthand what kind of trouble Dread could cause. He tried not to think about it as he headed towards the stairs, expecting the worst.

As fast as his powerful legs could carry him he thundered up the stairs, pausing to nibble at his bottom lip as he eyed the doors around him, his fingers twitching with anxiety. He hurried to the closest door- wrenching it open. He immediately stumbled back, his eyes feeling as though someone had thrown acid on them.

"_Ah! WOAH! SORRY!" _he shouted an apology to the couple on the bed- at least he thought it was a couple. He shook himself back to Earth, trying to concentrate. He hurried off down the hall- listening. All he could hear was the dull thumps of the club music. He strained his ears, holding himself still enough to listen out for anything unusual. He paced the halls, stepping lightly. At a small shout he froze- his mind ticking away. Without another thought, he burst through the door where the shouts had come from.

Not so gracefully he stumbled through the door- still gripping onto the doorknob for support. He frowned, staring at the scene he had just walked into, and his eyes widened as his heart leapt into his throat. His own best friend's girlfriend stared back at him- her poor eyes wide and fearful- as well as a pair of very unforgiving, familiar black eyes that brightened upon seeing him, as if he was a walking lemon meringue pie. Gulping, he switched his gaze to see a vaguely familiar black haired guy standing off to the right- looking bewildered- as well as some dusty blonde hugging the wall- and then his eyes fell on another person- the very vision of him causing him to groan out loud.

_Fuck._

"_Dingo!" _Jayden spat at him, a smile growing on his face. Dingo snarled. _Not a good sign. _The accomplice grinned eagerly, immediately stepping forward to eye the leader. He couldn't believe his luck-that the very person they were looking for had stumbled in. He grabbed for his gun, his fingers curling around the cool metal, as Dingo's wide emerald eyes scanned the room hopefully- his eyes wide like a trapped rabbit. "How nice of you to join us..."

"_Heh..." _Was all Dingo could breathe out, his throat tightening so much it felt as though his lungs were deflating. He shook his head, trying to shake off the light-headedness. He had to stay focused! Cool! Calm! Collected! He forced himself to slouch back into his usual stupor- his cool emerald eyes surveying the situation before him. "Pleasure to be a part..." He trailed back to looking at Dread- who was already sizing him up. Dingo held back a gulp.

_Fuck. _He thought again, trying to ignore his body's will to tremble. _He's grown... _

Dread's smirk widened, his eyes flashing as though he could read his mind. He was practically shaking with excitement at seeing that familiar face- the face that brought back so many memories. It made him swell with pride, too. Only a few days in the country and already the flies were coming to them...it was too easy- just like old times.

Dingo narrowed his eyes, unable to keep back the flood of emotions welling within him. His gaze met with Fanny- who was looking to him for escape. He issued her with what he hoped to be a reassuring look before turning back to Jayden, his hands going to his pockets.

"I see you're back with your boyfriend..." He muttered delicately, nodding to Dingo. "I bet you guys had some good make up sex, huh?"

Jayden cocked an eyebrow, trying to ignore that. His fingers twitched longingly, his left hand brushing up that familiar handle. "Ha. Ha." He snarled dryly. "You wish, Beatles." He narrowed his eyes, taking a step forward and tightening his grip around that weapon. "Right now- all I'm concerned with is ending you once and for all."

"Ha. Ha." Dingo replied in that same dry tone- standing his ground. "You wouldn't do that, Jay Bay- I'm your little brother's friend, right?" He gave a casual sideways glance, making sure Dread was heeling. He flicked his gaze back to the advancing Jayden- well aware Fanny was pretty much cornered. "Why don't you let the ranga go? She's got no part in this."

"Why not?" Dread immediately jumped in, taking a step towards Fanny eagerly. She recoiled, _smelling _him was enough to make her tremble. She wrinkled her nose- her lips sneering with disgust- unable to hold back a gasp as he grabbed a hold of her dress, pulling her back to him. She stumbled on her shoes, her body colliding with his. She pushed back, thrashing around as much as she could. She gritted her teeth, her dark eyes flashing with promising challenge as she glared at him- hating that smug face as much as she could. He cackled at her, amused. "She's such a cutie, I think I'll keep her- like a little pet, huh?"

"Bite me, Fuckhead!" Fanny hissed, throwing a hand at his throat and contracting. Dread's eyes widened as he felt his precious veins and airways immediately cut off- recognising the trick immediately. He'd taught his little brother that years ago- and it looked like the knowledge had been passed on. As a natural reaction he let go, slapping her arm away and reeling, coughing and gasping for air. Fanny immediately stumbled back, kicking out and standing strong. Dingo gave a bark of laughter, just as he looked over to see Jayden draw his gun.

"_SHIT!" _Dingo screamed, launching across and dragging her to the floor just as the shot rang out. Fanny joined in on the screams, her heart leaping into her throat as she clutched him close. The sound of running feet surrounded her as the two fell onto the carpet, both fighting to protect the other. Aaron ran out of the room- almost trampling them as he did so. Patton fell to the floor too, but grasping at his arm and yelling out in pain. Jayden swore, shouting angrily as Dread swallowed, his eyes narrowing at the girl who dared pull his own tricks against him.

"Fuck!" Dingo swore again, scrambling to get to his feet, his eyes wide. His hand firmly wrapped around Fanny's arm, he dragged the unharmed girl to her feet to follow him. Fanny struggled to catch her breath, staring around in alarm. Her eyes fell on her fallenfriend, and immediately she ran out of his grip, shouting allshe could.

"PATTON!" Fanny screamed, stumbling over to him. "Are you okay?" Her eyes found the blood, and she sunk to the floor- her body overcome with grief. "PAT!"

"CHERRY!" Dingo screamed at her, gripping at the wall. He looked up just in time to see Dread grab his own weapon- a pistol- from his jacket and aim the barrel at him too. He jumped away, bolting out of the still open door and down the hallway- the sound of gunshots echoing in his ears. _"Fuck!" _He hissed, pushing and dodging at anyone who got in his way. Dodge, Abby, Jake, Bandit- everyone seemed to flash passed in his mind, and all he could think of was getting the fuck out of there. He could hear footsteps behind him and knew he was being followed- he didn't even look back. He bolted down the stairs, tripping over the last few, and sprinted to the carpark.

"FUCK!" Dread wailed loudly, kicking at the wall next to him. He backed into the room, weary of how much attention they were causing. He cast a thoughtful look over his shoulder to the redhead on the floor- tending to her friend who was sprawled out on the floor. He quickly growled to Jayden, grabbing his arm and pulling him close.

"Grab 'er." He growled darkly.

* * *

Dingo ran into his car- his body literally slammed into the body- as he frantically fumbled for his keys, shoving them into the lock and collapsing onto the driver's seat. His eyes wide, he started the engine and floored it- getting out of that lot as soon as he could. All he could think of was how he lost Cherry- and he couldn't afford to lose anyone else. Not now- not ever.

Wallabee's limp body lurched forward with the motion, and his lazy emerald eyes blinked pathetically as he struggled to keep conscious. Dingo cast him a worried look as he sped down the main street, stopping to check the revision mirror for followers.

"_Fuck, Dingo..." _Wallabee groaned, clutching at his stomach. He'd never had such a horrible, strange sensation of pain overtake him before. It was unreal, like a mixture of being dazed and being in unbelievable agony. "_This...this hurts..."_

He felt truly scared, how numb he was. He felt tears scratch his eyes and he could feel the world slipping away as he wobbled from side to side, the desire to sleep overwhelming. _"I...I'm fading...God...Fuck.." _He hissed loudly, slapping his hand to his forehead. He couldn't take this. Everything was slipping away. _"Dingo..."_

Dingo slammed on the brakes, giving his brother a wide, fearful glance. Even in his dazed state, Wallabee knew that look wasn't good- it didn't suit his brother, to be so out of control and frightened, truly worried for him. It was enough to strike more fear into him, and he found himself beginning to cry.

It broke Dingo's heart to see his brother cry like that- just as it cut into him to see just what his brother had been through. The bastard had _drugged him, _and that set him off- sent pulses of foreign anger to shoot through him like heroin. He took a deep breath and threw his seat belt off of him, shifting closer to his brother.

"Wallabee..." Dingo whispered frantically, his eyes wide. "You gotta trust me, okay mate? Can you do that?"

Wallabee struggled to look at him, his heavy eyelids closing on him without permission. His numb lips flapped uselessly as he struggled to talk, and his voice came in a heavy, breathy moan.

"Y...yeah..." He mumbled uselessly, tears dripping down his face as he felt the world slip once more. "I...d-do..."

"Good." Dingo heaved a sigh of relief- opening the passenger side door and shifting forward- before grabbing his brother's neck and shoving two finger's in Wallabee's mouth- pushing them down as far as they could down his throat. He felt him jolt at the awful sensation, and he withdrew his fingers and shoved his brother's face out of the car as a flood of vomit escaped him- his own lips wrinkling at the disgusting sensation.

Wallabee coughed, the horrible, burning sensation in his stomach now surging through his throat and mouth as he gagged and spat, heaving onto the sidewalk as his brother pushed him out of the car- having a firm grip on him as he hung out of the door. He continued throwing up, his tonsils now throbbing with pain but his stomach continuing to heave, getting the awful drug out of his system. Dingo continued to hold on, his eyes wide and worrying- but still holding concern over the condition of his car's upholstery.

"Th...the _fuck!" _Wallabee spluttered, his glassy eyes now wide as he whirled around after a few heaves and coughs. He lashed out angrily at his brother, throwing closed fists as Dingo kept a strong hold over him. "THE HELL WAS TH-THAT FOR?"

"I had to get it out of your system!" Dingo snarled back at him, subtly drying his fingers on his brother's jacket. "It was the only way!"

"So you made me fucking..._vomit?" _Wallabee choked out, massaging his throat. He still felt slightly lightheaded, but the overall sensation was fading- instead all he felt was a pain in his throat. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He still guessed there was some drug in his bloodstream.

"Better than getting your stomach pumped! And believe me I would _know!" _He growled at him, tugging him back into the car with his eyebrows raised. "Better?"

Wallabee twisted his lips bitterly, trying to get rid of the taste. He avoided his gaze, trying to gather the fact that his brother- someone he was supposed to _despise- _actually helped him, saved his ass. Without waiting for an answer Dingo dragged him back into the car and continued on, the brothers falling into a thick silence.

Wallabee's mind began ticking away. He frowned, turning back to his brother as he thought back to the night's previous events. He needed answers...again.

"Who the fuck _was _that?" He demanded, his eyes narrowing as a pair of onyx eyes suddenly slipped into his mind. He repressed a shiver, remembering the guy's hot breath against his face, his strong grip on his hand, his forceful snarl- it was all so weird and eerie. "Th-the guy that-" He frowned, his stomach churning once more. "You knew him...didn't you?"

Dingo swallowed, a lump forming in his throat as he struggled to form the correct words. What was the use lying to him now? Already he had shoved his brother into the firing line unintentionally... already they were in too deep. There was no turning back now. They had to get help- fast.

"Yeah..." He sighed, eyes on the road. He could only think of one place to go- and he wasn't stopping. "I know him."

* * *

Fanny was frantic, for the first time in her life she felt as if she'd lost complete control- and everything was tumbling and falling around her. She had tears in her eyes and there was nothing she could do to stem the flow, just like she couldn't stop her shaking. She struggled to maintain her fingers as she grabbed at her friend- ignoring the crimson liquid spilling over her hands. She held back a choked sob, trying to stare into her former best friend's eyes. He stared back, those eyes wide and empty.

"P-P-Patton..." The redhead murmured softly, tears flowing down her face. Patton couldn't feel anything, only the dull, sad throbs of his heart as he stared up into that face- usually so fierce and determined- now weakened and covered with pathetic tears. "I-I'm so sorry...lemme-lemme help-"

She tried her best to wrap his injury- where the bullet had either grazed or struck his arm or torso, she had no idea...there was no logical thought running through her mind except to help her friend, who had tried so hard to help her. Patton stared back, trying to keep his rapid breathing under control, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He gave a sudden yelp as he looked up- behind Fanny's shoulder. The girl frowned, but it was too late.

"_Cherry." _Dread bit into her ear, grabbing her shoulders and hoisting her up before she had a chance to fight back. "I'm sorry- but I suggest you come with us quietly- it'll make this so much easier." He smirked proudly, his fingers digging into her skin. Jayden approached her- his eyes narrowed. The girl fought, her eyes narrowed and defiant.

"Get off me!" She yelled at Dread, kicking back and hoping to hit her target. She was hoping to bite, scratch, kick- anything she could do to gain freedom. She looked back into that cruel face- the body looming over her so threatening, smirking as if knowing he'd caught his prize. He'd won. She gave it one last try- almost breaking free of the strong grip before the hands caught her again, his burly arms wrapping around her and crushing her against his chest.

"Settle, _bitch." _He snarled in her ear- his tongue swiping at her skin. His hand cupped at her thigh, and her heart jumped into her throat- her skin prickling with sudden shivers. She could do nothing to stop him, and Dread's hand curled around her phone- holding it up to her face. Her fingers clawed into his skin, her body bouncing and wrestling against him, as he held up her phone- grinning as he snapped a picture. _"Cheese, bitch."_

Jayden grinned, grabbing at her chin. "Gotta admit, Dodge has some good taste."

Fanny fought in his grip, snarling and snapping her teeth. A hand gripped at her neck, and before she had a chance to fight once more the world slipped from her, and she fell into a sea of black.

* * *

Dodge left the police station with a blank expression on his face- one that Jake and Trent had never seen before. What he'd seen was forever burned in his mind, and he couldn't shake it. It couldn't be fixed. He could hear their footsteps behind him, and Jake's protective gaze suddenly came into view- jumping in front of him before he could move any further.

"Dodge." He growled, his voice steady and demanding."What happened?"

Dodge gave a light moan. He wasn't used to this- those big brown eyes glaring at him so sternly. He never had anyone actually _protecting _of him- except his mother. Now for once he couldn't keep it to himself- he had to actually admit what he was holding inside. He squeezed his eyes closed fiercely as Trent ran up to him too- those grey eyes wide and expecting. But when those icy blue eyes opened again, both jumped back in alarm at seeing those big wide eyes filled with fearful tears.

"She's dead." He croaked out, his hands dropping to his sides, completely desperate. He didn't know what to think, how to act. He didn't know what he'd been expecting- but seeing his ex-girlfriend's body, his former childhood friend's- body on a slab in a morgue was the very last hope he didn't want to see. She'd been so still, so cold, so pale, almost plastic...like her skin was nothing but wax. It wasn't real- yet it was as plain as could be. The only remainder of Bonnie James left in this world was an empty shell sitting in a morgue. His voice cracked as he felt real tears trickle down his face- and staring up at the two guys before him he felt only hollow- all he seemed to want was the girl he could wrap his arms around no matter what...

His _Cherry. _

Jake flinched, his eyes widening. It was something he didn't expect, and immediately dread weighed him down. Trent gave a shudder, his legs weakening. He felt as though the world was spinning out of control around him. _Bonnie's dead. Bonnie's dead. She's gone- just like Belle. Just like Emma..._

"No..." He mumbled, his voice a rough whisper. But nobody seemed to hear him. Jake's eyes widened in alarm, his mind racing at what to think, what to say. Dodge seemed to wilt before them, looking ready to collapse on the spot. Jake surged forward, wrapping his arms around him and drawing him into a hug. Dodge fell into it, unable to do anything else, and immediately burst into horrified, desperate tears. Jake stiffened, standing strong as he felt him bury his face into his shoulders, sobbing like any other toddler would. He had completely broken- with nobody to piece him back together.

"It's alright!" Jake hissed to them both- but flashing behind his deep brown eyes was a shadow of doubt. "It'll be okay, let's just head home...sort this out... We'll get Dingo and we'll find Bandit and we'll-"

A small vibration sent both of the boys jumping apart- and Dodge wiped hastily at his tears, trying his best to hold onto a sliver of hope-_any hope- _Dingo was still here, their leader, and he was positive who he cared about was safe. The rest would fall into place, they'd take back control...just like Jake said-

He looked down at his phone, where he could see he'd just received a text message. Sniffing weakly he opened it, blocking out the rest of Jake's reassuring words.

It wasn't a text message, it was a picture message- from _Cherry. _He frowned, opening the attachment.

His heart froze, his stomach dropped, and the world seemed to fade around him- as he focused on that one picture, his hand automatically shaking beyond belief- those innocent, icy blue eyes suddenly turning to a fierce, forbidding navy. Jake stiffened, looking actually _fearful _as he took in the now fuming Dodge. Trent took a fearful step back, the last time he saw Dodge this furious was-

"D...Dodge?" He muttered cautiously. "What-?"

He looked down at the screen, and immediately his body stiffened too. Looking back at them was a pair of very familiar black, bottomless eyes- staring up at the camera with malicious pride, his arm around the neck of a very wide eyed, horrified girl- with bright red hair and usually fierce dark eyes- now filled with fear. A picture _he _had taken- holding her close, holding her hostage- exactly where he wanted her, with that fucking triumphant smirk and evil fucking glare...

The phone screen snapped as his fist contracted, Dodge's lips trembling. Hot, fierce, powerful anger flowed through his system, pumping stiff and quick under his skin. He shook, pieces of his phone falling through his fingers.

_His Cherry._

* * *

Before anyone asks, a few points-

_Bunjil- _An Aboriginal eagle from mythology- a culture hero in some sorts that created a few landforms.

_Bunjip- _An Aboriginal 'devil'- a mythological creature that's kind of a monster.

And I thought Aboriginal studies was a waste of time :D

Also- Bandit's suffering from severe withdrawals from drugs as well as lack of sustenance, so hallucinations are to be expected...I don't know whether it can be that severe- but that's poor Bandit for you :(

It took me AGES to finish this chapter, but during that time I'd like to thank the songs that kept my inspiration going (albeit a bit loopy at times)

'Feel Good Drag'- Anberlin

'Pick up the Phone'- Falling in Reverse

'Don't Go'- Bring Me the Horizon (which is Trent and Bandit's song, if anyone wants to know. I love it- but it makes me cry every time I hear it. It's perfect for them :') my little cute lovers!)

_Again- sorry for the wait! I love you all and thank you for reading! XXXXXXX_


	31. Chapter 31: Three of a Kind

_Three of a kind, like poker- geddit? XD hardy har._

_*Sigh* Well readers- words cannot express how sorry I am that this is so late. What, four months? GAH! Too long, I know. In short- I almost lost my boyfriend (again), I lost my best friend (not in a tragic way but in a 'I-want-you-to-get-raped-by-a-mace' type of way), I got a job, got very sick, had to quit, I quit university and started college in the city, and amongst the 6 days a week of work and three hours of travel I had to do each day, I managed to scrap through with finishing my PPG story, but I lost my confidence in my writing and ended up scribbling about 200,000 words of drafts- without being happy with ANY of it. Ugh._

_But I know you all love me and will forgive me... (right? :D) if this chapter isn't up to regular standard. I had to split my chapter again so half of the next chapter is almost done. I was hoping to make it up to you by releasing them at the same time but I'm way too impatient and really wanted feedback. I hope you all enjoy! (And I'm very very very sorry for the long wait!) _

_*Warnings* Heavy drug use ahead, as well as sexual references. And angry Dodge- I feel that should be a warning :)_

Review Replies!

comicfan209: Haha, yes tbh if you do skim you get a bit mixed up, hopefully you've caught up in my absence and enjoy nonetheless love! :) x

animatedcharacter: Yay! Yep- drama and action are arising! :D hope you enjoy x

Babydex : Aw thank you, :D no really, it is a compliment :) Hope it was worth the wait! X

Laurie43: Aw thank you beautiful :D I'm glad you like it, and still can give such great feedback! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long! X!

Kellye: Aw wow thank you so much :#) I would love to be a screenwriter for TV, that would be my dream job! My characters do cause some drama ;) Hope you enjoy! X

Ana: Haha, don't worry love I love your rambling :D Thank you so much! I can't wait for Kuki too- I have some big scenes for her coming up in a few chapters! :P and good tip on the ice cream idea- I do loooove ice cream :D I feel horrible to keep you waiting, I hope you like my chapter though (: Lemme know what you think! X!

PowerGirl: Aw, thank you for your support! :D I'm glad you love my story, I always love feedback! And don't worry about short reviews I looooove long reviews, I hope you like 'le update, pretty! :D x

SwAlLoWiNg DaNtE : Aw, thank you so much! :D Don't worry, you're not the only one who likes Dread. I couldn't resist giving him every flashback in this chapter, the jerk -_- I'm supposed to hate him, but gah! He has a way, that boy! Thank you so much love, sorry for the wait! X!

Apples Go Boom: Yee! Ah, your blow-by-blow hyper reviews always make my day :') Thank you gorgeous! I know what you mean about my villains- they have a knack for getting into your heart, the jerks -_- My heart is breaking as well everytime I have to write about Fanny or Dodge, I can't imagine them apart now! *Faints*! But it'll be sorted! Soon ;) Leyla is a kickass mother- I have to love her ;) hopefully her buttkicking will be soon too! Both me and my imagination are so flattered by your reviews, sorry to keep you waiting! X!

Anononon: Aw thank you :D :D! Haha, yes! Dread has a tendency to have that chant follow him everywhere he goes, I agree XD I love having Tommy and Joey in my story- Joey will have a big part soon because I can't resist his lil' Beatle charm, but I really wanna work Tommy back in again, especially when his brother is in danger. Youth power! Hope you like the chapter love, lemme know what you think! :D x!

Sam: Haha! Love your blow-by-blow review XD I'm so glad you like it! I was grinning all the way :P I love your analysis on my characters, makes me think you know them better than I do! :D If only my story was on a school reading list- it would be SO much more fun to analyse than the poetry I had to read :S. FUWAH. Haha, I love you. I was having a really bad day when I got your review too, and it just made me smile the whole way :D Thank you! I love long reviews too I'm so happy to see that my story brings someone so much joy :D Another awesome review, which makes the hours of labour worth it ;) THANK YOU! I'm so sorry to leave you waiting so long, I hope my chapter was worth the wait! (Be brutal) x!

oh coconuts: Oh dear, I hope I didn't send you on an attack again when you realised I updated again! :P It's been a while hasn't it? Haha! Love your setting of both Wally and Dingo bashing Dread's head XD I bet they'd both love to do that- all in good time, love! And a Mathers family reunion? Ooo! A recipe for disaster, but you know how much I love that ;) hehe! Wee! Thank you so much for your review love, lemme know what you think! X!

MidniteCurse4Eternity : Oh wow, really? I've always wanted to do psychology- I'm so jealous of my friend, she's doing it now :) I've always thought it would be fascinating to see how the mind works, which is why I do so much characterisation- I love to see how my characters mind works ;) Dread is a bit perplexing though- I think I've made him a bit...bipolar. But I definitely appreciate your expert review :D Now I'm proud! Yay! Now my story is not only dramatic but realistic as well :) oh dear, I'm babbling... Thank you for your review love, sorry for the wait and let me know what you think! :D x

NinjaxTurtles : MOAR it shall be! :D I'm so sorry it took so long :( But I'm flattered you'd sacrifice so much to read it! :D Hope your exam went well too! I'm sorry I'm such a distraction XD Thank you so much! Let me know what you think! (when you're not too tired at 3am ;)) x

Bubblycutie and Awesomnessdude: Aw! I feel horrible for taking so long! :( I hope the wait was worth it though! :D And I'm so glad you like my story! Yayyy! :D Welcome aboard the drama train! X!

JustWriting7: By any chance did you watch a Disney movie this time? :D I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Be ready for more drama and intensity though! :D But more Dread and more Leyla- MATHERS FAMILY OVERLOAD! Hope you enjoy sweetie :D x!

A New Side Of Awesome : Aw wow, thank you I feel flattered :D literally giggled and blushed when I read that, you smooth talker ;) I feel horrible for taking so long though, I hope you enjoy and thank you for taking the time to review! :D x!

KelosBlackwing : Thank you for your review again :P I hope you've managed to someway, somehow, work through all the drama? ;) Very confusing, I know! X!

Heather: Oh thank you :D I get so happy when I know I've made somebody's day, and I love your long reviews :D makes me so happy! Worth all the writing I do even if one person reviews ;P And I know what you mean! I need constant water breaks when reading through it all, but then I get caught up in bathroom breaks and whew! Just exhausting, really :P I'm glad to see Leyla is liked, she's kinda different- I've never had a character like her! She's a mysterious one ;) Love her 'mommy mode' though- mothers have power! I hope you like my update, sorry to pile such another big chapter on you! Be sure to have some water at the ready because it is a long one!:D x!

* * *

Kuki lazed back into the pillows of the couch, flicking through the channels mindlessly. She knew it was too late to be up watching cheesy TV, but she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking of her Wally- and wondering if any second she would receive a phone call from him saying he's back in jail again. She loved her boyfriend...but she knew the meeting with his older brother wouldn't be easy- and usually his first instinct was to swing his fists. She looked hopefully towards the front door- her eyes wide with worry.

At least she wasn't alone- even though it was still slightly awkward between them- her and Abby were still civil, and hearing her roommate in the shower at least gave her the comfort that she had someone to worry with her..._only Abby was able to threaten her partner with promised violence if anyone ended up in jail again. _

Smirking at the thought she yawned, running a hand through her long ebony hair. Her eyes glazed over at a late night re-run of an old reality show and she rose from the couch, heading over to the kitchen to grab a drink- hopefully some of her favourite Rainbow Monkey Fruit Punch. She wasn't quite ready to fall asleep- not until she knew her Wally was home safe and sound.

She froze- her socked toes curling against the kitchen tiles as she heard what sounded like a sudden small stampede out in the hallway, rapid thumps of feet crashing down against the floor outside of their door. She jumped a foot as the thumps soon came at the door- fists bashing against the wood. She stared, wide eyed and fearful to open it.

_Who would be calling at this time of night?_

Within a few seconds the door crashed open anyway, Dingo storming in and Wallabee stumbling behind him- his glazed over emerald eyes reawakening as he gave his brother a fierce and protective glare.

"That was _locked_!" he grumbled, rubbing at his still aching head. "How did you-"

"Easy." Dingo dismissed briskly, immediately narrowing in on the first person he saw. He stomped up to Kuki- his face set. Kuki was rooted to the floor, her eyes wide and her stomach dropping. "Where's Abby?"

"I-in the shower." Kuki stammered, her heart rising in her throat at the sudden activity around her. Dingo bolted off down the hallway without another glance, and Kuki gaped after him, turning to her boyfriend and hoping for some kind of explanation as to what the hell was going on. Wallabee gave her a tired glance, his face still pale and sweaty from the after effects of the evening. Luckily he was gaining control of his faculties again- it looked as though the drugs were wearing off. "Wh-"

"It's a long story..." Wallabee groaned, frowning as he watched his brother disappear up the short hallway frantically. "I'll explain later, right now we just need to get out of here-"

"What?" Kuki spat, her eyes wide. "Why?"

He faltered, twisting his lips. _Do I even know? _"Well-"

They heard the door of the bathroom burst open and the scream of their friend as their shouts echoed up the hallway. Despite the urgency of the situation, Wallabee couldn't help but smirk.

"_AHHH! HEY WHA-"_

"_Abby we gotta go, get your shit and- you're looking good by the way babe, and-"_

"_DINGO WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! I'M IN THE SHOWER!"_

"_I know and here's a towel, get out-"_

"_YOU GET THE HELL OUT! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?"_

"_It's not like I haven't seen you naked before!"_

"_NOT THE POINT! GET! OUT!"_

"_But Babe we have to move-"_

"_GET OUT!"_

"_But!"_

The couple winced as they heard a crash and shout, and Dingo soon stumbled out into the hallway, his head soaking wet and his eyes narrowed sulkily as the bathroom door slammed in his face. Wallabee bit his lip to hold back a smirk. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but be grateful he didn't have to go through what his brother was. Dingo narrowed his eyes, still ready to put up a fight.

"I'm packing your shit anyway, babe!" he growled at the closed door, turning to go to her room and muttering under his breath. "Fucking pregnancy hormones..."

As Dingo's footsteps faded up the hallway, Wallabee shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned to his girlfriend, the worry still fresh in his mind.

"We have to head to my parent's house for a little bit, Kooks..." He mumbled to her apologetically, cringing as the words left his mouth of their own accord. He felt awkward as well as stupid- here he was with blind faith in his older brother, his worst enemy until about an hour ago. "There's no time to explain right now- you just have to trust me."

Kuki's own eyes widened with fear, but she could tell deep within her boyfriend's face he needed her trust- his deep eyes, usually so calm and in control, were swimming with all sorts of emotion she couldn't read, and he still looked disoriented and dazed- and reeked of vomit.

"Okay..." She sighed, flashing him a brave smile as she grabbed her handbag, slinging it over her shoulder and giving him a long, thoughtful look. "But there better be a good explanation for this."

"And trust me- you'll get one." Wallabee grinned at her, slipping his arms around her waist. Even with the slight numbness and tingling sensation from whatever weird situation he'd been put into that night- somehow the girl in his arms brought him back to wonderful earth, and she still never failed in making sure everything was alright in his world. He knew he was truly in love with her- and nothing would change that.

Both of them jerked once again at the slamming of the bathroom door, and Abby's screeching found their ears again as they heard the couple arguing in her room.

"_DINGO PUT DOWN MY CLOTHES!"_

"_I TOLD 'YA I WAS GONNA PACK, NOW I'M PACKIN', WOMAN!"_

"_I tell you what _I'm _packing..." _They heard Abby sneer in an ominous voice. _"I'm packing some serious pregnancy heat- and I'm about to take it out on YOU if you don't put my crap down right NOW and tell me what's going on and what's your damn hurry! I need a damn foot-rub not your sh-"_

"_I'll explain later Abs just pack some shit and let's go!"_

"_NO. I'm not MOVING! You sit there and explain this to me directly, Dingo Beatles!"_

"_The full name shit don't work on me, Abs! Only my Dad can do that and be scary! And if you don't move your pregnant ass I'm gonna move it for you! AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY!"_

"_Dingo I swear to- HEY! WOAH! WHAT ARE YOU-! OMYGOD! NO! NO! NONONONO-!"_

The younger couple winced and expected the worst as they heard Dingo stomp down the hallway, a bag slung over his shoulder and a very angry, half dressed and wet Abby in his arms- who was putting up a half hearted fight as she stared wide eyed, worried he might drop her, and also slightly sheepish at being so casual with him right in front of Wallabee...it was still forbidden territory to her. Dingo glared at his brother.

"Get the fucking door." He snarled over Abby's complaints, holding her tightly. Abby looked outraged, her mouth falling open as Dingo carried her over the threshold.

"DINGO! I'm a fully grown woman who is perfectly capable of walking herself! Now if you don't put me down _this second _I will scream so loud-"

"_Wouldn't be the first time you've screamed about something I've done to you..." _Dingo muttered under his breath as the four walked casually down to the car. Abby growled at him, smartly smacking him hard upside the head.

"Shut up! I can't believe you-"

Wallabee couldn't resist his own chuckle, as he walked behind the bickering couple hand in hand with his own girlfriend. It seemed strange, to think that this was suddenly so 'natural'- but at that moment he was reflecting on almost getting abducted, and never seeing his own girlfriend again. Kuki looked so gorgeous to him, and all he could think of was seeing her every morning. He hadn't forgiven his brother, or even Abby...but seeing them together, even if they were fighting, the drama that had happened seemed suddenly not so important, and it was pushed aside for the more pressing matters at hand...

* * *

"We got what we need." Jayden snarled at his partner as they bickered over the console of the car, their faces inches from each other. Jayden's sharp, piercing grey eyes shone in the dark of the car, and his hair hung in his face, giving him a forbidding look. "We need to head back before the cops track us down."

Dread gave him a bitter growl from the passenger seat, not backing down as his raven glare narrowed viciously. Anybody else who knew Dread would probably crumble at that knowing death stare, but Jayden had long ago become immune, and he could easily look Dread in the eye and scoff at him.

"We should follow them!" Dread attempted to insist harshly, but it came out sounding like a frustrated whine. "I'm fuckin' tellin' ya- if we get Beatles we get _all _of them!"

"We'll get _busted!" _Jayden sneered. "You forget- we've already knocked three people outta the equation. I ain't goin' for the death penalty-"

"FUCK!" Dread hissed at him, balling up his fist and slamming it into the dashboard. The black plastic cracked- leaving an angry, jagged line where his fist had connected. "Then what do you suppose we fuckin' do!"

"We got their number, and we got their girl." Jayden grumbled at him, his own eyes narrowing. "And we got Bandit-"

"_It's gonna fuckin' stay that way-"_

"-It's all we need, okay? We'll rough the bitch up, send some pics, they go skitso and fall right into our hands, all to play hero and protect their precious pussy." Jayden shrugged, still with a dark glare in place. "Fucking relax."

"You fucking let the bitch run outta here!" Dread snarled at him, but he looked like he was about to give in by how he was ready to pout. "I could'a hunted him down, we could'a had both-"

Jayden rolled his eyes. It was no use, Dread was out for blood- not practicality. He never thought of a plan, just the quickest, easiest solution. Instead he tried a different tactic, swallowing his pride and almost choking on it as he did so.

"You got Bandit..." he mumbled, already starting up the car to head back to their base. "You really want _any _of them near him?"

Dread's eyes widened, but he merely twisted his lips in contemplation at his friend's logical words. He hated admitting he was wrong- it didn't happen too often. Instead he looked over his shoulder into the backseat of the car. Just looking at the pale, slim, limp legs that spread across the leather seat and the mess of curly ginger hair that hid her pretty face from view, gave him calm. He leaned into her, pushing a few strands out of her closed eyes. She was pretty, he'd give her that. He had to frown as he gazed into her face though- his brother's choice in girls...in _this _girl- he seemed to hit right on the mark. He'd seen her eyes- vibrant and determined...defiant and fiery... her face had a strong grace to it, gentle, pouted lips and dark, sharp eyes- it was almost like it was _her _all over again...only stronger, with more colour and vibrancy...

"You're a pretty one..." Dread mumbled to her softly, his eyes glazing over her face as a smile spread across his lips. "But like most pretty things in the world, that won't save you in the end, babe."

* * *

Jake waved a hand in front of the fierce, piercing glare of Dodge's ice blue eyes- and he was almost surprised his skin wasn't scalded in the process. Dodge was staring off into space with such a furious, indomitable look it was as though he was about to shoot lasers at an intended target. Jake willed up all of the confidence he had, and narrowed his eyes back at him, snapping his fingers harshly, inches away from Dodge's nose. He tried to push everything aside- and focus on the task ahead. Trent watched on anxiously, his own grey eyes wide and unnaturally fearful.

"Dodge!" Jake snapped. Dodge blinked, but didn't drop his gaze. He only shifted it- those icy blue balls of swirling fury was now narrowed in on the man beside him, and he was no longer still- he was twitching uncontrollably, his lips trembling and his fists shaking. He looked as though he was about to explode. Jake continued to stare, even though his heart leapt into his throat. He'd never seen the kid look so feral before. "The fuck was that? Gimmie the phone."

"_He has her."_ Dodge said stiffly, his teeth tightly gritted. He didn't move. "My fucking brother has her."

"Your..._brother?" _Jake's frown only deepened, and he took a determined step forward. "Dread? What does he have to-"

"EVERYTHING!" Dodge suddenly screamed at him, hurling the offending phone into the concrete. It bounced and skidded across the ground, and Trent watched it, jumping like a startled kitten. He gasped at the words, a frightened chill soaring through him. Jake only watched, still and silent as Dodge continued to yell- louder than he ever had been in his entire life. "My fucking brother has everything to fucking do with it, doesn't he!" He was really screaming now- right into Jake's face, his face screwed up and spit flying as his rage began to build. "I can't fucking escape him! He always fucking said he'd track me down, that I was fucking USELESS in protecting the people I loved! He fucking SAID I couldn't get rid of him! Now he's back, just like he said! Fuck Jake! THAT FUCKING CUNT IS ALWAYS RIGHT! HE FUCKING GOT WHAT HE WANTED AND HE PROVED HIS FUCKING POINT AGAIN! THAT I CAN'T BE FUCKING HAPPY UNLESS HE FUCKING SAYS SO! THAT NOBODY CAN BE FUCKING HAPPY IF IT'S WITH ME!"

"_DODGE!" _Jake began screaming over him, hating himself for doing it. "You gotta calm down!"

But Dodge was in another world. His eyes were closed and his face was twisted, his hands harshly grabbing at his hair as he continued to scream- every frustration, every fear, everything he'd ever felt was tumbling down on him at that point. He'd never felt so angry, hurt and scared his entire life. The fact he tried so hard to protect so many people in his life- Cherry he tried his hardest- and it hadn't worked, that his brother had won anyway... it killed him, and he could feel his sanity quickly slipping away.

"FUCK YOU!" Dodge retorted, his fingernails biting into his palms. He wanted so badly to push him away, but instead he turned wildly, kicking at the pavement below him. He stomped away, slamming his shoe into a random car and leaving a reasonable dent in the door. He cursed and stomped again, doing nothing but fanning the flames of the burning anger now rippling through him. He hated himself, he hated his brother, and everything that seemed to go wrong in his world. Bonnie was dead, Belle was dead, Bandit was missing, he'd left his mother behind, and now Cherry was gone- the one thing that tied him to this world, the final thing he poured his faith into, and Dread had taken it. He'd failed again.

And he couldn't take it.

"FUCK!" He screamed again, smashing his fist into the pavement as he sat in the gutter. He put a hand to his cheek, and only then he noticed he was crying. Somehow, that just angered him more. "FUCK!" He began to sob, his forehead slamming into his knee as the tears flowed freely- angry and hot. His throat was tight and his voice was slipping, but he couldn't do anything but cry.

"_That ain't gonna do anything." _

Dodge sniffed. Out of _everything- _his raging thoughts, uncontrollable sobs and inner tidal wave of turmoil- Jake's lecturing growl could puncture through it all. But the last thing he wanted to do was look up to see that stern snarl- he knew he would probably snap.

"Just leave me alone, Jake." He growled- a threat mixed with a plea. Shame began to add to the mix, and he wished more than ever he could disappear.

"_Not a chance." _Jake snarled, his growl tinged with his familiar whimsical sing-song voice. "I can't count the amount of times you've told me you can go alone and you've needed someone in the end, Dodgem."

"Fuck off."

"I'm sure it's easier to feel sorry for yourself that way, but I ain't here to make _your _life easier."

Dodge pushed himself off of the ground, now trembling with fury. He narrowed his eyes on his target, and before he even could comprehend what he was doing he'd advanced- spewing threats.

"Do you fucking love this, or something?" he demanded of Jake, glaring at him with disgust in his tear-filled eyes. He shook, panting. Jake's expression didn't change- although it was tearing him up inside to see him like that, he didn't let it show. "HUH? Is that it, Jake? You like seeing me like this, so you're rubbing salt in the wound? I have a fucking right to feel fucking upset! I've fucking failed AGAIN at keeping someone I love safe! My fucking brother has gone and taken my fucking GIRLFRIEND! And you're sitting there fucking testing me!"

"_Damn right I am_." Jake snarled back, not missing a beat. Dodge's mouth fell open as more tears dripped down his face, his fists twitching in warning. Jake narrowed his eyes, leaning forward at the challenge. "What, Dodge? Your mum ain't here to hold your hand and tell you everything's gonna be okay. Because you know what? It's _not. _It's not going to be okay if you sit in that fucking gutter and whine about how much of a failure you are. It ain't gonna fucking help, Dodgem. And you fucking _know it." _

Dodge closed his mouth, his lips twitching as he struggled to find the right words to hurl at him. But Jake talked over him- steamrolling his emotions with one quick glare.

"You're my fucking kid, Dodge." Jake told him sternly, closing the distance between them. _That _shut Dodge up- because he immediately widened his eyes and looked up hesitantly. "I don't give a fuck about your real parents- you've been at my house ever since fucking kindergarten, and you're as much mine as Dingo is. And I'm telling you now- I'm not letting you do this. You wouldn't let Dingo do this- and it's what fucking family is. I'm not gonna let you blame yourself for this shit- not when you can do something about it. You can fucking sit there crying and whining about life being hard- but not when I'm here."

Without even waiting for a response he grabbed the hood of Dodge's jacket and hurled him towards the car. Blind and numb, Dodge followed, still shaking with the aftermath of the argument. He'd never spoken to Jake like that before, and Jake had never spoken to _him _like that before. Never that harsh and heartfelt, anyway. He sniffed, slightly ashamed as he dazedly climbed into the seat, adrenaline still pumping. Jake whirled around to Trent- who suddenly looked fearful.

"And that goes for you too, idiot!" Jake barked at him, pointing bluntly to the car. Trent, without hesitation, scampered in- the same blank look on his face. As Jake took the driver's seat, Trent gulped with anticipation before mumbling,

"S-so...what now?"

And, as if right on cue- Jake's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled out to see his own son's name spread across the screen.

"Gotta hand it to him..." He sighed, holding it up to his ear. "He has a way of timing..."

* * *

Holly unlocked the hotel room door sheepishly, stepping inside the dark room and switching on the light. She was positive this was the hotel her and Bonny first stayed in when they came to the US- this 80's style hook-up Motel that was on the side of a highway...and bringing back those old memories sat heavily on her heart, and she couldn't help but sigh wistfully as she dumped her small bag on the floor, Leyla following her closely.

"Well...this is porn worthy." Leyla shrugged, giving the girl a sweet smile. She was attempting anything to make her laugh, or even see that happy grin, but she knew it was probably too much- Holly had so many worries and had already been through too much that night, a few bad jokes weren't going to make any difference. She watched as the defeated redhead dumped her stuff and spread out across the bed, wilting on the brown bedspread. Leyla sighed sadly, and she couldn't help but follow her and drop down next to her, running a hand through her hair in a motherly way.

Holly had to smile into the bedspread at that. Leyla was so sweet and caring, kind hearted in every way, that she became everyone's Mum. Usually having a hard life like Leyla did fashioned the worst type of cruel and spiteful people, but all Leyla seemed to have learned was how to see the best in people and look after everyone as best she can. She turned to look at her, her dark hazel eyes misting with telltale tears, but she attempted to brush them aside.

"So why did you come with me, Leyla?" Holly asked her, her voice a hoarse whisper.

Leyla tilted her head, looking sheepish.

"A lot has happened since you guys disappeared..." She said delicately, looking into her lap. "You know the whole scandal still hasn't died down... nobody kind of liked me after that... I came to be somewhat of a recluse... but at least I caught up on my reading- and I redid my house. You know, got a lot done that usually I wouldn't. Some of my friends still kind of...pitied me, I guess. But without you and the boys around I kind of..." She shrugged, looking sad. "Had nothing."

Holly looked down guiltily. "I'm...sorry about that." She mumbled sheepishly. "I don't think the guys wanted to abandon you- I think they thought it was best for everyone...that it was less stress-"

"I was born on stress, Holly." Leyla sighed, still her signature sad smile in place. "I grew up on stress. Stress is what made me who I am...so much so I don't even _feel _it anymore." She shrugged. "Just another part of life."

Holly hesitated, but couldn't resist. "S...so what about Dread? And Dodge?"

Leyla raised her eyebrows. "What can I say? I'm always there for my boys- whether they want me to be or not. Even if they're in the wrong I still want to be there for them..." Leyla sighed, looking down. "All my life I've tried teaching them to be good. I may not have fully succeeded but at least I still mattered to them..."

...

"_No." Six year old Dread snarled at his mother firmly, folding his arms over his chest and giving her a defiant glare. "No!"_

_Leyla's eyes widened, and she looked hesitantly back at the furious older woman looming over her, her eyes narrowed expectantly at the young mother. Leyla tried again, turning back to her wild child. _

"_Honey..." She cooed to him in her honey-like tones, laced with a slight nervous jitter. "Now, you know kicking Miss Bennet's kitty wasn't the nicest thing to do...and I'll ask you again to say sorry to her-"_

"_NO!" Dread shouted at her, his dark eyes narrowing angrily at his mother. He turned to the older, cross looking woman and poked his tongue out at her. The woman swelled with anger. _

"_I tell ya, Missy." She sneered at Leyla angrily. "Not only me but the entire NEIGHBOURHOOD is fed up with your kid running wild! He's more than a menace, he's a CRIMINAL!"_

"_He's not..." Leyla insisted to her, those icy blue eyes pleading. "He's just a baby, he didn't mean any harm-"_

"_Harm my butt! He meant to do HARM! He tried to drop kick Noodles! Just like he meant harm when he smashed the Jacksons' windows! And when I saw him throwing rocks at cars on Sunday! And what about all the times he's been sent home from school for hitting other kids, hmm?" _

_She glared at Leyla angrily, giving her the same judging look she received from everybody. Leyla swallowed, feeling cornered. She hated this- having to defend her terror of a child from those who had grown to hate him when really she knew he was okay, just a normal little boy who really did have a sweet side. He may have done some bad things but she had a reason for all of them...not every kid in the neighbourhood had the life that she and her babies had...but of course she couldn't tell anybody that. She bit her lip, turning once again desperately to her six year old._

"_Sweetheart, please..." She murmured, dropping down to his level. Her eyes were wide- staring into his. "You know that wasn't right. Come on...say sorry? For me?" _

_Dread glared at her, those black eyes blank. His lips crinkled at the thought, and he turned to glare once again at his neighbour. "No!" he snarled, more determined than ever. "NO! NO! NO!"_

"_Little brat..." Miss Bennet began to tremble with anger. "Your kids are already running wild, you know. And they're not even out of primary school! I told Marcy the other day, that young mother's just can't do a good job!"_

_Leyla froze at that, her eyes widening with hurt. That stung. Because it was true- the way she was going, she would be a failure at raising her babies- he most important things in the world to her. It brought tears to her eyes to know that she, at 21, was already branded a parenting failure by most of the people in her neighbourhood. She suddenly gritted her teeth, and pushing aside all of her nerves and fears she grabbed her child by the arm, staring into his face with the angriest expression she could muster. She gulped, and took a deep breath-_

"_Dread- if you don't apologise to Miss Bennet RIGHT NOW...I will tell your father when he gets home from work."_

_He suddenly stiffened- those narrowed eyes widening and focusing on her. She could see the colour drain from his face, and his screwed up, angry expression dissolve into one of childlike fear. Guilt gripped at her, but she held on strong- narrowing her own eyes to tell him she was dead serious. Dread began to shake in her grip, and his brown eyes searched her desperately- his eyes darting. _

"_No!" He said again, but this time it had lost all defiance- it was a pathetic squeak. He crumbled inward as tried to hold back his crying. "N-no-ooo..."_

"_Dread." Leyla held on strong. "Say. Sorry."_

"_I don't wanna..." Dread began to really cry now- the six year old's hands became fists as he pushed them into his face, wailing. His shoulders began to shake and tears suddenly flowed down his cheeks as his bawling became louder. _

"_Dread." And as much as it killed Leyla to do it, she wrenched one of his hands away, so she could see the redness in his face- the tears and snot that began to drench his baby face. His bottom lip was trembling and his eyes were screwed shut- his defence. And it was aimed at her. She tried to hold on strong. "Say sorry right now. I'm gonna call Dad-"_

"_Don't tell Daddy!" Dread begged her, sobbing now. "I'm sowwy! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorr-yyy..." _

_It twisted Leyla's heart to hear him beg her so desperately, and she couldn't help but feel tears in her own eyes as she heard her neighbour scoff behind her. _

"_Well! I guess I've underestimated you, Leyla."_

_Leyla cleared her throat. "Well...he won't do it again."_

_The neighbour gave her a curt nod and disappeared into her house, her cat balled up in her arms. Leyla tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she pushed herself off of the ground, gazing down at her crying baby on the ground. And for once _she _made him cry. Something she never thought she'd do. She resisted the urge to scoop him up and kiss and snuggle him to make it all better, and instead only tugged on his arm- urging him back into their own house. _

_..._

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Ley..." Holly murmured to her softly, interrupting her thoughts. "We all want people to turn out a certain way... most of the time it doesn't work."

"Don't I know it." Leyla sighed, giving her a grim smile. "But I came here for a reason. I have to make something right...I can't just sit back and let it happen, or ignore it. That would be the worst thing..."

Holly nodded, her own lips tugging into a tiny smile. Leyla wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders, squeezing tightly.

"Go have a shower." She urged her, nodding towards the bathroom. "We'll have a quick rest, and we'll see the guys tomorrow. We'll have a lot of explaining to do, after all."

Holly gave a light scoff at that, but hurried off to wash off the grime that seemed to accumulate while travelling. Leyla watched her go- a faraway look in her wide icy blue eyes. Holly's words made her think...she really _hadn't _thought about exactly why she tagged along on this little trip. After all Dread made it clear he didn't care about her anymore- she didn't know why she kept trying. It was Chris all over again...and Dodge had left her too...and Jake...what would he say? She buried her face in her hands, groaning. She didn't want to think about it- all the people who wanted to get away from her. She never thought she'd be brave enough in actually facing them again...

A pair of wide, innocent dark eyes slipped back into her thoughts, and she raised her own eyes to glance into the tiny, scratched mirror that hung over the small dresser in the room. It reflected her sad smile, her wide gaze, as she thought back to that long lost memory.

_..._

_Later Dread lay under his bed, shaking as he peered out from his hiding place to watch the crack under the door in front of him. He was shaking, still sniffling, and it seemed like forever since he'd crawled under there. Only his annoying toddler of a brother had come in looking for him, and at least he'd given up and toddled off somewhere else. He buried his face into his arms- looking up only when he heard those heavy footsteps that could only belong to one member of the house. _

_He recoiled further under his bed, tucking his feet in as he watched a shadow under the door appear- with those heavy, unforgiving steps his work boots made. He let out a whimper, gripping onto the carpet as he heard the door slam open, and the muddy boots stomp in front of him. _

"_Dread." His father snarled ominously. "Get your ass out here."_

_Dread tried to stay as still as possible- but he was positive his dad could hear his heart racing, it was so loud. He held back another frightened whimper with difficulty, and he frantically tried to shuffle away as one of his dad's calloused hands attempted to snatch at him under the bed. He rolled out from underneath, and the adult grabbed at his hoodie and yanked him to his feet. Dread stared fearfully, his eyes wide at the figure above him. _

"_The fuck are you doing hiding under the bed for, idiot?" His father scoffed at him, a lazy smirk crossing his slackened features. "Ya Mum has dinner ready." _

_He let go, snickering at him as he stomped back into the kitchen. Dread watched him go, his eyes wide and his heart still pounding in his ears. After a short second he scampered off after him, still amazed at his luck. In fact, he was sure it was a trap. _

_He approached his mother with caution, eyeing the way she spooned spaghetti into a bowl and ladled the sauce on top of it, watching it carefully to make sure it was the correct ratio. Her eyes found his, and he glared at her suspiciously, flicking quickly over to his father before going back to her. _

"_You didn't tell Daddy..." He mumbled quietly, his eyes widening at her pleadingly. She smiled down at him, almost knowingly. _

"'_Course not, Bubba." She passed him his place. He took it meekly, nibbling on his fat bottom lip as he continued to stare at her. He sniffed. _

"_You said you would."_

"_I know..." She cooed to him, sighing. With another warning look at her husband she eyed him again, those crystal blue eyes staring into those dark, almost black, glistening eyes of her baby. The corners of her lips twitched into a faint knowing smile. "But I didn't." She admitted, more to herself than anything._

_..._

Leyla lay back into the pillows, her lips twisting as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. While she had been alone the past few months, she at least had some time to think. She'd come to the obvious conclusion that she was a sucker for punishment- loving all these men in her life that didn't feel the same way back, having so much hope for one person just to be let down... it all pointed to her simply being a sucker. She thought of Jake- and the memories of those wide dark eyes haunted her once again... him showing her so much, filling her with so much hope, only to walk away from her...and she was reminded of that- his eyes seemed to watch her every day after that...

But she liked to think it made her stronger... Leyla definitely wasn't the same girl she was 20 years ago.

She flicked open her switchblade, and stared at the shimmering sharpened steel- her icy blue eyes flickering with emotion.

She was determined to prove it.

* * *

Jake drove along the highway at top speeds, sweeping between cars with obvious expertise. His mind was sharp and clear- not fuzzy and distorted like his mindset usually was. His knuckles were whitening on the steering wheel and his brown eyes were growing darker with every anxious thought.

He gave his passenger side a quick glance- where Dodge was sharing the same look he had. Dark and narrowed, determined. He wasn't used to seeing the guy so grim- he missed his smile and his calm, lecturing gaze. He glanced upward to the review mirror- where Trent was sitting in the middle of the backseat- face pale and eyes wide. It was only then Jake could see how young Trent was- even if he wasn't the youngest of the group he looked about 14 sitting in the back of that car- close to tears.

"Fuck you guys aren't even _trying _to think positive." Jake snarled at the both of them. "You know everything's gonna be a'right. You _know _we're gonna get them back."

"Dread's fucking unpredictable. Who knows what he wants." Dodge grumbled back, looking out of the passenger side window glumly. "What'd Dingo say?"

Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair as he eyed the road beadily. He thought back to his son's frantic words- it amused him how he could be so panicked yet try and keep the 'leader' status by ordering everyone around as if he was in complete control of a situation...yet even fierce Dingo didn't even know what the Hell was going on.

"Just to meet him at his Mum's." He muttered. "He said something happened that we have to talk about- he might've found out about Bandit or something, but all he said was that it was urgent."

Dodge nodded, but already he could feel his heart race. Dingo was a stubborn person- if he said it was urgent, that he couldn't handle them by himself, it must be bad. And Dread was one of the few things he actually feared...it must have been his fucking brother again. Seething, he glanced back to the cracked phone in his hand- still working, at the very least. He resented the fact he tended to destroy things when he was angry without thinking of the consequences. He _needed _that phone, after all.

"At least we got a way to contact them." Jake suggested quietly. "You can be thankful for that, can't ya?"

Dodge nodded, still numb from the entire experience. A part of him was still trying to convince him that if he'd go home Cherry would still be there waiting for him- ready to bitch about a rude customer from work or the newest college assignment she had, and he would smirk and annoy her, watch the way she'd get that cute, impatient look on her face, before he'd do something sweet to completely turn it around. He loved that, she looked so cute when she was angry, yet the fact he had the ability to cheer her up so quickly, and see that bright smile... that truly meant something to him. It had never been that way with anybody before in his life...

_And now Dread has his hands all over her..._

He willed that thought away, his eyes screwing shut with concentration as he struggled to remain calm.

Trent fidgeted in the backseat, trying not to let his mind wander. If Dread was in the country abducting loved ones already in the hopes to get to them- it seemed like Bandit was already snatched from them. He didn't want to think it, but at the same time he didn't want to be blind to the obvious.

He was furious, as well as completely distraught. _He _was the one who left Bandit to be taken, he promised long ago that he'd be the one to protect him- he was sick of Dodge to be the one to run to Bandit's defence, and instead swore that he'd be there for him no matter what. He'd failed... miserably. And worse of all was that he left him just after Bandit had made such a loving confession to him and he hadn't even returned the favour... would those really be the last words he ever said to him?

He could see the lights and shapes around him blur into one as the tears came, for what felt like the millionth time that day. He didn't want to think that, that there could be a life without his best friend, without seeing those ocean blue eyes, that wild black hair and sly, lopsided grin. He didn't want to wake up without having to yell at him for playing Disney movies too loud, or singing to Screamo ballads too off-key. He didn't want a life where he couldn't wake up beside him.

A tear fell onto his jeans and he knew he couldn't stop. He cared for Bandit like he did nobody else- and the fact he was in jeopardy, and he could do nothing about it, scared him to no end. It was just like when he saw the bruises back in high school, the tears in his eyes and that desperate, pleading look on his face- he couldn't help then and he couldn't help now. And it killed him.

"_Trent." _

He looked up, sniffing with slight embarrassment as he saw Dodge had turned around in his chair, and was now giving him a determined stare, his icy blue eyes gazing at him like he knew exactly how he felt.

"_We'll get him back." _He murmured to him softly, but his voice had an obvious threatening undertone. "We won't let him go this easily...both of them. We'll get them both back no matter what."

Trent nodded, straightening in his chair as he met Dodge's eyes. Even though they were sad, they had a steely determination beneath them- even know he was facing his murderous brother, probably the one person he truly feared besides his father, he had a fight within him that promised nothing would stand in his way. And Trent wanted to match that. He had to.

Both of them knew they'll fight to the death.

-x-

Nigel tossed in his sleep, twisting and turning in his sheets. With a slight snarl he raised his head so he could punch at his pillow- trying in vain to get in a comfy position. It was fruitless, the whole thing. Even though he knew he had a solid three hours of class tomorrow, there was no sleep on the horizon for Nigel Uno. And he knew it.

"_Damn" _He hissed, finally taking the plunge and throwing the blankets off. He frowned angrily, standing up and stomping into the shared kitchen. He hated admitting defeat. "Damn. Damn. Damn..."

He made sure to be quiet to ensure he didn't wake up anybody else in the dorm as he made his way to the shared common room, his arms defiantly crossed over his chest as his brain ticked away busily. He couldn't ignore the fact one of his best friends was still missing. The dorm seemed so empty without Hoagie, and he knew his parents were worrying about him. He wondered faintly if the police were still looking for him...

He shook his head, shielding his eyes slightly as he opened the refrigerator. The light itself was blinding. Before he could reach for the milk, however, a light knock on the door pulled him from his frantic thoughts.

His frown deepened as he quickly checked the time on the microwave. 1.48AM? _Who would be calling at this hour? _He thought, but shuffled towards the door anyway. _Do they even let people in this late? _

All of his suspicious thoughts melted away, however, when he opened the door to see the most beautiful sight imaginable- his blonde girlfriend, her hazel eyes gazing up at him angelically and a small, tired smile on her face.

"_Rach..." _he sighed gratefully, pulling her into a hug as he dragged her into the room. "What are you doing here?" He added in a hushed whisper, his frown returning. "How did you-"

"I snuck in." She shrugged, scoffing slightly as she snuggled into his chest. He couldn't ignore her racing heart, her shaky breaths and the defeated expression on her face. "I needed to see you. Fanny wasn't home and I didn't want to be alone, all I could think about was Hoagie and-"

Nigel stroked her sunshine locks as he held her close. She didn't need to say anymore- it was only a mirror reflection of what he felt. He only wished he had the bright idea to head over to her place. If anything could lull him into a peaceful slumber it was being right beside her...

"Don't worry, sweetie..." He sighed, inhaling her sweet scent. Rachel snuggled back into his hard chest. She felt so safe and secure in his arms, the young couple took a moment to take solace in simply being together... their worries were shared, and whatever they had to face- at least they weren't alone. "It'll get sorted out, I promise. Tomorrow we'll go down to the police, and see what we can find out. It'll be okay."

Rachel lifted her head, her glistening hazel eyes gazing into his face. The stern face, the serious turn of his lips, his straight, muscular posture- her boyfriend was the ultimate portrayal of serious leadership. But when he gazed down at her with those big dark eyes- swimming pools of a honey brown that seemed to spark in the light- all she could see was total compassion and love. He truly cared for her, just like she did for him.

"Promise?" She whispered, giving him a trusting smile. He returned it, holding her close.

"I promise."

* * *

Bandit blinked his eyes rapidly- unable to stop moving. He was familiar with the feeling now- most unfortunately. His legs were twitching uncontrollably and his skin itched and tickled- his fingers longing to scrape and scratch. His bottom lip trembled and his watery, teary blue eyes were wide- gazing at the unfamiliar faces above him. He could barely understand how he got here- nevertheless who they were. He continuously looked away in the hopes to see Belle again- even though deep down inside he knew it was just a figment of his imagination. He heaved a shaky, breathless sigh- his body sagging with weakness. His muscles ached, he couldn't stop twitching and itching- and he continued to sniff and whimper, looking close to crying. Nevertheless he continued to fidget- restlessness being common in the traditional cases of 'cold turkey'.

"Are you sure, Sandy?" One of the strange men snarled around him. "He doesn't look like any leader I've ever seen- he looks like a fucking junkie."

Bandit winced at that, rubbing at his itchy eyes and sniffling. He felt like he was getting a cold. His tired mind buzzed- only _just _understanding that the men around him were insulting him. He was too exhausted to care. He twitched again, fear quickly replacing his oblivious nature. He didn't know who he was with- all he knew it wasn't his friends...or Dread. He didn't know whether or not to be grateful- but judging by the looks he was getting he knew he shouldn't be counting his blessings just yet.

"I'm not a junkie..." He mumbled feebly, sniffling. His twitching fingers wound together, and those flickering eyes remained downward. Those words hurt- it brought back old memories of being dismissed by whoever he met. He scratched at his itchy skin. "I-"

"_Shut up."_ The tallest-oldest snarled at him, a strong hand grabbing at his hair. He whimpered at the sudden ripping sensation, his neck cracking as it snapped back into place. He wobbled on the chair, hating his weak, shivering form. All of his joints ached, his skin itched and was damp with sweat, and he couldn't stop shaking. And to top it all off he knew these stages of Withdrawal were always..._uncomfortably awkward. _He cringed at the thought, and kept his hands placed firmly in his lap, hating himself for getting into this position.

This wasn't him, he hadn't been _this_ for a long time. It made him feel so small and pathetic, and it seemed as though time had reversed a few long years. He couldn't stand this feeling- he wished painfully back to the previous numbness he felt- and began to helplessly hope that Belle would come back. He found himself backing into the old mindset- the old fear, the old insecurity. He found himself wishing for someone, _anyone _to protect him- he couldn't handle it on his own.

"The fuck's wrong with you?" Steven sneered at him suspiciously. "How the fuck did you get here, and where the fuck did you come from?"

"He looks like he just walked off the street..." Ethan grumbled, his eyebrow cocked. Sandy bit his lip, clearing his throat awkwardly as he stood off to the side.

"No- he's one of them." He said, his voice wobbling slightly. This wasn't going well- he thought he could snatch one of his previous tormentors and he'll feel some kind of satisfaction, but the kid he'd lured up looked no older than him, and he felt awful giving him to his cousins- like he'd baited a small child away from his mother with promises of candy. 'King' -or whatever his names was- was totally off in another world, and in no position to even know his own name, let alone give any worthwhile information. "But...I dunno what's wrong with him. They must have done something to him." He added with a snarl, giving his cousins a stern glare. An '_I told you they were psychos' _look.

"The Hell 'du find this kid?" Steven turned to Sandy, his eyes narrowed. "They caught him? And didn't tell us?"

"No, they didn't." Sandy said smugly. "I told you they were dodgy. He's one of them."

"They're probably just using him for info..." Mitch put in slyly, but still he ran a finger along the pistol that was sitting on the table. "Questioning him- that's why he looks so ragged."

Bandit licked his bruised lips, eyeing all four of them. He didn't trust anyone- let alone these guys, who seemed to be discussing his fate. He was starting to think he'd rather take his chances with Dread- at least he was somewhat predictable in his abuse. He gave an uncomfortable shiver. He felt as though his very veins were itchy- the inner muscle and tissue under his skin needed scratching. He wriggled, growing more uncomfortable by the second.

"_So." _Steven turned back to him, a firm snarl in place. "_You're _one of the ones who's been giving our family shit. Think that's fucking fair? Picking on a sixteen year old?"

"_I'm nineteen..." _Bandit mumbled weakly, his eyes widening. The guy grabbed him again, and he let out a small squeak as he felt his hair being yanked on again.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"_I dunno..." _Bandit tried to say, but instead it came out as a small croak as his throat began to tighten, and the fear seemed to swell within him. He couldn't hold it back anymore and he broke down into big, wailing sobs- choking and crying as tears flooded down his cheeks. He felt like a stupid, miserable, twitching little kid- but at the same time he had no shame, he didn't even care if they shot him on the floor and left him to die- he just needed a long, desperate cry. He was used to the crying fits- but usually Belle or Dodge was there to rub his back and tell him it was going to be okay.

"The fuck?" Ethan sneered, his eyebrows rising at the now sobbing figure on the floor. He prodded the figure sheepishly with his sneaker, feeling somewhat... guilty. He _knew _this was the enemy, he _knew _it had hurt one of his family members...but seeing the guy crumple on the floor like that and break out into sobs worthy of a toddler... he started feeling like he'd stolen his favourite teddy bear and he was now bawling like a baby.

From the look of his brothers and cousin, they had started thinking the same thing.

"We just wanna know where the rest of your gang is." Steven tried again, his voice a regular growl. "We don't wanna hurt you...anymore than we have to..."

Bandit gave another pitiful wail. He felt sick, he felt tired, confused and lonely. He was sick of being tossed around like a ragdoll, and wistfully wished for his happiness back- the type where he could skip down the hallway singing to his Lion King soundtrack without a care in the world... the type where he could throw a confident punch and it would actually hurt somebody... that type of happiness.

_Not this old pathetic status_. He sniffed, numbly wishing for Dread to come get him. He thought of what he'd say if he came in and saw him like this... he would flip.

_That'll show them... _Bandit thought angrily. His eyes suddenly widened, and his breath hitched in horrible realisation. _Fuck! _He mentally winced. _Who's side am I on?_

He shook himself from those thoughts, but already he could feel himself losing it. He was becoming consumed by fear and he wanted out. He wanted to be protected- which, he knew, was a stupid thing to want because there was a time not so long ago he could get himself out of any situation...but it was as if that person had disappeared, and been replaced by someone he thought he'd abandoned a long time ago.

"P-Please let me go..." He pleaded with them, babbling anything that came into mind. "I-I don't w-wanna be here...I wanna go-go h-h-home..." He broke down into short sniffs, choking back further sobs. His mind pounded and his eyes stung with so much crying.

A loud _thud _and a shout made all five of the men startle, and Ethan looked around wildly as Steven reached for the gun.

"What the-" Ethan snarled, but before he could finish a loud scream answered their question.

"_WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GO!" _Dread screamed from downstairs, clearly destroying everything within his reach. Bandit's eyes widened, his heart catapulting in his chest as he looked up at the men above him.

"_You're gonna be in big trouble nooow..." _He couldn't help but coo weakly to them as he wiped away the last of his tears.

* * *

Fanny awoke with a throbbing pain seizing her skull, and her vision was blurry as she tried to push herself upward. She felt leather beneath her hands, and she frowned with anger as she felt her wrists bound together. She struggled, trying to sit up and look around.

It was dark, and she couldn't remember a thing. She tried vividly to think back to the last thing she remembered, but she only came up with a blank. She gave a pained moan, moving her numb legs as she struggled to break free.

"_Well, well...look who's woken up, Sleeping Beauty..."_

Her frown deepened as she struggled to recognise the voice. Her voice was pressed against more leather and she tried in vain to push away, groaning again.

"_D-Dodge?"_ She tried, even though it made no sense. Her heart thumped with dull pain as she suddenly remembered Dodge broke up with her...then the club...then-

A dark chuckle met her ears, and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Hands wrapped around her ankles and pulled, her entire body sliding across the seat.

"Far from it, Pet." He sniggered at her, and as he yanked her out of the car Fanny realised with horror her dress was riding up, and she tried in vain to kick out and pull it back down because really, even if she was in this guy's clutches and he had the ability to kill her, he didn't want to give him the sick satisfaction of seeing her underwear. He paid her no attention and continued to yank her out, letting her fall with a dull thud onto the floor- letting her head hit every bump as he pulled her from the truck by her leg, a long drop that caused her head to spin and her back throb with pain.

She glared at him as he held onto her ankle, watching her with a smirk as she pulled down her dress- now around her waist. She cursed herself angrily for wearing such a stupid thing, and pulled against his grip on her. She could never imagine Dodge looking so cruel and evil- but that was what Dread looked like to her. They looked different, but their facial structure looked too similar to be mistaken. Dread was a tiny bit paler, and that brought out his darker hair and those hateful, dark eyes and evil smirk. He wore a tight black muscle shirt that highlighted his built figure, and it tucked into his jeans that hung low on his hips, a thick studded belt threaded through the loops. His hair was thick and messy, sticking out at odd angles as though he had run his hands through it too much. That was different too, Dodge's hair was usually limp. Fanny eyed him with curiosity- hate obvious in her stare.

Dread held onto her ankle stubbornly, yanking hard to pull her legs apart. He gave her a sly grin, his tongue between his head.

"Not bad, sweetheart."

Fanny flushed with anger, and before she could properly think it through she raised her free leg and fiercely swung her foot towards his groin- kicking hard.

"_Fuck off." _She growled at him as he yelped, his hand tightening on her leg as he doubled over, coughing and spluttering.

"You... filthy... fucking CUNT!" He snarled at her, hissing with pain as she continued to kick out at him. He bit through the pain and twisted her ankle, causing her to hiss and bite her lip. Pain shot up her shin as she felt her ankle crack with agony, and her eyes began to water at the pain, but she still kept her mouth shut, not giving him the satisfaction. She continued to glare with what she hoped was obvious hatred. Dread gave a tiny groan, dismissing his own pain as he leaned down and grabbed her- still bound at the wrists- and yanked her to her stumbling feet.

Fanny winced as she put pressure on the abused ankle. He'd definitely sprained it.

"You'll soon learn not to fight back." He snapped in her ear, hot breath frosting her skin. She grimaced as she even felt his hair brush against her cheek- it made her sick to think someone so vile was so close to her. "Nobody gets far fuckin' with me, _bitch." _

He stepped forward and yanked on her to follow him, and Fanny got a good look at her surroundings. They were definitely underground- that was obvious from how dark it was with only fluorescent lighting illuminating the room. Even if it was night-time it was too dark and too cold to be above ground. It was a bland looking room- with black walls and cement floor. Just a garage. He pulled her through a door into a similar blank hallway with numerous doors. Her eyes wandered to him.

She couldn't help but be curious. After all, Dodge was not an irrational person. It took a lot to scare him, Fanny knew that. And Dread did scare him- Dread was a killer. And it made her curious. She ran her eyes up his form- from his worn sneakers to his wild hair. Her eyes lingered on his muscular arms- decorated with various inks. Her eyes lingered on his neck- where just behind his ear the initials _B.M _were scrawled. Her eyes lowered to his arms- specifically his bicep. Tiny scrawling of what looked like song lyrics surrounded the main artwork on his arm, with what looked like a heart with a sparrow done in black was the centre, but in the middle of that was a name, and it made Fanny's eyes widen in disbelief, and a surprised scoff escaped her lips.

Dread whirled around, his eyes narrowing at her daringly.

"_What?"_

"That surprises me..." Fanny mumbled to herself, looking away. Dread sneered at her, yanking her closer to him.

"What?" He demanded, leering over her. She was playing with him, and he knew it. Nothing made him angrier than someone toying with him- because, he had to face it, he easily fell for it.

Fanny blinked up at him- unabashed and unafraid. Of course she was worried about what Dread would do- she knew enough about him to know he could snap easily with fatal consequences. But she still didn't show any fear. She looked away in hesitation for a moment as those big, black empty eyes seemed to scald her- she felt sheepish asking.

"Your tattoo." She whispered, nodding to his arm at the name. "Isn't that your mother's name?"

Dread's eyes seemed to narrow further- his body tensing dangerously. She'd hit a nerve. Fanny continued, her voice now lower than a whisper.

"..._Leyla?"_

"Yeah, that's my _mother." _Dread growled at her dangerously, repeating the name maliciously as he continued to stare her down, his hands now tightening on hers dangerously. "What fucking _surprises _you about it?" He demanded, shaking.

"Just what Dodge has told me..." She murmured lowly, turning back to stare at them with those careful eyes, steady and sharp. Dread froze, seizing up with fury. He let go of her hand as boiling anger soared through him, and before he could stop himself he exploded, his eyes closing as he smashed his fist into the wall beside her- inches from her face. Fanny only jumped slightly, her eyes widening warily.

"AND WHAT WOULD MY FUCKING BROTHER KNOW!" Dread screamed at her, his hands balled into fists- one where his knuckles were scratched from the blow. "HE WOULDN'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT ME AND MY FUCKING MUM WOULD HE!"

Fanny's heart raced in her throat, her eyes tearing up as she attempted to search that furious face. Dread let out a furious growl, grabbing her again before she had a chance to speak. He was twitching with anger, desperate for anything to calm him. He wasted no time in unlocking the door and shoving her inside, not even bothering to explain anything. He'd leave that to Jayden- what mattered is that his bitch of a prisoner was locked up with no escape.

_I'll make that fucker pay. _He thought bitterly, hands curling into fists. _Fucking baby brother thinks he can fuck with me, I'll fuck what's his..._

He stomped down to his room and kicked down the door- which opened and bounced off the wall. He was furious and upset, unable to stop until he got what he wanted. Upon seeing that his bed was empty, he only shouted louder.

"**WHERE THE FUCK IS HE!"**

"_Hooo...shit." _Jayden hissed to himself in the other room, hearing his friend's angry shouts echo down the hallway.

* * *

"I still think you should try and talk to Jake."

Derek groaned at his wife's words- having heard the same phrase over and over all day. He knew if he looked over his shoulder he'd see her familiar glare too- narrowed and knowing, lecturing him on the right thing to do. He loved Allie, he always would...but _damn _she had the 'nagging wife' role mastered.

"And as I keep telling you, hun." He grumbled at her. "It's none of my business."

Allie stomped over to him, her eyes narrowed and set. She'd just finished clearing up dinner and Joey had run off into the other room to catch his favourite cartoon- so they were free to talk, and she'd been burning to have this conversation all day.

"It _is _your business!" Allie insisted, her eyes wide. "You could have a niece or nephew that doesn't know their real father! You're keeping- you're _protecting _Jake from something he has a right to know!"

"Jake doesn't need to know _anything." _Derek snarled at her. "And I'm not protecting him!"

"You are." Allie grumbled, plopping down on a chair beside him and giving him a fierce glare. "You did it when he was fifteen and you're doing it now. Jake's a big boy- he can handle it."

"Yeah, but can the kid?" Derek sneered at her, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "It ain't my business, love. It was Leyla's choice- they've both lived in Australia for 20 years and she had all the chances in the world to tell him. The kid's probably long gone now. Who knows? He might even be paying child support by now. Leyla might have caught up with him."

Allie narrowed her eyes. "Jake would be more involved in that. And he would tell me, and Dingo. I know him. "

"No you don't." Derek growled. Talking about his family back home was a sensitive enough subject, but his own wife talking about her relationship with his little brother? Dangerous. "You don't know my brother. You don't know who he really is. And that's it."

"I know enough." Allie glared at him pointedly. "I know he's been Dingo's father since the day he met him. If Jake found out about another child he'd do the same thing. Why else would he be so involved with his son?"

"He did it for you." Derek glared back down at the table, really wishing the conversation would come to an end. "I doubt he'd do it for her. He hated her after she went with her boyfriend. He was trying to suck up to you. He doesn't owe Leyla any favours. Believe me, Jake will do whatever it takes if he gets something out of it."

"He wouldn't just..." Allie stopped and sighed, shaking her head. What was she even talking about? She didn't really _know _Jake- he'd just stepped up and fathered his and her child. She really didn't know anything about him, she didn't even know his past- his own secrets. It was pointless of her to argue with someone who grew up with Jake...and no matter how many negative feelings the brothers had towards each other they probably knew each other the best. "He has a right to know, even if it is ancient history." She added, her voice lower than a hiss. "Just be a brother for him."

Derek's frown deepened. "I've _been _a brother." He snarled at her. "He's almost a grandfather- he can deal with his own issues."

Allie shrugged, giving up and walking out of the kitchen. Derek swelled with some pride, knowing he must be close to winning the argument (for once).

Allie gave a final sigh. "If that's what family means to you..."

He winced at that, growling at her retreating back but unable to think up a retort.

* * *

Fanny blinked around the dark room, completely bewildered by the sudden darkness that consumed her. She stumbled across the room, her feet catching on all sorts of broken obstacles. But it was one insignificant voice that made her stop- it made her heart leap into her throat.

"_Wh-who's th-there?"_

She stiffened, letting out a gasp that echoed around the room. "...M-Mushi?"

She frantically stumbled her way over to the voice, flailing her bound arms in annoyance. She _knew _she recognised that tone, and the adrenaline pumping through her veins only made her run faster.

"Y-yes? Who is it?"

"It's _me." _Fanny grunted as she collided with the wall, then felt around before kneeling, feeling the girl's grimy hair and cold skin. Tears pricked in her eyes as she could feel it was true- Mushi really was there, in this prison cell, with her. She shook her head, still trying to escape this dark, dank reality she found herself in. "Oh my god..." her voice was now a harsh whisper as she felt the girl cling onto her, her hands too were bound. "Mushi...Oh my god...I can't believe-"

"_Believe it." _Mushi sounded like she was sobbing, and Fanny tried as hard as she could to sit beside her without crushing her in the darkness. "H-Hoagie's here too...we both were taken-"

"_Hoagie?" _Fanny spluttered in disbelief. Faintly, she heard a familiar groan. Her heart sank, if possible, even further- and the immense fear that took over her was becoming overwhelming. It was too much.

Hoagie blinked, but he couldn't even tell if his eyes were open. It was still pitch black- but he could have sworn...

"_Fan?" _He croaked out, his voice a coarse rasp. His fingers scraped against the concrete as he tried to work his tired limbs, fatigued from hunger and exhaustion. He wasn't sure how long he and Mushi had been kept here, but he knew for a fact they'd only been given water- and that was thrown to them resentfully by Jayden- and they'd searched for a while for the bottle before he'd returned to turn on the light. It was a cruel process, and both still had their spirits wilted from their last encounter. Bandit's sobs and wails still rang in their ears, and both of them feared for each other in the hands of these psychopathic maniacs. If Dread could do that to someone he claimed to love- they hated to think of what he'd do to them- total strangers.

Fanny found him, and for the first time in a long time Hoagie actually relaxed- his body sinking into the comforting touch she possessed. She ran a few fingers along his arm, and for that split second it was as if the pain had melted away, the panic had settled...

But then Mushi's panicked breaths reached his ears, and reality settled back into him with a shattering snap.

"What the Hell's going on?" Fanny asked openly, her own voice warbling as she took in the dark, cold atmosphere that suffocated the trio. "Where are we? What-"

"They kidnapped us..." Hoagie mumbled with defeat, sighing as he sunk back against the wall. "I don't think they meant to- they were meant to get Bandit-"

"Bandit's here too?" Fanny gasped, her eyes widening. Dodge's story flashed through her mind, and she felt even sicker.

Hoagie nodded, but remembering it was pitch black, he cleared his throat and croaked out, "Yes."

Mushi sniffed. "They tried to get information out of us..." Her voice shook as she remembered, her mind still stained with that memory. "W-we didn't give them any..."

"But they aren't making it easy." Hoagie sneered bitterly. "We haven't had proper food for days, and they've only just given us water-"

"They got Bandit!" Mushi began to sob, breaking down completely. Her shoulders shook and tears flooded down her face, and Fanny's shaky hands found her in the dark. She pulled the young girl close, and Mushi collapsed onto her. She wished more than anything her sister was there with her. "I-It w-was so horrible Fan! He was p-pleading and screaming b-but they wouldn't listen! I could tell h-he was hurting h-him! And all b-because we wouldn't t-tell them anything! I-It..." She broke off, hesitating, but then blurted out the thing that had haunted her since it happened._ "It should have been me."_

"Don't say that, Mushi!" Hoagie snarled at her, repressing a shudder. "It's not your fault, I made the choice-"

"Just calm down..." Fanny said, trying as hard as she could to be soothing. It broke her heart to see (feel) her friends around her in this horrible situation. None of them could believe they were here- and Fanny was probably the _last _person able to help them. She'd never been the comforting type, she was the harsh leader, the 'tough love' girl that smacked everyone into gear, not assuring everything was going to be okay- that was always Kuki, or Rachel, or Abby. Never her. "We'll get out of this..."

"How!" Mushi wailed, her throat constricting with the pressure of her cries. "They're gonna kill one of us soon, Fanny! None of us are valuable, they only want to track down Trent and the guys! They'll knock us out sooner or later and-"

"_Enough." _Fanny snarled at her, unable to hold it back. "We'll be okay. Don't think that way."

"I told you, Mushi." Hoagie's voice came back to them, tired yet determined. "I'll save you. You don't have to worry."

"I don't want Trent, or anyone, to b-be like that- to have those guys find them..." She babbled, her eyes widening. "J-just seeing Bandit...n-nobody should-"

A hand gripped her arm, and Mushi again fell into Fanny, cuddling up to her and sobbing. She hated being so pathetic, but she was quickly becoming frantic. All hope seemed to have gone, and more people she loved were now in danger. She couldn't hold back- she was afraid, she was desperate.

"It'll be okay, Mushi." Fanny said, trying hard to be strong. She thought of Dodge- and she hoped, _prayed, _that he would find it in his heart to save her, that he still loved her.

She was used to being everybody's hero, but at that moment she needed hers more than ever.

* * *

Joey sat between his parents in the living room, feeling more and more awkward by the second. The silence was deafening- only broken by the canned laughter of the old sitcom they'd agreed on watching. Joey's eyes flickered between them- his father, lounging on the recliner- his body stiff and his eyes narrowed and unfocused, glaring quickly at his mother before turning back to the TV, and his mother- sitting with her legs folded underneath her on the other side of the sofa, absent-mindedly turning pages in her magazine and her eyes staring blankly at the page- not reading anything. Every now and then her sharp emerald eyes would piece her husband's stiff form before turning back to the page, her flicking becoming so violent the glossy paper almost ripped.

He shifted his feet, looking from parent to parent as he found himself becoming less interested in his show and more interested in the tension between his parents. He had to laugh at how childish they could be, especially when they were arguing.

The screeching of tyres sounded outside but none of them paid attention. Living on a suburban street they were bound to get hoons every now and then. But at the sudden hammering on their front door, all three of them jumped- his father sitting up in his chair and eyeing the hallway suspiciously. Joey frowned, bracing himself and ready for combat. His mother looked cautious.

"Who in the world would be calling at this-"

The door burst open and a whole world of problems burst in with it.

"_Mum! Dad!"_

Wallabee stumbled into the room, Kuki close behind. Dingo skidded in behind him, his eyes wide. Abby stomped in last, looking furious.

"_Wallabee!" _Allie jumped up, her face paling. She could immediately sense something was wrong- Wallabee looked too pale and too sick to ignore. She hurried over, her eyes wide. Wallabee pushed away at her fussing, his head still pounding.

"Mum- something's happened." He growled, and his face was straight and stern. Derek immediately stiffened- it was only when something dire happened that his son ever became deadly serious. He turned to his youngest son, his own face stern.

"Joey- go have a shower."

Joey growled back in protest. "No, I wanna see what's going on."

Allie turned to him, her pleading eyes meeting his. "Baby, please?"

"Ugh!" Joey snarled at her, but stomped off- Only because he knew the perfect place to eavesdrop. The group waited until his footsteps disappeared up the stairs and down the hall, and only then did Allie begin fussing again, pulling her son into a chair.

"What happened? You look sick. Are you hurt? I'll get you some tea. You should go to hospital. You look peaky, I think you need rest-"

"Mum! Seriously!" he snarled, swatting her off. "I'm fine! I just-"

"He got drugged." Dingo growled, feeling slightly heated that nobody had greeted him yet. His mother turned to him with those anxious eyes, and all of a sudden he felt sheepish. "I-I think it was roofies. I had to make him throw it back up."

"_Wally!" _Allie wailed, "You have to get to a hospital to get checked! I can't believe you-"

"Would you _relax?" _Wallabee snarled at her. "I feel fine, just a bit woozy. There are more pressing issues at hand!"

Derek frowned, his arms folding. "Like what?"

"Yes..." Abby growled menacingly, folding her own arms over her enlarged chest. Her stomach was now protruding so much her arms rested on top of it. She still looked just as menacing, and was aiming her narrowed brown eyes directly at her boyfriend, who was beginning to look more and more awkward. "Do tell."

"Look..." Dingo grumbled awkwardly, his hand scratching at the back of his head. "Its kinda hard to explain, if you just calm down for a-"

Before he could finish another screech of tyres reached their ears, followed by a loud crash. All of them jumped in alarm. Wallabee whirled around, his eyebrows raised.

"What the-"

"_NOBODY PANIC!"_

Jake burst through the already broken door, his arms up and Trent and Dodge running behind him. Jake skidded into the small crowd, a smirk in place and completely oblivious to the narrowed eyes aimed at him.

"...I'm here." He grinned proudly, fluttering his eyelashes innocently. Dingo had to roll his eyes, most of the people in the room continued to stare, completely bewildered and confused. Dodge however charged through, staring at Dingo with fierce, determined icy blue eyes. Dingo froze, immediately knowing that rare look too well.

"Dread has Cherry." He snarled, flashing the picture that was already opened on his cracked phone. Dingo's mouth fell open, and guilt flowed into him. Abby looked over his shoulder, her own eyes widening at the picture. "We're in big trouble."

"...I know. I saw him." Dingo mumbled, somewhat awkwardly. "I...I saw her too. And Jayden."

Dodge's eyes widened dangerously, and before they could react he had shoved both his hands into Dingo's chest, shoving him up against the wall. Dingo winced, but he was expecting it.

"Why the FUCK didn't you DO something!" Dodge demanded, his face inches away from Dingo's. Dingo had to look away, he hated looking into those hateful, wild eyes. It hurt, it _stung _to have Dodge look him in the eye with so much fear and anger- he looked too fierce- too much like his brother. It didn't suit him one bit. He had to push him back, his face crinkling with distress.

"I _tried!" _He tried to explain, his eyes wide and earnest. "She wouldn't listen! She was too pissed at you and wouldn't listen to a thing I said!"

Dodge recoiled at that, his own guilt seeping in. He was the one to push her away, he should have known a hot tempered girl like her would explode, completely reject everything he had to say because he'd- and at this, he wanted to collapse onto the ground again and cry- he'd _broken her heart._

"Fuck..." He hissed, and his voice began to tremble as he tried to hold it together. He backed off, but his body began to shake, and Trent gripped his arm in the hopes to hold him steady. Dingo turned to his father instead, his eyes still wide with the events of the evening.

"He went after Wally." He hissed. "He fucking _drugged _him."

"Drugged..._him?" _Jake suddenly issued a protective frown, a stern feature that sullied his usually playful, lopsided smirk. Wally stiffened as Jake's dark eyes found him, giving him a quick once over. Trent looked confused as well, leaning into the conversation. His own head was spinning, and his heart ached as he thought of how impossible it would be to get Bandit back...if Dread had already gotten to him it already seemed like hope was lost.

"I thought he didn't know who he was!"

"He _doesn't." _Dingo sneered back, and to everybody's amazement he almost looked...protective. "I'm pretty sure the only thing on that freak's mind was checking out his ass- and nothing else. Dread didn't even notice me until I burst in."

Both Kuki and Allie seemed to choke on air at that point, looking both bewildered and horrified. Wallabee's own face paled even further, his lips twisting awkwardly, and Derek stiffened dangerously- his fists tightening. Jake stilled, as if contemplating the situation. It was a lot to take in, and he knew if they didn't act quickly they'd be sitting ducks.

"_Roofies." _Dodge spat with disgust, icy blue eyes freezing. He turned to Wallabee. "You okay?" He mumbled.

Wallabee's eyes narrowed. He could see it- something in the guy's face- it was identical to _him. _All he was missing was that dark smirk, that dark hair and those dark eyes, strong, confident jaw and that rough growl. He found his jaw unable to move, as if wired closed. Dodge picked up on that- the familiar flash of fear in his eyes he was too used to seeing when it concerned his sibling. He turned away, cursing inwardly. There was no denying it- his brother was wasting no time in fucking everything up in their peaceful little lives.

"He threw most of it up, he didn't get to him." Dingo snarled, trying his best to ignore Abby's demanding, judging look she was giving him. He could tell she was thirsty for answers- and he would have a lot of explaining to do after. For now he shook her off. "But both Dread _and _Jayden made sure we fucking knew they were here- they pulled fucking pistols on us!"

Allie paled further, her knees now weak. Abby gasped, her fingernails now digging into his arm as her heart pounded in her chest. Kuki only stared, feeling completely lost. Her boyfriend was _drugged, _and now he'd been _shot at? _She couldn't hold back the anger that flowed through her, the protection she felt towards her man- aimed at his brother, the one who had caused him so much hurt, now putting him in so much danger. She felt Wallabee's fingers graze hers, and she held onto him, almost afraid to hear the almost casual conversation going on.

"And _Jay?" _Trent snarled, his tired grey eyes wide with fear. "He's there too?"

Dingo's lips twisted awkwardly, looking towards the floor. He already knew it had sunk in- how completely screwed they all seemed to be. Dread could be compared to a naked flame- a burning fire ready to destroy everything in sight until he got what he wanted- but Jayden, he could only be labelled as the fuel that fanned the flames. If they were both here already, they were already steps ahead. Dodge's heart pounded in his ears, unable to concentrate.

"Yeah." Dingo eventually growled. "Both of them tried their best to put some bullets in me."

Jake looked bitter, and threw Dingo a filthy look.

"I didn't shoot back." Dingo's lips curled into a defensive snarl. "I bolted the fuck out of there!"

"They didn't get where we live, did they?" Trent asked him, his eyes wide. "Did you see if they had Bandit?"

Dingo shook his head sadly, all of them seeing the sorrow in his face. "Bet he does- he seemed smug enough..." He sighed. "And that's why we're here. They're hunting down the girls." His head jolted in Abby's direction. Her mouth was open.

"_Excuse me?" _She hissed. Dingo attempted to shake her off again.

"We gotta hunt them down- get 'em back before they do anymore damage. Bet someone paid them off- they're getting back into bounty hunting I bet. We gotta beat 'em to it before they hit the house, or worse."

"Are you _serious?"_ Allie suddenly snarled, finally finding her voice as she stomped up to her oldest son. Dingo jumped, gaping at her as though he just realised she was there. "You can't burst in there _hunting _for these maniacs!Are you INSANE? Go to the police!"

"We can't!" Dingo snarled back at her, his cheeks flushing at her protectiveness. Jake frowned too, his arms folding across his chest.

"It ain't that simple, Allie."

"So you _approve _of this?" She rounded on him, her eyes narrowed. "Is that how you handle these _normal _situations back home, Jake? HUNT THEM DOWN?"

Jake stepped back, his arms going up in a somewhat surrender. Allie looked livid, and Derek quickly stepped in, his hands going to her forearms and directing her into the kitchen before she could explode any more. It was about time he took charge, and he gave Jake a stern snarl that even Jake winced at.

"Allie- get in the kitchen_. _We'll discuss this civilly. Jake- make the first sensible decision of your life and join me in the kitchen for a chat, will you? Wallabee- go upstairs and lie down. Kuki you go with him. If he needs to be watched, and if he needs to go to hospital he'll go- no arguments. Abby-"

He paused after ushering Allie out of sight, giving the girl an unreadable glance. She stiffened. "You...go right on ahead."

With that he disappeared, Jake wordlessly following him with a resentful snarl. Dingo gaped at him, hardly daring he actually _gave in. _But with a pained groan he turned to see his girl fuming at him, her foot tapping angrily against the ground. Kuki quickly went to to grab at her own boyfriend's hand, dragging him towards the stairs to his room. He gave a light groan, but quickly relented. His head was beginning to throb again, and at so late at night (or early in the morning, he couldn't even keep up) the only thing he could think to do was collapse in bed and hold his girlfriend close until she fell asleep.

Dingo could feel Abby's eyes practically burning into his scalp, and he glanced hopefully at Trent and Dodge, his gaze pleading, but they quickly headed into the living room. No way were they about to deal with her wrath- they had enough to think about. Dingo scowled after them, pouting, before reluctantly turning to look into her dark chestnut eyes, glimmering with anger as she looked up at him, her arms folded over her basketball-sized stomach.

"Now, Babe..." he cooed, giving her a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay, just-"

"_Just what is going ON!" _Abby snarled at him angrily, stabbing him in the chest with her finger. He winced, backing away, but Abby hadn't even begun.

"You carry me out of my house like it's on FIRE, then you say people are after you? They want to KILL you! And what's this about FANNY? Is she in danger? What's going on? You aren't serious are you? About going after them? What the hell? You're saying _I'm _in danger? What about the baby? What about-"

"_Babe, lemme explain!" _Dingo's loud groans overwhelmed her rant, and Abby reluctantly silenced, settling instead for a threatening glare. Dingo gulped. He didn't want to ever break this news to her, but she was right- there was more at stake than his pride, he had a girl and a baby to think about now. He winced as he attempted to think up the right words, and instead settled on pulling her into the living room to sit her down on a couch. He summed up all of the energy he had, and whirled around to face the mother of his child.

"_Abby..." _He began, and Dodge and Trent had to roll their eyes at the old look that was on his face. They recognised it immediately. The two exchanged looks- grey meeting blue- as if inwardly betting if this would actually work. It had a random success pattern.

...

"_I swear, Miss Lilley..." Dingo gazed up at his kindergarten teacher with huge, pleading emerald eyes. He shuffled his sneakers innocently, one finger hooked worryingly in his bottom lip. "I didn't mean to hit Trent, it was a-a accident..." _

"_I swear, D-Dread..." Dingo blinked innocently with those wide eyes at the now fuming older brother of his best friend, who at that moment didn't care that the brat was only eight. "I didn't throw it...It wasn't me..."_

"_I promise, Sir..." 12 -year old Dingo whimpered at the store manager, all the while he dangled a bunch of merchandise in front of those puppy dog eyes "I don't know how they got in my bag...I didn't put them there..."_

"_Officer, it's not what it seems..." The 16 year old mumbled to the police officer in front of him. His emerald eyes were widening with every word, and he hastily held the beer bottle in his hand behind his back. "I'm 18, I swear-"_

"_Dad." He pouted, blinking sweetly. All those times... Trent and Dodge couldn't even count how many he'd given the same pathetic look to his own father. "You trust me, right?"_

_And out of all those instances, only _one_ person was immune._

"_Fuck off!" Jake would always snarl at his son, sometimes smacking him across the head for good measure whenever Dingo gave him 'that look'. "That worked when you were TWO!" _

_..._

Dodge and Trent both shared a brief thought of whether this time it would work with Abby. She was smart and most of the time she was unwilling to deal with Dingo's crap- which had come as great attributes to have in dealing with the usually emotionally-stunted troublemaker. But, on the other hand...she was still with him. She still put up with the majority of his antics.

Dingo's eyes widened pathetically, those wide deep green eyes dewing with innocence. His bottom lip even stuck out slightly, the cute pout adding to the look he'd perfected over the years. Abby's eyebrows rose suspiciously, but her expression remained expectant. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, rapid and humming like a drum-roll. Her baby was kicking like mad, almost as if it was reflecting his own mother's impatience. She folded her arms (with difficulty) and rested them on her bulging belly as she relaxed into the sofa cushions.

"Okay...well..." He began loftily, innocently. "We had a bit of trouble back home..."

"Cut the crap, Dingo." Abby barked at him, and Trent and Dodge exchanged grim smirks as Dingo only gaped, completely taken aback that his regular approach didn't work. "And just tell me the blunt truth. What happened back home. Why you ended up here. And why you- and me- are suddenly in danger. You owe me that."

"Fine." Dingo pouted, looking sulky. The last thing he wanted was to admit to Abby his past wrongdoings, and the fact it could affect her and his unborn child. He didn't want to tell her she could be unsafe because of him- when all he wanted was to keep her safe. In fact, what he wanted was to tell her to stay put just because he said so- and that's final. But he had more chance of pigs flying than that ever happening when it came to Abby. No way was she going to let _that _fly. He sighed, finally giving in. _"Fine." _

* * *

The three cousins immediately stiffened, and Bandit could see the look of panic on their faces. He could sense the weakness- the power balance- already, and as he trembled on the floor, surrounded by those who a few seconds ago were ready to kill him, he felt the heavier side of power at that moment. He stared up innocently at the figure above him- cerulean eyes flashing as he tried to subdue his twitches.

"_I'm FUCKIN' serious man! Where the FUCK did he go?"_

"_How should I know!"_

"_FUCK!"_

"What _now?" _Ethan hissed at his brother. "We gotta fuckin' explain why we don't trust 'em? We're payin' these assholes you know!"

"_He's not gonna be happy..." _Bandit muttered, bringing his knees to his chest as he took in a shaky breath.

"Shut up!" Steven snarled at him hatefully, grabbing him again to glare into his face. Bandit looked away, letting out a small whimper. He hated being outnumbered. Usually he could fight for himself, but right then he would give anything for a little support, someone to fight next to.

Steven narrowed his eyes protectively. He wasn't about to let this _snag _affect everything he'd built. Especially coming from a pathetic _junkie. _He tilted his head with suspicion, taking in the snivelling mess in front of him.

"Why are you so fucking important?" He asked lowly. "What do they want you for?"

Bandit winced at that, feeling immediately put out. Despite the swirling sensation in his head, the itchiness in his skin and the genuine sickness and craving for any substance to calm him down, he found himself finding it easier to concentrate on this new enemy. He shrunk away, anger and hurt e ebbing through him as he continued to tremble.

Sandy saw the change- he saw the flash within those ocean blue eyes that something in him had been disturbed. He still carried the same pathetic, drug-addled look of desperation, but there was defiance in his face- like his cousin had definitely tweaked a nerve.

"I-I-I'm _valuable." _Bandit hissed angrily, staring up at the leering figure above him. His throat tightened and his head throbbed steadily, a cold sweat coated his skin and he curled up tighter. "And y-you better lemme g-go, it's j-just gonna get worse for you-"

"We're _paying _these fuckers to find you and your _pathetic drug gang!" _Steven growled, grabbing a handful of hair. Bandit yelped. "After what you did to my cousin, you and your friends deserve everything you GET!"

"W-We didn't do _anything!" _Bandit suddenly screamed, fire igniting within him. "H-He came to us! We didn't force anything on him! We're only there to supply the shit! Not force it down his throat! He didn't pay up!"

"You _pathetic fuck!" _Steven made a fist, and before anybody could blink he'd slammed it directly into those wide blue eyes. Mitch stood, the chair crashing to the floor.

"Don't-!"

Bandit cried out, his hands going to his face as his legs jumped into action- kicking out at his assailant before he could fully register the pain. Sandy leaped to his feet too- his eyes widening with alarm. None of them were expecting _that... _or what happened next.

"DREAD!" Bandit screamed as loud as his lungs could allow. He let out a strangled cry as he continued to kick and flail, pain now soaring through his body. "DREAD! DREAD! DREAD! DREEEEAAAAAD!"

...

Downstairs, Dread suddenly stiffened as he rolled off the bed, his eyes narrowing as a familiar voice screamed for him. He felt the anger already burning swell within him, tightening in his chest. He stomped out into the hall and glared at the stairway, his black eyes dangerously flat- like smouldering coal pits. The glare was challenging as he listened for any other pleas, before giving a deadly snarl.

"BANDIT!" He screamed back at him. Jayden appeared behind him cautiously, his own eyes narrowed and his fingers stroking at the blade of his knife. Dread paused, before going to shove two fingers in his mouth, giving a shrill, loud whistle that pierced through the air and echoed through the house. "COME!"

"_You really think your pet's that well trained?" _Jayden snarled at him.

...

Bandit whimpered as a hand clamped around his lips, and Steven pinned him down as he listened out for any more noise, his own face crinkled with confusion. He was tense, everybody on the upper level was. Bandit groaned with discomfort, wriggling away from the powerful hold. At that point he would give anything just to crawl away from this horrible situation- even if it was with his tail between his legs.

"_Let him go!" _Mitch hissed at Steven, narrowing his eyes. "We don't need any shit with these guys!"

"Why should I?" Steven snarled back, his hands still firm on his captive. Bandit only shook, feeling truly torn apart. He longed for someone he could predict. "_We _own these guys! We paid for their fucking trip here!"

"Just give him back so they can keep going with it!" Mitch insisted. "The less drama the better!"

"They already got one in only a week..." Ethan reminded him sternly. "Whatever they're doing is working. Let him go back- especially when he obviously likes it so much."

Bandit winced at that.

"I-I think that's a good idea..." Sandy suggested meekly, his eyes widening. "I dunno why, but they seem kinda defensive about this one-"

"_BANDIT!" _The fierce scream echoed through the house once more, causing all five of them to jump. Dread's voice could be eerily deafening.

"Lemme go!" Bandit pleaded, moaning and kicking weakly against his captor. "I don't wanna be here no' more...lemme go-"

"We got _nothing _out of you!" Steven snarled down at him hatefully. "What makes you think I'll let you do _anything?"_

"I know where Mushi is..." Bandit whimpered back, batting those eyes innocently. "I can show you if you lemme go...I promise!"

"_I'M COUNTING TO THREE!" _They heard him scream up the stairs once more. _"IF I FUCKING GET TO THREE I'M SPLATTERING BRAINS, I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD-"_

"_He'll do it..." _Bandit told him, his eyes wide. Steven only tightened his grip. He was strong and determined, but he was also prideful- and he wasn't going to let this situation out of his control.

"We need info." He growled to Bandit once more. "You tell us what we need to know, we'll let you go-"

"_ONE!"_

Bandit looked up from the floor, his pale skin shone sickly in the light, a slight sheen of sweat shimmering over his face. His ocean eyes had paled, and his lips were shaking as he took in a strangled breath.

"I'm not a good enemy to h-have..." Bandit hissed. "I-I know, I'm fucked n-now, but y-you gotta trust me, ju-just lemme go-"

"_TWO!"_

Ethan appeared behind his older cousin, clapping his shoulder as his eyes narrowed in a strict glare. The family had been through thick and thin together, they had tackled their problems and always been there for each other... but times were different- the cousins feared if they kept pushing their luck with their family bonds someone would break them up- and Ethan had a bad feeling about their current captor.

"Let this one go..." He hissed to him. "We'll do better watching 'em from a distance, anyway."

Steven gave a resentful snarl as he finally retracted his fist, letting Bandit fall to the ground. He slumped onto the ground, smacking his skull in the process. His vision blurred as his head throbbed with a new ache, he saw feet appear in front of him again, and Steven's shoe buried into his shoulder blades, pushing him down into the floor. Bandit pushed back, but was only shoved down with more force.

"_Your friends are gonna fuckin' pay, just like you are..." _Steven snarled to him, keeping his foot in place. _"You might as well just give up them now..."_

Bandit heard loud thumps coming up the staircase from his position on the floor. He groaned, squirming again. Tears burst in his eyes and dripped onto the ground, his skull pulsating with pain.

"_They've got no other use for you... have they?"_

"**THREE!"**

The door burst open and Dread stood in the doorway, his chest heaving and his eyes wild. Narrowing in on the pathetic figure on the floor, he made a beeline like a bull heading for a waving red flag. He was yanked back by Jayden, who followed him close behind. He fought back before Jayden shoved him aside, steel grey eyes cold.

"The fuck is going on?" He demanded of the oldest- marching over without another thought. "The fuck you stealing our witnesses for, huh?" He paused, regarding the raven-haired boy on the floor with a disgusted glance. "Or did the little bitch escape?"

"Nothing to worry you." Steven snarled back, his foot still firmly in place. Dread trembled at seeing that- every inch of his being wanted to lash out. Bandit whimpered as more pressure was applied, his fingers shaking on the cold floor as he tried to fight back. Jayden had the sudden urge to step on them. "Just a little cross-examination."

"_Cross Examination!" _Dread charged at him and Jayden threw an arm out, holding the now rabid Dread back. He shoved him to the side with a warning glare, and Dread panted as he issued him with a hateful snarl. "Give him _back_!"

"Why?" Steven challenged back, raising his eyebrows. "He's a part of the gang that you're hunting, ain't he? Why don't you kill the fucking bitch and reign the rest in with his corpse? That's your _job, _isn't it?"

"Look, mate..." Jayden snarled, before giving Dread a threatening glare, "We're here to do a job, and we've been pretty fucking good at it for the time we've been here. You let us do our job, we'll let you do yours."

Jayden was stern in his glare, but underneath those steel eyes lay promise of further violence and pain if compliance wasn't met- and Steven could see it. He may not be obviously dangerous like the feral hyena Dread was right beside him- but he was cool and calculative, and ready to take down anyone that stood in his way. Under those mis-matched locks of red and brown, Jayden gave Steven such a look that Steven actually released his hold on Bandit and stepped back, regarding the hunter with a seemingly careless glance.

"Just get it done."

"Understood."

There was a chilling silence as the four family members filed out, Sandy with a wide-eyed, frightened glance at Dread, who was still panting. Those wild black eyes were narrowed on him as he left with his cousins, and he could feel Dread's murderous thoughts aimed at him. Somehow he _knew, _Sandy could feel it, that he was why Bandit was lured up there. Dread gave a final snarl as the door closed, and stomped over to stare at Bandit coldly.

"This is what happens when you run away from me."

Bandit recoiled at that, his body throbbing with agony and hurt. He was cold and stiff, with new aches and pains echoing through his body every second. He was so weak and exhausted he only desired numbness- a break from all this woe. Mustering the strength to get up, he choked out a few feeble coughs as he rolled onto his side, looking up at his captor with new earnest hope.

"I di- I didn't run..." He rasped out, his throat singing with every word. He coughed again, his chest heaving. "I swear I didn't."

"You _swear?" _Dread sneered at him, his eyes flashing with distrust.

"I promise." He whimpered back, eyes wide. "You-You gotta b-believe me..."

Dread didn't answer, he only leaned down and grabbed a fistful of Bandit's shirt, yanking him up before Bandit could protest. His eyes were wide with fear, he always worried when Dread had that look that showed no expression or feeling- just blank, black eyes. He pulled him towards the stairs and dragged him back to the basement without another word. Bandit only shrunk behind him, his shaky legs constantly tripping and stumbling. Dread forced open his door and threw Bandit inside, closing the door behind them both. Bandit sat in the dim light, trembling at the fear welling within him. He could only hear Dread shuffling- then the click of a lighter.

He looked over to see Dread's face illuminated and an eerily calm expression in place. A flame flickered underneath his face, and those eyes- like tar- were empty and endless as the orange light danced off the lighter. Bandit looked down at the flame, and recoiled in alarm, scampering across the bed groggily.

"Dread- no. I can't. Please-"

"You got no choice. I've fucking waiting too long." Dread snarled at him, and Bandit's stomach clenched horribly as he stared at that flame the shimmer of the metallic spoon in Dread's other hand, and the liquid inside it sat innocently simmering at the flaming heat of the lighter. Bandit faltered, beginning to tremble again.

"I can't...Please Dread..." His eyes were wide, the flame flickering against the light of those watery eyes. "Don't make me."

The two watched as the liquid began to simmer, little bubbles appearing, and the lighter flicked off. A piece of cotton was stuck inside, soaking up the stuff. Bandit shuffled back as Dread pulled out the final tool. He loaded up the syringe, his eyes narrowing.

"_Please no, please-"_

Dread was too quick, and he grabbed at Bandit's thin arm and yanked him forward, Bandit jolting across the bed. The tears welled up again, and he tried to pull away, but Dread's grip crushed him like a vice- and his thin arm was open for all to see. He pulled and yanked, even pushing out his tired legs against his ex's grip- but Dread only slid him closer, fingers digging into his thin forearm.

"_DREAD!" _Bandit squeaked, chest now jerking with panicked breaths and sobs. He babbled anything that seemed to make sense, he was so afraid. "I-I never had cooked b-before, y-you can't- d-DON'T DO THIS!" he writhed and kicked, Dread's grip only tightening. "Look- I-I-I- I'm begging you-" He sobbed as he tried to reason, wrestling to get his arm back. "STOP!"

Dread snapped, and launched across the mattress before Bandit could do more than flinch. Dread spread his legs, trapping the weaker male underneath him. He held the syringe like a knife in his fist, leering over him in anger.

"FUCKING SIT STILL BAMBI!" Dread spat in his face as Bandit was pushed into the sunken mattress, sobbing and now struggling to breathe as he sucked up his sobs, still feebly kicking and fighting. With one hand held down the needlepoint was held inches from his face. He stilled, shaking and crying. "_Or I swear to God..." _He snarled into his face, those black eyes unforgiving. "I'll put this fucking needle in your eye!"

Bandit panted, looking up at the boy who was straddling him. His chest rose and fell harshly as he tried to catch his breath. He swallowed his fears and blinked away his tears.

"Dread..." He made one last plea. "I don't wanna do this...I-I quit. A long t-time ago. I can't do it again. Please don't-"

Dread tightened his grip on his arm, causing the veins to rise.

"Think you can quit on me, baby?" Dread hissed in his ear. _"I won't ever let you quit on me!"_ and without warning he stabbed the needle into Bandit's skin, pinning him down as the substance was pushed in.

Bandit's face, open with fear, froze. His ocean blue eyes rolled into the back of his head, the warmth and sickly thickness ebbing through his arm and filling the rest of his body. A long groan escaped his lips as numbness took over, the familiar tingling, euphoric sensations sending warm pulses all through his body. He felt warm, he felt full. His blood tickled and his skin was soft and fluffy, his mind was pleasantly empty. He stared vacantly into Dread's face, his eyes flickering as the irises turned a murky, cloudy blue. His brow furrowed with slight confusion as the drug took over, and his lips parted. He looked suddenly drowsy and sluggish.

"_Dread..." _He whimpered softly to him. He sounded needy. "I don't want-"

"_Shh..." _Dread cooed in his ear, leaning forward as he rubbed the needle mark, blood smearing on his thumb. He stabbed too hard. "It's okay, Baby...I'm here..."

"Mm..." Bandit's eyes drooped, but his shaking had stopped. He looked ready to pass out, the pain in his body had somehow been numbed. His grip slackened on Dread's hold, and Dread gave a small smile, his face lowering onto his. His lips brushed over Bandit's bruised ones. Bandit couldn't feel the kiss, he could only feel warmth and softness. Tingles were sent down his spine as Dread began to nibble on his lips. His eyes flickered open, and very slowly he began to kiss back, settling into this warm, fuzzy setting that was all too familiar. Dread's lips on his, Dread's tongue dipping into his dry mouth... It was all like a hazy dream...

Dread reluctantly rose from his position, gazing down at his limp angel. Bandit's petite figure was sprawled out on the sheets, wilted. His glistening dull eyes were half lidded, and his usually wild hair hung around his face. His pale skin shone in the dim lights of the room. Bandit blinked lazily, his lips trembling from the kiss. Before he knew it Dread's fingers were clasped around the zipper of his thin hoodie, and he was dragging down the zipper- slowly, tooth by tooth- to reveal his slender, pale chest.

He pushed the article of clothing aside, and before he knew it Bandit looked down to see his torso was lined with a small stream of white power, pushed into place with Dread's delicate fingers. His black eyes watched him coldly, leaning down for another smooth, gentle kiss before lowering his head. His black hair softly tickled his skin, and Bandit gave a shy moan as he felt Dread's skin against his- snorting up the powder on his skin.

Dread sniffed, raising his head to gaze into Bandit's face. His eyes were alight and glassy, tiny smears of powder still clinging onto his nose. His head was sparking and spinning, his senses suddenly alight. His fingers dug into Bandit's skin, and a sly smirk stretched across his face.

"_I used to love it when we fucked on cocaine..." _he cooed in his ear, sticking a powder-coated finger between Bandit's lips. He sucked automatically. Dread rocked his hips against Bandit's- watching Bandit's lips and tongue coat the drug-coated digit. His eyes flashed, the ocean blue eyes darkening. "You wanna relive some old memories, Bambi?"

A foreign wave of lust washed over the dazed Bandit, and the words slid off his tongue before he even knew his mouth had opened.

"_I'm yours..."_

Dread grinned, nibbling on his bottom lip as his black eyes watched him hungrily, their hips rocking against each other. He was rewarded with another lazily groan. He leered over him, his fingers brushing over the zipper of his jeans. Bandit's mouth fell open, his head falling back. Dread's smirk resembled nothing less of a Cheshire cat, his fingers hooking into his jeans eagerly.

"I'm gonna make sure you don't fucking forget it, Baby."

* * *

Jake tapped at the table irritably, looking pouty. Having those harsh, lecturing eyes on him made him feel like he was back to being fourteen again, dragged in by the chief constable for being found sculling Jack Daniels in the parking lot, and his parents were giving him disapproving looks, not his brother...again.

"Mind explain what the fuck's going on, Jake?" Derek snarled at him, his eyebrows raised. "Why my son was drugged, and why this is suddenly a hideout zone?"

Jake rolled his own eyes, leaning back in his chair as he sighed. Like a trained politician, he knew how to stall. His mind clicked away at trying to come up with a good explanation, but even he came up with a blank. It was hard introducing others to a life only he and his knew...even though technically they were family- _how the fuck do you explain something like that?_

"All you need to know is, they're innocent." Jake said after a long pause, giving his brother a long, hard look. "D and his mates, they were- let's say- _witnesses _to a crime, and the real perps are out, and after the ones they care about."

Allie tilted her head, her emerald eyes widening with every word. It sounded like something out of one of those daytime soap operas she was guilty of watching. Derek, however, looked less than impressed, and only narrowed his eyes with his familiar suspicion.

"It can't be that simple, Jake..." He grumbled lowly, arms folding. "_It's never that fuckin' simple with you..." _He added darkly under his breath. Allie gave him an exasperated look. No matter what it was, the two brothers _had _to bicker- it was like a nervous twitch, or something. Sure enough, Jake's eyes narrowed at the challenging tone, and leaned back further in his chair. It was getting late and Allie was sure they would argue until morning. Rubbing her tired eyes, she stepped in before Jake could even open his mouth.

"What exactly do you expect us to do, Jake?" She asked straight up, her emerald eyes challenging. Both brothers recognised that look- it was the '_Don't give me crap, I'll bite your head off if I want'_ look, and it wasn't to be crossed. "You need this as a sort of 'safe house?' I want to do what I can for Dingo, especially if he and Abby are in danger, but if you're going to be this vague-"

"Just trust me on this." Jake stood, giving her a hard look. "It'll be sorted within the week, I promise. And nobody will get hurt, as long as everyone just stays put as we'll take care of it."

"_Take care of it_?" Derek snarled, looking sceptical. Jake glared.

"_Without fatality." _Jake scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Look, the more people are involved the more you're threatened. It's an unpredictable situation, but easily solved. We just don't want anyone hurt." He turned to the blonde woman, giving her the first sincere look of the night. "I really don't, Allie. That's why I want Dingo here- they're all like my kids, and if any of them get hurt I'll never let it go..." he shook his head, heaving a sigh.

For the first time in...ever, Allie actually saw Jake look _old_- like he wasn't a kid anymore. He looked tired and almost beaten, his shoulders sagged and his stubble showed against his pale skin. He looked depressed.

"_This is a game to them..."_ he snarled, more to himself than anyone else. "And the rules are only being written now..."

"Whoever these guys are, I think it's better if the police deal with them." Derek snarled sensibly, his hands on his hips. Jake rolled his eyes.

"Please, Leyla's devil offspring has never been much of a threat to _me."_

With that, he turned and strolled back into the living room, looking troubled. Allie and Derek stared after him in shock, both lost at what to say.

* * *

"I can't believe you kept this from me." Abby huffed angrily as she again tried to push past him, but despite being particularly fit and strong for a pregnant woman Dingo still barred her from the door, giving her a narrowed yet hopeful look out of those deep emerald eyes. "Get out of my way." She growled angrily, her hands on hips.

He had to admit, she looked scary. The usually sweet, smirking face was tainted with an angry growl, her eyes were bloodshot and she looked tired- but her body was tense and her hands were clenched. She stood tall and proud- glaring up at him angrily with blazing brown eyes. She had already proven she was not one to be messed with- and the late trimester pregnancy hormones hardly helped.

"Babe, you gotta stay here." Dingo attempted to reason with her. "I know it's a lot to take in, and I know you don't need this-"

"_Damn right _I don't NEED IT!" She snarled angrily, her finger jabbing into his chest. Dingo gave her an apologetic look, his bottom lip pouting pathetically. "You tell me I can't be in my own freakin' house, because apparently some _psychos _could be after me, because of something _you _did, so now I have to stay in my own _ex-boyfriend's _house without knowing what the Hell is going on! AND to top it off- I have to pee every five minutes, I can't sleep, I feel like I weigh four hundred pounds, AND my own son KICKS me when I'm down! NON STOP!"

"I-I-I'm sorry!" He scoffed, completely bewildered at what to say. He knew it was a lot to take in, but the _last _thing he wanted was to lose her. He was desperate to keep her safe as well as happy."I- I didn't mean- Babe, you gotta understand that- like- I didn't mean to-"

"UGH!" Abby let out a small frustrated scream, her hands curling into fists as she stomped her feet, before retreating back to the bed behind her. They were in the spare room, and she was at least thankful if she was held up in this house she at least had a bed to herself. It was hard enough sleeping. She wanted to flop onto the bed, but knowing she couldn't she simply lowered herself slowly- while still looking menacing as she glared at her boyfriend, her eyes darkening dangerously. She crossed her arms angrily over her enlarged chest.

"I _know _you don't need this, baby..." He tried again, approaching her with caution. She eyed him beadily as he sat down beside her- carefully watching for any sudden movements. He bit his lip nervously. "I feel like shit for putting this on you- serious. I-If it was my way you'd be in my bed and I'd be fetching you any food you crave for, rubbing your feet and shit-" He snarled at her doubting glare. "It's true!"

Despite her raging annoyance at the father of her child, Abby's exhaustion got the better of her and she shifted herself onto the pillows, sinking into the soft cotton and shoving her foot on his lap with intended force. She gave him a pointed look as he only rolled his eyes, obliging with the unspoken request.

"Abby Baby, I only wanna take care of you..." He mumbled, fumbling at her feet on his lap. "I want to make sure both my babies are safe. Maybe there is nothing to worry about- but I can't take the risk. If anything happened to you or Bubs I..." He broke off, his throat all of a sudden becoming too constricted to form proper words. He felt tears pool behind his eyes but he willed them away, wincing. _"Dunno what I'd do..." _

Abby lowered her gaze, her chest heaving as she sighed. As she lay back further, she marvelled at how big her stomach had gotten over the last few weeks. It seemed like only a few days ago she was sobbing in Dingo's flat- too horrified to even believe the possibility she was pregnant. Now the secret that held them together had grown, and Abby placed her hands across her stomach lovingly. She could feel the baby moving almost every moment- it was an energetic, feisty little thing that seemed to kick harder whenever she tried to sleep. She tickled her tanned stomach, her own heart thumping hard at the words.

Dingo had a past. She was well aware of that. Abby really didn't process the actual effects being in a relationship with Dingo would have on her life- she had to admit getting with Dingo was what she wanted at the time, so she went for it. She never expected to fall in love with her ex's brother, a complete stranger with a dodgy past. But she had. She wanted a future with the boy before her, and if it meant taking a little extra heat she'd take it. She couldn't be angry over something that happened in his past, especially something he couldn't control.

"...I've been thinking of names..." she finally mumbled, her hands on her stomach. Dingo looked up, those deep grass green eyes wide.

"Really?"

"Yeah..." Abby gave him a sheepish smile. It was silly to think of something so petty with much more serious things were going on with her baby, she thought. But it gave her comfort to think that the tiny demonic kicking machine in her stomach (that felt so heavy it was like carrying around a bowling ball that constantly punched) would soon be a part of her world. Dingo's hands joined hers- their fingers connecting over her swollen stomach. Her smile widened. "I think he needs a feisty name to match his personality."

"He's gonna be a fighter like his dad." Dingo smirked, the words warming him. Everyone knew just from seeing him he was exactly like his own father, and he secretly hoped his own son will be a miniature version of him, too. "He needs a fighter name! Let's name him Stricken."

"_Stricken?" _Abby repeated, eyebrows rising. "No."

"C'mon..." Dingo grinned. "Nobody's gonna mess with _Stricken!"_

Abby glared.

"Fine..." Dingo pouted. "Wolf."

"I'm not having a family of dogs!" She scoffed. "_One _canine name is enough!"

"I don't want a wussy name!" Dingo declared. "Kane?"

"Aw, I like that!" Abby's smile lit up. "I could nickname him Candy Kane!"

"Then _no." _Dingo grumbled at her. "You're not ruining my tough names!"

Abby rolled her eyes, smirking to herself. "I want a 'D' name..." She admitted, shrugging. Dingo tilted his head.

"Why?"

"The firstborns in your family seem to share that letter." She shrugged. "Besides, then you can share nicknames."

"Ha ha." Dingo smirked. Their eyes locked, and he leaned down to kiss at her stomach, hugging her closer. "Little D it is then."

"Yeah..." Abby scoffed as she could feel her baby winding her again, kicking out as it rolled within her. Her baby was feisty, that's for sure, and both parents couldn't wait to have him in their arms... "D Day."

* * *

Rachel winced as a loud ringing broke through her sweet slumber, shaking her awake at what she knew was an ungodly hour. Hesitantly she peeled her eyes open, hazily glaring around at her boyfriend's room as his phone continued to ring.

"_Ugh..." _She heard him grunt in annoyance, his arms leaving her as he rolled over to snatch up his phone. Blissfully the piercing ring halted, and Rachel's head sunk heavily back into her pillow, her eyes closing again.

"_Wait, what happened? Is he okay?"_

Her eyes snapped open again at Nigel's worried tone. Usually so calm and in control, that tone alone was enough to snap her out of her daze and roll over, her eyes now wide and alert. Nigel was propped up on his elbow, his other hand against his face and his brow deeply furrowed. His eyes darkened as Rachel could hear the voice on the other end of the line rambling incoherently. She bit her lip. Something _had _to be wrong.

"Fanny? Wait- where is she?" Nigel snapped into the phone.

She sat up higher, her lip drooping. _Fanny? _Fear gripped at her chest and she pushed away her blankets, her eyes wide. If something had happened to her best friend...

"Okay...okay..." Nigel muttered briskly into the phone, his confidence returning after the initial shock. His heart hammered in his ears, and his stomach clenched as though he was going to be sick, but he managed to reach over and hold Rachel's hand reassuringly, the blonde already paling. "We'll be right there, don't worry."

He hung up, and before Rachel could ask he turned to her, his lips twisting into a sheepish grimace. Rachel's heart sank. "Something's happened to Patton...and Fanny's missing."

* * *

Dodge and Trent solemnly watched as Jake stomped off, unsure as to whether he was coming back. Both were used to Jake taking charge when situations got rough, but truthfully they never thought he'd have to take the reins again- the gang now grown into adults. Dodge buried his forehead into his knees, his heart racing. Faintly he felt Trent's hand on his shoulder, and he resisted the primal urge to shove it off.

"How do you deal with it, Bro?" He eventually mumbled into his jeans, sounding completely miserable. "Cherry could be out there- she could be hurt, and it's all cause of _me... _how did this not fucking get to me before?"

Dodge sounded completely defeated, and it cut into Trent to hear his friend so hurt. He bit his lip as he tried to put aside his own thoughts to sort out the guy who usually sorted everybody else's problems.

"Bandit... I'm fucking losing it with him not here." Trent confessed, his heart heavy as he slackened on the couch beside his friend. The house was silent, but they predicted many arguments were arising. Right now they had their own drama to sort. "But I gotta not think of the worst- I know you think it prepares you but it's shit, man. I gotta think of the strong Bandit I know, the Bandit I know will get through this."

Dodge rose his head, and Trent swallowed hard as he saw the tears running down his friend's cheeks- his tanned face a blotchy red and his icy blue irises clashing with the clear bloodshot of his eyes.

Dodge knew he was about to lose it if he didn't gain control soon. He could feel his shakes return, his heartbeat pick up again as he tried to forget the danger his girlfriend was in- the lure of their past returning. He turned to his friend desperately, trying so hard to grip onto the ledge of logic while he wanted so desperately to let go...

"It's my fault, Trent." He croaked, his eyes dropping. "This whole gang, this whole fucking mess- I never meant to drag her in... but if I'd been honest with her, what if Dread wants to-" He winced, his eyes snapping shut. "_Nothing _is stopping him from slitting her throat, Trent-"

"Don't think like that." Trent suddenly snapped firmly. He gripped his arm hard, dragging Dodge back to him any way he could. He needed him back. The whole gang did. "You know your brother, I know mine. And we both know where the control is."

Dodge scoffed, glaring hard. Trent only narrowed his eyes, his stomach clenching as a hopeful realisation dawned on him. His steely grey eyes hardened, and his hands- buried in his lap- became tight fists. Dodge swallowed hard, sniffling as he straightened to stare his friend in the eye. Trent's lips twitched as he remembered back to his brother- and the secret he would never forget.

"When it comes down to it, Jayden and Dread are dangerous together. But I got a piece of info that can rip them apart...I got a plan that will destroy them. For good."

* * *

It took all of Wallabee's energy not to let his eyelids win in the battle to keep them open. His head was heavy and swimming, sinking further and further into his pillow with every breath he took. Kuki's smooth fingers stroked at his forehead, and the sensation alone made him almost drift away. The way the moonlight reflected on her angelic face, the way her body pressed against his as they snuggled together on his childhood bed- it was the greatest feeling of warmth and love, and despite all of the trauma and conflict around them, the couple felt whole. Like they were the only ones that mattered in the entire world. A soft whisper broke the silence.

"_Wallabee?"_

"Hm?" Wallabee grunted back, raising those heavy eyelids to gaze into her own wide violet eyes.

Kuki hesitated. She'd been thinking of the subject for quite some time now, and even though her nature with Wallabee had grown more confident over the months they had dated, she was still reluctant to vocalise her feelings. She hated bringing it up- it shouldn't be this hard, but every time the thought entered her mind her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Gazing into her boyfriend's face, after he'd been through so much and kept going just to protect her, she knew if now wasn't the right time...there would be no right time.

"I've been thinking about..." She sighed, snuggling into his chest. "About...you know...making our relationship..._official."_

Wallabee frowned as he rested his chin against his girlfriend's head, her soft hair like silk against his skin. "What do you mean Kooks? I thought we were...'official'?"

Kuki's blush deepened so much it seemed to glow in the dark, and Wally couldn't resist smirking at the cute sight. His girlfriend could be so adorable in his eyes. "I..." She gave an embarrassed scoff, looking anywhere but his face. "I mean...you know...the _sex_ thing."

"The se- _oh..." _The sheepish blush was now creeping up Wallabee's neck, and his eyes widened as it suddenly clicked in his mind. The aftermath of the drugs may have made him hazy, but bringing up a seemingly forbidden subject almost caused him to sit bolt upright in his bed. Instead he just stared, stumped at what to say.

Ever since the tender conversation about he and Abby's intimacies, the sex topic hadn't been brought up with his girlfriend- and Wallabee surprised himself by not really caring. He and Abby had been pretty passionate when it came to their relationship, and he was positive towards the end all it was with Abby was physical, but when he hugged Kuki close, talked to her about anything, held her hand, kissed her, she fell asleep in his arms... it was all so fulfilling for him he seemed to forget about waiting for her. It didn't seem to matter, it was special and intimate enough for him. But now he was alert, and images were already filling his mind.

Kuki clearing her throat brought him back to Earth.

"I just...think I'm ready...to you know, try it." She gave him a shy smile, still staring at the bedsheets rather than his face. "Not right now, I'd rather wait until you're better, but-"

"As long as you're sure, Kooks..." He murmured softly, combing his fingers through her soft hair. Kuki looked up, and was relieved to see his reassuring smile in place. "I don't want to force you into anything, I love you no matter what."

Kuki beamed and snuggled into his chest, fisting his shirt as she closed her eyes. Wallabee relaxed into her soft scent, holding her tight as his fingers stroked her skin and hair. It was so peaceful between them- no drama, no conflict, no fighting...it was perfect, and Wally was positive he'd grown so accustomed to Kuki's love he knew he couldn't be without it.

His nose crinkled as he thought back to the night's events- how scared Dingo had been and how desperate he was to protect Abby and his family- what Dodge looked like when Fanny was taken from him, how destroyed Trent was- he didn't want that to happen, his heart tightened in his chest at the thought of Kuki taken from him. He knew he had to step up to protect her, he wanted this more than anything.

He kissed the top of the now sleeping girl's forehead, his mind ticking away as the night flowed into morning.

* * *

Leyla watched the ginger-haired girl sleep, her chin balanced on her palm. She couldn't sleep, she could barely _think. _All that seemed to be running through her mind was that she was finally in the same location as her children were- and that was tearing her up inside. It had been so long since she saw them, hugged them, it secretly destroyed her.

_..._

_Leyla watched with wide, shy eyes as the guard eyed her beadily- waving a metal-detecting wand over her front and back over and over. His judging eyes were enough to send her to tears, but she held them in. She had faced many cruel glares in the past- and she was only just learning to take it in stride and stand strong. _

_As her mother constantly said to her-'it's about damn time'._

_She fidgeted as she waited, completely stumped at what to say. What was there to say? She was standing beside a woman she had previously known so well, they had shared canteen duty together, they had met and chatted at parties- over the screeching noises of their kids as they shared shopping tips. Now they were side by side- silent and still as they went through only the most intense security measures. _

_The woman beside her was scowling- her ginger hair tied into a messy bun and her sharp grey eyes narrowed. Even though she was a young mother, not even reaching her mid-40's yet, she had a few stress lines around her eyes and telltale smoker's lines around her thin lips- which were already pursed with irritation. _

"_Ma'm." The guard muttered to the redhead carefully. "Would you mind lifting your arms for me?"_

_She sneered at him- the regular facial expression she used against anyone with authority. "Fuckin' coppers..." She growled out, lifting her arms and rolling her eyes as she did so. _

_Leyla swallowed, her nerves firing up again. Her stomach seemed to tumble sickly, and she went back to fiddling again. Her fingers found her left ring finger, and numbly she rubbed the bare skin where her wedding ring usually sat. She really didn't want to be here- she only came for her baby, the last thing she wanted was to see her estranged husband in this godforsaken place. To think- her husband and her oldest baby in the same prison..._

"_They're ready for you..." The lead guard growled, opening the door. A long passageway was revealed- clean and bare with three chairs lined up facing a thick panel of glass, teamed with three phones lined up ready for use. The woman proceeded through- the redhead directed to the far chair while Leyla was pointed to the one closest through the door. She sat on the stiff plastic chair, her face still and blank. She tried hard to ignore the hefty security behind the glass, but it was hard. Her eyes were glued to the figure that appeared from behind the barred door, his wrists firmly secured by cuffs. His dark rust-coloured hair was littered with different streaks of colour, but it lay lank against his face- his cold grey eyes surveyed the scene darkly, his face sullen. She could faintly remember the same face 10 years younger, always smiling at her when he came to visit at her home. He was marched in, sitting opposite the redhaired woman and hesitantly picking up the phone to talk to her. He still looked menacing. She could tell his guard was up- his eyes flashed with anger and his nose wrinkled with discomfort. _

_He was never good at owing up to his mother. _

"_Well!" Leyla could hear the woman screech at him into the receiver. "Jayden Daniel Atwood- you've fucking done it THIS time, haven't you!"_

_Jayden gritted his teeth at her, and his lips moved furiously as he snarled a reply. She couldn't hear anything through the glass- but she could guess from the woman's reply. _

"_DON'T tell me how to react! YOU are the accomplice here! TEN FUCKING YEARS MINIMUM YOU'RE FACING!...DON'T TELL ME NOT TO YELL! I'LL YELL IF I FUCKING WANT TO!"_

_Leyla couldn't resist sneaking a glance at her- her face burning with guilty embarrassment. She felt thick with shame, and couldn't help but sink lower in her chair, her slim shoulders slumping sadly. The woman's mouth was open with shock, and it looked as though her son was screaming straight back at her- she could even hear tiny muffles through the glass as Jayden snapped and snarled, pointing a finger. _

"_THIS is what you do Jayden! You never take responsibility for your own actions! I don't CARE if you didn't pull the trigger! You and your fucked up lifestyle caused a young girl to DIE! Do you not get that! I gave birth to a killer, how do you think that makes me feel? And- Oh DO NOT say I am selfish, you bastard! You're just like your father!"_

"_Ma'm." The guard said to her softly, even his face showing some nervousness. "I'm afraid I'm going to ask you to calm down-"_

"_Bite me, Pig!" She snarled over her shoulder. "I'm having a conversation with my no good kid here!" She narrowed her eyes as she turned back to him, his shouts echoing through the phone she held to her ear. "You ARE a fucking kid!" She shouted back at him, not losing steam. "You're no more mature than a goddamn toddler! A complete failure at life! And- hey! Don't you walk away from me!"_

_Jayden had given her one last snarl, throwing the phone against the glass and jumping from his chair. Two guards immediately escorted him back to his cell, but not before he gave his mother a filthy snarl, yelling back at her words she couldn't hear. She jumped up too, the phone still clenched in her hand. _

"_YOU'RE OUT OF MY WILL!" She finished, throwing the phone down as well. With a final scoff she pulled her handbag up onto her shoulder, stomping up the hall with her nose in the air. Leyla watched her go, her expression still gloomy. She heaved a sigh, swallowing as she straightened her composure. Just as she gained enough courage to look up- her icy blue eyes met with familiar dark, black coal pits of eyes, staring at her through the glass. _

_The guard sat Dread down- and his eyes still never left his mother's. His expression was blank- as was hers- but she could see his familiar snarl in place, his lips curled into a dark grimace. She knew it well- she could remember when he could never be seen without a snarl...but she could also remember back to when he didn't use that facade- back when his eyes were wide and his face innocent...how she always saw him._

_She simply watched him, neither going to pick up the phone next to them. Dread seemed to shift in his seat, fidgeting the same way she had before. Her neutral expression was unnerving him- and her icy blue eyes could see right through his tough exterior. She could even see past those pitch black coal pits- the colour softening to a rare deep brown hue. And as he looked back into her face- she could see the fluorescent lights reflected in those dark pools...they were glassy. _

_The most feared guy in the neighbourhood- one who had coldly shot a young girl dead on that fateful night- the one that was up for second degree murder in his upcoming trial...still looked like a scared four year old to his young mother, and it killed him to know that she still brought out that hidden side of him- one he tried so hard to dig deeper into the ground to virtual non-existence...but everytime he thought he'd triumphed she dragged him back down to earth again._

_The bitch. _

_He couldn't stand those big icy blue eyes- even through the glass he could see they were sad, but still looked on at him with no fear and no shame- just the same love she always gave him no matter what he did. At six he'd purposely broken her window as punishment for giving him a younger brother, at eleven she had to pick him up from the store he shoplifted at, at fourteen she bailed him out of jail with all of the savings she had, at eighteen he'd pushed her as hard as he could and attempted to hit her- just as he'd seen his father do many times before...and STILL she gave him the same look- blank and wide eyed- soothing and calm, love clear in her eyes. And she'd use that same soft tone too...he knew the words off by heart._

'_It's alright, baby...' she'd always coo to him, a few fingers always finding his hair. 'Mama's still here for you...'_

_He swallowed the lump in his throat- his eyes hesitantly looking into hers. He snarled venomously, hating himself as he snatched the phone off of the hook and held it to his face- his narrowed eyes looked threatening and moody- but she could see pleading behind those dark irises. She sighed, a slim arm gradually holding the phone to her ear as her eyes continued to gaze into his. He waited impatiently, somehow wanting to hear that same tone...he couldn't believe he actually wanted her- when he hated the thought of seeing her so much... _

_She didn't say anything, and he swallowed the fear that swelled within him. He didn't need her- he didn't need anybody. As soon as he got Bandit back it's all he needed..._

"_Mum!" He finally broke, cursing himself inwardly as he snarled at her hatefully. "You're not saying anything!"_

_Leyla blinked back at him innocently- looking like a doleful kitten. Dread looked away from her again, his grip tightening on the phone. He hated that- the sudden guilt that towered down on him so suddenly. He was used to pushing everything aside and telling himself it didn't matter- that no matter what he'd get what he wanted. _

"_What do you want me to say, Dread?" She asked him quietly, looking curious. Dread snarled at her again, furious. _

"_I-I dunno, what you always say!" She could tell he was coming apart at the seams, the more he tried to act fierce with her behind the glass the more she could see those black eyes fading into the rare brown, the more she could see the child within him grow. "You know!"_

_Leyla shook her head slightly, her face still blank. Dread growled at her again, his hands balling into fists as he grew more agitated and upset. _

"_You always say it'll be okay, th-that you're still here for me." He reminded her, his eyes narrowing. "Isn't that why you came in here?"_

_Again Leyla shook her head, those eyes mournful. "No..." _

_Dread cringed at that. Her voice was so different, and the absence of a nickname or petname was cold. That stupid bitch. _

"_Then why'd you come for!" He demanded, his voice cracking. "J-just to kick me while I'm down, is that it Mum? So you can prove to yourself that I'm some fucking mistake, before you go back to your pride and joy kid?" He snarled at her, his hand now a tight fist ready to punch into something. Leyla just watched him, her eyes still taking him in. _

"_Dodge has gone..." Leyla cooed to him softly. Dread looked up, his eyes wide. _

"_Wh-"_

"_Dodge has gone, he left about a week ago. All the guys have."_

"_But!" Dread frowned at her. "He left...you?"_

_Leyla nodded, giving him a small, sad smile. Dread felt his heart beat in his throat. "Bandit too?"_

_Again, she nodded. "There'll be no case without evidence."_

"_THEN TELL ME IT'LL BE OKAY!" He suddenly screamed at her, jumping up and yelling as loud as he could. Tears burst in his eyes and somehow he didn't notice- he just glared down at her with anger, his throat constricting with emotion he'd kept in for months on end. "Don't- don't sit there and just BE SAD! I don't wanna see that, I can't fucking stand that! Stop being such a fucking bitch and tell me what you normally tell me! I fucking hit you and you still said you love me! You gotta tell me that now! YOU HAVE TO!"_

_Leyla bit her bottom lip, sighing as Dread glared at her expectantly, his chest rising and falling rapidly with harsh breaths. She could see tears in his furious eyes now, and those big brown eyes were watching her hopefully, flashing with anger. Instead she only gave him the tiniest of smiles, her icy blue eyes scanning him knowingly, and sinking with disappointment. Dread could see the sadness in her eyes- they matched her sad smile. He'd never seen her look so defeated...not even when his own father..._

"_MUM!" He snarled at her, slamming on the glass that separated them. His quick eyes flicked over to the guard only a few metres away, and those sharp eyes flashed as he saw the guard jump- ready to take him back at the first sign of hostility. He glared back to her, hoping he could make her- just like he could do with Bandit- love him again, and right now he could see it slipping away...and his mother was never Bandit- he couldn't scare her like he could Bandit... and somehow that scared him more than anything. "You can't fucking do this to me. After fucking everything. You stood by me before. You're gonna do it again, right? You're gonna be there when I come back? When I get out?"_

"_I..." Leyla sighed again, her eyes looking up at the sad realisation her time was up. "Dread, you have to go..."_

_Dread ignored her, his eyes flashing angrily. "See? That! You never call me that! Even when I'm in trouble you never said that!"_

_Leyla tilted her head ever so slightly, frowning. _

"_My name!" Dread snarled at her, his eyes widening at the realisation she really didn't know. He felt crazy, but he had to make her understand- he couldn't let her go like that. "You hate my name, you don't ever say my name!_

"_I'm sorry, Dread..." Leyla mumbled to him. She shrugged her shoulders, wilting with defeat. It seemed to sit harsher on her than it did with him- the obvious fact she couldn't baby her 'baby' anymore...not when he'd done what he did... _

"_Don't say sorry!" Dread screamed at her. "SAY IT'S GONNA BE OKAY!"_

"_You know it is..." She said quietly. _

"_NO I DON'T!" Dread hollered back, his hand slamming back onto the glass. His pale cheeks were pink now, tears were streaking down his face and his eyes were wide- suddenly vulnerable. They had lightened to that deep dark brown she loved so much, and she could feel her heart almost ripping in half as she looked into those wide, desperate eyes- giving her a look so rare she had thought he lost it so long ago...and it hurt her so much to know she had to do this...the moment she had dreaded had to come eventually. "I didn't mean to do what I did, Mum." He began pleading with her- his voice ragged and broken. He poured his heart out to her, his eyes wide and begging. "You gotta believe me, I didn't mean to do what I did. You believe me, don't ya? I-I-It was m-my head, I didn't know until I did it- it made sense but I never meant to do it, I never would have. I d-don't kill people." His wide eyes stared into hers- his hand pressing into the glass. "You believe me don't ya? Mum? You know that right?"_

_It was as if he'd completely changed- the rough, snarling, fierce psychopathic that had stood before her so dominating and demanding had been completely reduced before the tiny woman- and even the guards at the prison had to look twice. Dread truly looked small- his once cruel eyes and burly, leering physique had wilted into nothing, his chest rapidly rising and falling as he gasped for breath- his lips shaking and his eyes leaking with tears. Those black eyes, that had caused so much fear to countless people before, were wide and bare- the very dark brown clearly radiating in his dark irises, and when he wasn't glaring he actually looked...innocent. Leyla simply stared at him. She may have been small and timid, but she had been through more than most people had, and she knew what she saw. She knew how different people could be- the many personalities held in one body. She knew this boy, this boy was her baby...her firstborn child she made a vow to love and protect no matter what. Now she was broken too- and a lone tear ran down her cheek as she gazed into his eyes, completely speechless. _

_The phone was tugged out of Dread's hand, and before he had a chance to lash out his hands were back to being cuffed- and those eyes were now wider than ever at his speechless mum. He hadn't gotten an answer. His mouth opened desperately at her, pleading his case- but behind the glass she could hear anything. He pulled against his bonds, fighting to stay- but then he saw her lips move- and what she mouthed was enough to calm him down, and allow himself to be dragged away. He gave a tiny sniff, his eyes never leaving her as he was pulled through the door. _

"_I love you, Baby..." Leyla mouthed to him, her fingers dragging across the window. _

_..._

Leyla's eyes jolted open and she jerked awake, her heart pounding. It was almost a guarantee she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight, and she held in a groan as she hung her head. She had to have closure, she was always such a patient person but when it came to her kids- it was then and now. She had to have control back, she couldn't function when she was unsure of what was happening with her own babies...

Her eyes travelled to Holly's bag- sitting open on the floor in front of her. Her icy blue eyes trailed to Holly's sleeping figure in the hotel bed, then back to the open bag. She bit her lip in thought.

* * *

Mushi smelt the unmistakable scent of cigarette smoke, and she drearily opened her eyes to a dim light- only to be met with a pair of furious steel grey eyes glaring at her, inches from her face. She jumped back into the wall, gasping. Jayden only snarled, and with a fierce fist he grabbed at her shirt, heaving her to her feet.

"What are you doing to her!" Fanny snarled from her position on the floor. She was blinking in the sudden light, but her tired body still wrestled against her bonds, fighting to get up. Recovering from her initial shock of being thrown into a place so horrible against her will, her main priority was protecting the people around her, especially when she knew who was behind all of this. She eyed the guy beadily, eyes narrowed. Mushi only stared, shaking with fright.

"_Lemme go, lemme go please-"_

"Shut up." Jayden grunted at her, throwing her onto the ground in the middle of the room. Hoagie- hungry and fatigued- only watched with his eyes sharp, his fists balling in defiance. Mushi's thin legs scraped across the concrete floor as her captor held her down- her cheek pressed against the cold floor. She heard a scrape of metal- and Jayden's knife was suddenly at her cheek, his hair hanging into his cold eyes as he leered over her. Her heart raced in her throat, and all she could do was give a strangled gasp.

"_NO!" _Fanny shouted, anger flaring up within her. Her eyes were flaming with fury as she wrenched at her ropes, her teeth grit. The second she saw that young girl thrown around in that psycho's arms, her heart sank. Mushi's frightened eyes flicked to her, and Fanny lashed out as soon as she saw the desperate fear. "LET HER GO! SHE'S JUST A KID!"

"YOU shut the fuck up!" Jayden snapped at her, his sharp blade pointing at her. "I'm fucking _sick _of you idiots being here with no info! You talk or you get burned! You're a fucking waste of oxygen!" He stood over her- a foot on either side of her body. In one movement he lowered to straddle her, his predatory eyes narrowed. He grabbed her hair, pulling hard so her neck snapped back. She let out a pained cry, tears now dripping down her cheeks. She felt numb with fear, she wished for someone- _anyone _to help her. She prayed for her family back, her sister-

"LET HER GO! WE'LL TALK!" Hoagie screamed out desperately. He couldn't help it- everything he was noble and loyal to left him when he saw Mushi pushed into the floor, completely helpless. Her body was ready to be snapped and broken, and Hoagie had no doubts that Jayden would do whatever he could to cause pain. It broke him to see someone throw the innocent girl around- when she didn't do anything...He was panting when Jayden finally turned, his glare cold. He kept a hand firmly locked in Mushi's long black hair- Mushi shaking against him with uncontrollable sobs that broke the tense silence of the room.

"If you don't I'll be riding this bitch- make no mistake." Jayden warned him, but he let go of her eventually, and Mushi flopped onto the floor, quivering with paralysing, frightened sobs. Jayden turned to Hoagie and glared expectantly, his head tilting. "So fucking start squealing, piggy."

Hoagie bit back the feeling of sick in his stomach and grit his teeth. "They...They live Downtown...in an apartment complex- I don't know the name of it."

Jayden growled, narrowing those cold eyes. He could tell the prick was probably telling the truth, but it only angered him further when he realised he was practically useless. He brought the long blade up again, and Hoagie eyed the way it captured the light menacingly- as if it was snarling at him too.

"That ain't enough." He spat. "If you're really that useless, I'll waste you _and _this little slut." He nodded back to Mushi harshly. "We haven't got time for this bullshit."

All of Hoagie's hopes sank as Jayden strutted towards him, his face set. Every step he took was like a final bell tolling in his head, and as he eyed the sharp instrument clenched in his fist- he knew it would be the end of him. His heart beat so fast it was as though it was humming, sweat drenched his skin-

"_Wait!"_

Fanny gasped, her throat dry as the words left her. Tears pooled in her eyes and she shook weakly against the wall she was bound to. She never wanted this, she felt sick in knowing what this was. It was something she couldn't beat- she was staring death in the face, and it killed her to know that she had to give in... she couldn't let her friends die. Her heart broke as a tear rolled down her cheek, and she closed her eyes to see that happy memory that lived in her mind- of her and Dodge together, maybe married with kids... it all slipped away before her as she took a shaky breath.

"_I'll tell you where they live."_

* * *

The early morning sunrise casted a bright pink-orange light over the Beatles household the next morning, and the only two figures seemed to still be moving after the hours of excitement had passed. Trent and Dodge sat on opposite ends of the couch, facing each other but not able to meet each other's gaze. Their backs against the arm of the sofa, their legs sitting side by side, both heads were down, both immersed in their own thoughts. Neither could sleep- their minds too consumed with the journey that lay ahead.

Trent blinked tiredly, black circles under his faded grey eyes. His shoulders were slumped and his hair hung limp. His mind only whirled as his eyes narrowed in concentration. His thoughts were following the same train of thinking as it had the last few days...

_I love you._

He couldn't believe he _left. _He could still smell him, if he stood still long enough he could even _feel _those touches again. It had only been a few days but it seemed a lifetime ago he looked into those ocean blue eyes. The more he thought about it the more it meant to him. He _did _love Bandit. Ever since those lips pressed against his he'd known that fact, he could never admit it to anybody. Now that had been taken away, it was as though someone had taken away the air he breathed.

Dodge tried to avoid thinking about it. It was all so bizarre, yet horrible, at the same time. He could feel his reality slipping away faster than he could grab it. He couldn't take it- he wished more than anything he could call his girl up and ask her to come over so he could just touch her once more- somehow the mere sight of her, the feel of her body pressed against his and her sweet (sometimes sarcastic) voice in his ear made it all better, it made it all worthwhile.

But glancing down at his cracked screen only reminded him of the obvious horror that lay ahead, and besides feeling guilty he could only feel fear. He knew he'd give up his life for this girl, he could feel his old anger returning and he was already losing control. He would get her back no matter what...

He found himself dialling before he'd even had a chance to contemplate what he was actually doing. He held the phone up to his ear, listening to the steady ringing. He knew Dread had to be there...he'd taken that _damn _photo after all...

"_Hey, I can't answer the phone- you know the drill."_

Hearing his Cherry's voice made his heart pound harder, making it so much worse. He regretfully hung up, debating on whether to call back just to hear her voice again. Dread was playing games. He wasn't about to let them off _that _easily. He wanted to stretch this out. Images of Dread's hands all over her body cut him to the core, and he found himself shaking with anger at the very thought of him anywhere _near _her- nevertheless his hands all over that soft, freckled skin he loved so much. Hands that had caused so much damage...all over what was _his..._

_I'll kill him. _He decided, staring at the cracked phone screen once again. _Even if it's the last thing I ever do, I'm killing him. _

Dingo stumbled through the archway into the living room, running a hand through his messy black hair. He was yawning- narrowly missing the wall as he made his way to his equally exhausted friends. Dodge looked up, giving him the smallest of smiles as his faded blue eyes looked him over.

"Hey man, how'd it go with Abs?"

Dingo shrugged, still sagging with defeat.

"She's a'ight." He muttered, his lips twisting as he contemplated his possible fate with his emotional girlfriend. "She didn't take it too well but at least she's agreed to stay here."

"That's something..." Dodge sighed, leaning back in his seat. His chestnut hair fell into his eyes and he closed them, trying to think. His mind was so clouded with fear and anger he seemed to have lost all logical thinking. Dingo took a seat on the coffee table, hunching his shoulders as he looked at both of them. Trent opened his eyes, having failed in falling asleep, and looked at his leader attentively, eyes hopeful.

"We gotta think of a plan to get back at them." Dingo growled, his emerald eyes glimmering maliciously. "Dread and Jayden are bad, yeah. But there's only two of them, and three of us. We can get these guys, we've done it before."

Trent chewed on his bottom lip. "But they got Band, and they got Cherry. They practically got us at their beck and call."

"Dread won't kill Bandit." Dodge muttered, his eyes narrowing with thought. "He'll lock him up and make sure we never see him again, he'll hurt him, but he'd never kill him..." he looked up at the ceiling again, heaving another deep breath. "Cherry, though...nothing's holding him back from that. He'll probably look for an excuse if I don't turn myself in soon."

"None of us want Cherry to suffer." Dingo told him firmly. "If they threaten Cherry if we _all _don't turn up-"

"I'll kill him before that happens." Dodge snarled menacingly.

"We gotta outsmart them somehow." Dingo muttered. "Where would they go?"

"They don't know anybody here..." Trent snarled. "Do they?"

"Bet they got the drug connections..." Dodge nibbled at his fingernails. "That's where you ran into them, right?"

Dingo frowned, nodding slowly. "Yeah...but there's nowhere to hide around there. They gotta be hauled up somewhere. They couldn't afford a hotel if they just got out of prison...How'd they even afford to get here anyway?"

"That's what I'm thinkin'." Trent's lips twisted with thought. "They gotta be hiding Bandit and Cherry somewhere... And why would they want all of us? What do they plan to do anyway?"

"Whatever it is it doesn't matter." Dingo snarled angrily, his eyes narrowing. "We gotta hunt 'em down before they hunt _us _down. We can't let them anywhere near my pregnant girlfriend- they already got Cherry and Bandit. They're both tough, but staying with those guys for even a _day _is too much. We gotta find out where they are and take 'em by surprise."

Dodge's eyebrows rose sceptically. "That's your plan?"

Dingo looked unsure. "You got a better one?"

"Nope." Dodge gave a sheepish half-grin as he got to his feet. He was eager to make at least _some _headway to get to his girlfriend. "I say we start now."

He got to his feet and zipped up his jacket. Trent ruffled his hair. He looked so pathetic and tired- his face pale and purple shadows under his faded eyes, ginger hair falling limply. He still scampered to his feet with eagerness.

"_Going somewhere?"_

The trio jumped and all eyes fell on Wallabee- who had risen from his slumber and thrown on jeans and a hoodie as soon as he heard Dingo get up. He eyed them all suspiciously, and even when they hid their emotions well he could tell they were up to something. He raised his eyebrows, surveying them all with suspicion. Dingo piped up.

"We're just...eh- gonna go back home and sort this stuff out. We need to talk to police and, uh-"

"You think I'm stupid?" Wallabee scoffed, folding his arms and giving his brother a small smirk. "You wouldn't involve the cops, and you wouldn't go home either. You're going to hunt for these guys, aren't you?"

Dingo snarled. He hated being so transparent, the gang had only started their mission five seconds ago and already they were busted. They were getting rusty.

"Yeah." Dodge sighed before Dingo could muster up another excuse. Trent and Dingo both glared. "Look, we wanna find these guys before anyone else does, and before they can cause anymore damage. We gotta find them to get our friends back, before anybody gets hurt."

Far from looking smug, Wallabee looked intrigued. His emerald eyes watched with interest as he stepped forward, tilting his head curiously. "So where do we propose we start?"

"Well, we didn't really have a-"

"_We?" _Dingo issued him a protective snarl. "Since when are you included?"

Wallabee gave his older brother a sly look, his eyebrows lifting again. He looked smug now, and Dingo glared at him with frustration. Sure, he and Wally were hopefully on good terms now, but that didn't mean chilling together like they were best friends..._right? _

"I'm included because I'm involved." Wallabee sniggered. "You forgetting that sicko tried to rape me? Besides, anyone who screws with my family screws with me."

"That's the Aussie way of thinking." Dodge gave a sheepish shrug as Dingo scowled at him.

"_And..." _Wallabee added, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You guys are dwindling in numbers. Everybody needs a helping hand."

"He's right, you know." Dodge pointed out to Dingo, eyes narrowed. "And the more we sit here arguing the less time we have to get on the right track."

"Fine!" Dingo balled his fists, spitting angrily at his little brother. He looked sulky, and glared at him with narrowed eyes before stomping off towards the car. "Fine! You can come! But I ain't risking my ass for you- _again!" _

"Don't worry about _that." _Wallabee sneered at him jokingly. "_That _was a lucky break- bet you anything I'll save _your _ass soon."

Dingo only snarled at him, speechless.

"Does this mean I get a nickname?" Wallabee muttered jokingly to Dodge as the four began to file out of the house. Dodge had to give a small smile, sniggering at him.

"'Fraid nicknames are limited, unless you want to be called Queen?"

"Ah...no..." Wallabee grumbled, wrinkling his nose. "Seriously?"

"Pick any card of the deck. Only Ace is leader-boy over there." Dodge jabbed his thumb towards Dingo, who gave another glare. "King and Jack are taken, and I got stuck with Joker."

Wally sighed as he closed the front door. "So I guess that leaves the two to ten picks, huh?"

"Yep." Dodge gave him a sheepish smile. "Go crazy."

Wallabee mulled it over as the four made their way to his brothers car. He still couldn't believe he was doing this, risking his life with people he didn't even know. But he knew something was going on, and he couldn't sit back and not do anything- especially when Abby was at risk, and Hoagie was missing, and his parents house was being used as a safehouse-

"Four of Clubs is good." He decided eventually. "It's symmetrical. Just call me Four."

"_Who would want a name like that?" _Trent sneered under his breath, scoffing with disbelief.

Before anybody could reply, 'Four's' phone began to ring, and he flipped it open and held it to his ear. He barely got out a 'hello' when Nigel's voice filled his ear frantically. His eyes widened, and those emerald irises flashed with worry. The three surrounding him frowned, freezing hesitantly.

"_Y-yeah...I'll be there." _Wallabee snapped the phone closed, turning to the trio with his face set.

"My friend Patton's just been put in hospital by two guys..." He bit his lip. "Says he was out with Fanny when two guys shot him before taking her."

Dodge gritted his teeth. _"Patton?" _He snarled dangerously.

"He was _your _friend?" Dingo gaped. Without waiting for an answer he headed to the car. "Show me where this hospital is."

"Yeah..." Dodge hissed lowly, his knuckles cracking. "Show us."

* * *

Jake headed straight back to the apartment, his mind whirring with the prospects of what he could be met with once he got there.

There was a danger, he knew that for sure. Now that somebody so close to them had been stolen right underneath him, there was no telling for what could happen next. It wasn't only driving the gang crazy, but it was getting to Jake too. He hated knowing something could be threatening his family, and he couldn't help.

When he approached the apartment he tiptoed around for at least an hour before cautiously coming to the conclusion that the place, although eerily silent, was safe...for now. He ran a hand through his hair, groaning at the prospect of being a lookout for the place. He definitely would _not _get any sleep tonight- especially if at every moment he expected two punk kids to come stampeding through the doorway. He grabbed at the whiskey bottle on his bedside table, gulping a mouthful down before the burning sensation got to him. Shuddering, he collapsed onto the floor, leaning against the frame of his bed.

_I gotta help these guys... Somehow... _He snarled, tugging at his wild black hair as he curled his knees up to his chest. _I hate feeling so fucking useless..._

Jake growled in annoyance, kicking out at the bedside table with frustration. He hated this, the fact the people most important to him were in danger, and he was completely powerless. Not only his kid but his grandkid too- he hated that his happiness could so easily be taken away. He narrowed his eyes. _I'll die before that happens... _

He licked at his lips, his eyes alight at the bittersweet taste of whiskey. He rummaged under his bed, his fingers wrapping around the cool metal of his pistol. His eyes seemed to darken maliciously as his eyes glazed over the gun in his hand. It had been such a long time since he held a gun, it seemed strange to hold a bottle of liquor in one hand and a firearm in the other- it reminded him of old times he'd since forgotten after having Dingo. He heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes as he tucked it into his belt and rose from his position.

His head was spinning as he wandered around the apartment, and not all of it was due to the alcohol in his system. It was eerily silent in the apartment, and even though Jake was prepared to watch the apartment even when there was a large chance it was already discovered, he still was fearful of what could happen. He pulled out his pistol again as he leaned against the couch, staring emptily.

He knew it wasn't going to end well. He knew he'd do anything to protect his only child, even if it meant digging up old roots he'd given up a long time ago.

A sudden noise pierced through the thick silence of the apartment and Jake jumped up, frowning as he sat his bottle down on the counter. He made his way over to the door, his feet moving soundlessly across the floor. He now clearly heard footsteps- tapping across the hallway outside. His throat tightened as he cocked his gun, pointing it towards the door. His dark eyes lowered to the floor- watching the tiny ray of light that separated the floor from the door sudden fill with shadow. He steadied his aim.

A knock on the door seemed to echo through his mind and his heart pounded in his ears. He narrowed his eyes as he aimed, hardly daring to think of anything except the weapon in his hand.

There was another knock, and the doorknob began to rattle. His fingers tightened against the trigger, he took in a deep breath-

The door opened, and Jake's mouth fell open as he looked _down _at the intruder- a pair of icy blue eyes staring down the barrel of his gun in slight shock. His heart leapt into his throat as he gazed into those too-familiar eyes, and paled as though a ghost had glided over the threshold, not his old best friend.

"_Hello, Jake..." _Leyla cooed to him, surveying with those crystal blue eyes he used to love so much. A small sly smirk graced her face, and one eyebrow was raised sheepishly. "Do you always greet your guests with a gun pointed at them? Or are you that good at adapting to the American way of life?"

* * *

_(Excuse any spelling/grammar errors- I'm not very good at proof-reading)_

_My family members were all getting quite concerned when they kept walking in to see me on sites reading 'How to Cook Heroin' and 'What are the effects of Cocaine', I assure you. I don't think I need to say it but DO NOT TAKE DRUGS, KIDS! Heroin gives you euphoria, and in Bandit's malnourished, withdrawn state he was in more of a drugged up daze. Heroin does not make you horny from what I've read. In fact, I think it does the opposite :P _

_Oof! The drama and action is coming! I can't wait :D I'm sorry I took so long, guys. But I hope you enjoy the chapter :P And let me know what you think!_

_-DRD xoxo_


	32. Chapter 32: Temper Temper

**Chapter 32**

_Hey everybody! _

_I know...I know...I feel terrible..._

_To be honest, readers, I couldn't write anything for the last three months. I've been going through something so emotionally exhausting I can't even begin to explain it :\ I really don't want to whine about all the gory details when I'm trying to put something behind me- but I've been in and out of hospital and I've also lost someone very close to me, something I've never had to deal with before- so it's kinda stunted my writing abilities. _

_I was so fed up with writing I actually threw in my college course on journalism- I just didn't want to be forced to write anymore. I love writing what I love writing and now I'm back to just doing that :) and it makes me feel a whole lot better, despite the recent tragedy in my life._

_So I got back on the horse and I stayed up night and day to finish this chapter! I apologise in advance if my writing skill has faltered over the last four months- there's some parts I feel like I fumbled. The only thing I wrote with confidence lately is my flashbacks. Probably because they're bursts of emotion I can relate to._

_TO MY PPG FANS: I'm sorry the new 9 Months story is taking so long, I never thought it would take this long but I'm just not 100% satisfied yet. It's half done and should be out within a couple of weeks. Sorry! This story I felt comfortable facing, the other it may take some time... _

_But enough doom and gloom :) I had fun writing this chapter, takes my mind off stuff. Thank you to all the people who reviewed and have held out for an update! I LOVE YOU ALL!_

_*Royal Fanfare*_

* * *

AnimatedCharacter: Ah four months! Not too bad...right :\ ? Aw, I'm sorry to keep you waiting...I'm glad you think my story has it all :D I try! That's why the chapters are so long, I guess- shove it all in at once :P I don't Beta simply because I really don't know how to, and I don't consider myself good enough to critique others work- and I suck at proofreading (as you can probably tell :|) Thanks for the wonderful review love! Hope you like this chapter (:

A New Side Of Awesome : Aw thank you! :D Sorry it wasn't soon, but I hope it was worth the wait for you (: lemme know what you think!

comicfan209: Sorry my PPG story is taking a long time, I just keep rearranging it to make sure it's perfect. It seemed easier to work on this one instead. I dunno if I can catch you up, a lot has happened, it might be easier to read...if its not too hard? :P Thanks love! It usually takes a couple of weeks- majority of this took 3 days once I got over months of writers block.

18Madison81 : YAY! Aw thank you :#) That means the world to me! It can get a little confusing and OC-centric, so its hard to keep up I guess (: Plus, I've sucked at keeping it updating quickly! Thank you so much gorgeous! I hope you like this chapter too, sorry for the loooong wait!

simi838: Haha! FOUR is now in action! XD I can't wait for the others to jump in too, my heart was racing trying to get it all in! Thank you so much love! :) I hope you like this update, keeps your heart jumping ;)

Apples Go Boom : Haha, I must admit, I love writing Wallabee as Numbah Four style XD cheers me up greatly, makes me wanna bring out my old KND tapes. More flashbacks here too, I think I went overboard...but I can't help it ;) Dread being cute is just a rare sighting! I'm so, SO sorry about to long wait, love. I hope you give me another one of your delicious reviews, though. I'd love to know what you think! :D

Anononon: Gah! I'm sorry about the long wait, I feel so bad :( Violent family reunions are my speciality XD Loooove the family drama- although this pushes the boundaries, I'm sure. Nothing too extreme for the Beatles family! I love your rambling, don't worry- it's my native tongue XD thank you love! Please let me know what you think about this one!

PowerGirl: Nothing wrong with American life :P Even though Dread is a complete psycho douche, he'll get his just desserts in the end, don't worry ;) Aw yay! Thank you beautiful :) I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long! Let me know what you think! :D

TomboyIsAwesome: GAH! That just might be my silly typos (stupid keyboard...) Haha! Don't worry my dad and I have been through plenty of awkwardness, my friend sends ME the most awkward songs and they just happen to play on my shuffle when I'm driving him somewhere -_- typical. Aw thank you! :D I hope you had a great birthday, sorry I kept you waiting!

Bubblycutie and Awesomnessdude : haha! Yes, the KND are gradually becoming their old selves ;) love playing around with that idea- I miss them so! I got out my old DVDs for old times sake :) such nostalgic fun!

Babydex: LOL! I love it- thinking of putting that in the tagline if this is ever made into a film ;) Dang, wish KND crew were real though- they would seriously kick ass :P Thanks gorgeous! Sorry for the long wait, I hope your hearts ok ;)

oh coconuts: Drama overload galore! Hehe. Aw, I'm glad Jake's your favourite. He's such a Jack Sparrow, I should really stop watching Pirates of the Carribean while writing his parts... (hmm.. no...) XD It's amazing how anybody can like Dread due to how much of a psychotic doucebag he can be, but I gotta admit I love giving him a soft side ;P Poor thing, I kinda went overboard on him in this chapter though. Leyla and Dread do have a weird relationship, but I think Dread's just weird altogether :P bit bipolar when he wants to be... ah! I'm rambling :) Thank you for your lovely review dollface, I hope I didn't leave you hanging too long! Enjoy! :D

Laurie43: Gasp! I'd never let anything happen to Wallabee! (Fatal, that is ) ;) _My _Characters, however, are never safe... haha- Leyla is definitely a bit of a firework in the mix, she's sure to stir up some more drama (like we don't need anymore) Aw, I'm glad you still like my story- I still blame you for keeping it going ;) You to thank, I mean of course ;P All this character torture wouldn't be here without you! :D I'm glad you're still with me! I'm sorry for the long wait, I hope this chapters all worth it in the end! Love to know what you think (:

JustWriting7: Aw dang :( no, I'm sorry! It wasn't a fast update...but I hope the wait was worth it! Did I cross paths with your watching of a classic 90s movie? Because that seems to be my gift! Hope this brightens up your day :P Thank you beautiful!

MidniteCurse4Eternity : I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long! It's hard to keep track of characters sometimes- sometimes I leave them out altogether then look back and am like 'whoops'! I'm a sucker for adding comic relief, which clashes sometimes in such a dramatic story, but I love a good laugh :) not good with too much angsty stuff. Haha, I'm glad you like my characters! XD Dread and Bandit are especially hard to characterise because they have such issues, they can be almost bipolar in how they deal with each other :S Jake's easy, he's pretty much drunk all the time :P I love your long rants! It feels so good to know someone really gets into my story as much as I do :P maybe even more ! Aw :D Sorry for the long wait, I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much (:

NinjaxTurtles : Hehe. Oozing...love that word. Such imagery! I can't wait to write Wallabee as Numbah Four again- I can't help but shove him where the action is. Such a fighter, just like his brother. He needs the spotlight! Haha, I'm a sucker for my flashbacks. They're the easiest for me to write- like a burst of emotion. I'm working on a flashback of Belle, actually. I've been working up to it but I hate writing death scenes and knowing me I'll be crying all over the keyboard... maybe work that into the climax :P Aw yay! I'm glad you like my blog, I neglect to update it though- but it helps me keep track :) Thank you love! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope this chapter makes up for it :D

Sam: Aw thank you! I need a hug! (: I'm sorry the wait was so long, four months is a long time to wait... Lol! Yes, Dread is my scary character :P But I'm a sucker for showing his sweet side... Fanny will definitely be his match later on ;) Abby and Dingo do make a strange couple, they remind me of my own boyfriend in how they're so different... it's hard to imagine her without him now. Hehe, love adding Four in- HAD to do that. Four will always be Four :P Hm, I don't think there are many happy moments ahead though :P Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait, lemme know what you think lovely! (:

Mortia. e : Aw yay! :D Thank you! I'm sorry for such the long wait, it usually doesn't take this long! Love your penname by the way :P

Ana: Aw that sucks, that means you never know when I'm going to update! Sorry for the long wait, sweetheart. Aw, glad you like Dodgem- I'm a sucker for him too. He wasn't even meant to be a major character! Stole my heart...the thief -_- . Naw, thank you love!:) Hope my characters don't scare you too much ;) though I like to make them fearsome. Lol! You never know with Dread or Jayden who's the boss...there's a secret with him I'm not telling yet ;) Dread has definitely met his match with Fanny, I think there's more of a showdown between those two. Sorry I didn't update sooner, I hope this is worth the wait though! Let me know :)

OPfan22: I win an awesome review! :D And I feel LUCKY! Thank you love! I hope you enjoy the update (: Welcome aboard the drama train! X

Guest: WOO! Love _you _;) Winky wink.

kingofmonsters1 : Oo! I can't tell you yet, but I'll have you know I do love romance ;) thanks for the review, love!

Heather: Haha! Thank you for your review love! :D I hope you managed to survive! I have to admit I love writing the action- my own heart was palpitating hard through a few scenes in this chapter! I hope I don't kill you though, that'd kill the atmosphere ;) Aw thank you! That means a lot (: I'm sorry if I made you wait too long, but I hope this chapter makes up for it! It'd definitely say 'I do' if you ever asked ;) ;) ;)

* * *

Wally winced as he was hurled into the door of his brother's car, his heart still fluttering anxiously at the news he heard over the phone, as well as the journey he knew he was undertaking.

Dingo was in the front driver's seat, skidding and swerving through traffic with the skills of a professional driver, but with none of the delicacy. Wallabee held back a scowl as he rubbed at his abused arm, already feeling a promising bruise. He wasn't even thrown into the action yet, and already there were causalities.

"Where is this fuckin' hospital?!" Dingo was snarling viciously as he floored it through an intersection. Wally heaved a sigh, leaning forward to point ahead.

"Next left."

He hated the fact he was reduced to the backseat, but already the blonde was tingling with slight excitement at being faced with a new adventure, and he held on for dear life as his older brother swerved around the corner at the last minute, earning a few angry horns sounding and his left hand producing an obscene hand gesture at the fellow motorists.

"_I swear I'm gonna kill him..." _ Dodge snarled from the passenger seat, his icy blue darkening by degrees and narrowing dangerously at the road ahead. "If he was with her when she got taken I'm killin' him-"

"We need info first." Dingo reminded his best friend, but his face was set as he eyed the road. "He might know where they took her-"

"You don't think Patton's involved, do you?" Wallabee asked, finally slumping against the backseat as he eyed the pair in front. He was frowning, his mind working furiously. Patton was his friend, and even though he had been shady in the past he would never think he'd be involved in something _this _bad. "Nigel said he was held at gunpoint too, that's the whole reason he's _in _hospital-"

"Yeah but he's gotta know _something." _Dodge bit back, his hands curling into fists. The thought that that _dick _was the last person to see her- his fiery-haired vixen- made him physically sick, and it was enough to make his blood boil all over again when he thought of her...

Trent was just watching the buildings pass by at blurring speed, trying to push his mind onto better thoughts than what _could be _happening to Bandit at that moment. If his brother and Dread already had their hands on some hostages, their sick minds were up to _something _to get information out of them. He looked ahead at his two friends, who were in a heated discussion over what to do about questioning Patton. He hated to think they were already too late, that Bandit was already gone. He turned to glare at the blonde next to him. Young and curious, his emerald eyes were wide as he listened to the pair up front. Trent hated the fact he'd tagged along- sitting in his spot...

"I hope you don't think you're a member of this fuckin' gang now." He couldn't help but snarl at him defensively, slumping in his seat. Wallabee looked over in alarm, a frown crinkling on his usually vibrant face. Both retreated into defensive stances as Dodge heaved a tired snarl.

"Trent-"

"I mean he's no fuckin' replacement." Trent turned to him, his grey eyes narrowing coldly. "I hope he doesn't think he's the new Bando, because that's just-"

"Nobody's replacing _anyone." _Dingo snarled at him, rolling his eyes. "Would you chill? We need all the help we can get at this point."

"Right!" Wallabee spoke up, and straight away Dingo slammed on the brakes, skidding around the corner at the sound of screeching tyres. The three others were sent flying into oblivion- holding onto anything they could grab. Dingo straightened casually, one hand on the wheel as if they were puttering along on an everyday Sunday drive. Dodge heaved himself upright, issuing him with a warning glare before shaking his head and turning back to the two in the backseat, his eyes stormy.

"Look..." He muttered, aiming his glare specifically at Trent, who stiffened. "We're all worried about Bando, we're all worried _period. _This is a fucked up situation and we're dealing with fucked up people, and we need all the help we can get."

Trent shifted, glaring instead out of the window. He hated that fierce look Dodge rarely gave.

"Besides- you're not the only one who cares about Bandit..." A sudden thought slipped into his mind, and despite his fears Dodge couldn't help but crack a smile. "I mean, half the people in this car have made out with him."

Trent spluttered at _that _while Dingo swerved the car almost completely off the road as Dodge was thrown into a fit of laughter- seeing the horrified, paled expression on his best friend's face was enough to send him into hysterics.

"_What?" _Wally found himself smirking too, his emerald eyes widening.

"WHAT!" Trent shouted at him, his own grey eyes darkening dangerously. "THE FUCK!"

Dodge continued to laugh, clutching at his stomach as the memories flooded back. "Wh-What are you looking at _me _for!" He chuckled at Trent's horrified face. "IT WASN'T ME!"

All three faces turned to the driver of the car, who's wide, sheepish green eyes turned to glare at his best friend with sudden shock, his lips twisting awkwardly. His hand balled into a fist and, while still managing to steer, slammed repeated punches into his friend's body.

"_You...goddamn...ASS!" _Dingo snarled at the laughing Dodge, who was feebly trying to fight him off. "I TOLD you never to bring that back up! Especially_ NOW_!"

"WHAT!" Trent was now shouting from the backseat, gaping. "WHAT THE FUCK!"

"_Relax, _Dude!" Dodge gasped for breath, giggling as he leaned against the door, kicking out at his friend's punches. "I got it on video!"

"YOU DID NOT!" Dingo snarled at him, lashing out again. "It was a fuckin' dare, that _you _put me up to, I was drunk out of my fuckin' mind and wanted to make Holl jealous! It was ONE TIME! And you don't need to mention it to _anyone! _Especially ABBY!" He added, his eyes narrowed fiercely. Dodge bit back a smirk at his friend's best 'death glare'- slightly spoiled by the pink blush staining his face.

"You made out with _Bandit?" _Trent snarled dangerously, glaring fiercely at him from over the seat. Dingo twisted his lips awkwardly again, wishing to be anywhere but there at that point. Wallabee watched gleefully.

"I didn't _mean to." _He grumbled awkwardly. "It was an _accident."_

"You just fell onto him." Dodge scoffed, raising an eyebrow. Dingo shot him an evil warning glare. "Onto Trent's bed, groping at each other?"

"MY BED!" Trent screeched.

"It was ONE TIME!" Dingo shouted over him. "I was drunk and we were at your party and he was pissed at you! I was trying to be a good mate!"

"Yeah, that's what I do for my friends..." Wallabee smirked, choking back chuckles as he basked in the joy that had warmed the grim atmosphere of the car. "Stick my tongue down their throat-"

"SHUT UP!" Dingo snarled at him hatefully, while Dodge howled with laughter and held his fist out for Wallabee to bump. "It wasn't like _that!"_

"So how long have you been bi for?" Wallabee snickered at him, his tongue between his teeth. "All this stuff I didn't know about you..."

"I'M NOT BI!" Dingo growled, his hands tightening on the wheel dangerously. "I was SIXTEEN! I was CURIOUS AND DRUNK! It was...I dunno- the FASHION! I'm STRAIGHT! I never made out or even TOUCHED another guy! It was ONE TIME! And-" At this, he gave Dodge another random punch. "I _paid _you not to tell!"

"50 bucks can only get you so far..." Dodge smirked. "And come on, the image of you and Bandit is so funny, both of you were out of it and had no idea what was happening- we need a laugh!"

Trent didn't look any close to laughing, he looked mortified. Dingo still looked furious.

"It doesn't need to be mentioned again- ever!" He snarled angrily. Dodge rolled his eyes, biting back another smirk. Wallabee leaned forward eagerly, whispering in Dodge's ear.

"_I'll pay big bucks for the video."_

"_How much are we talking here?"_ Dodge muttered back.

Dingo slammed his head into the steering wheel, wondering where he ever thought it was a good idea to invite his little brother and his best friend into the same car.

* * *

Rain was splattering against the windows of the Beatles household, and Kuki awoke from her peaceful slumber only to roll over and find her boyfriend completely missing. She pouted at the loss of warmth, her head sinking back onto the pillow as she closed her heavy eyelids. It was an amazing feeling for her to fall asleep next to Wally, with his arms around her. Words couldn't explain how cherished and special she felt in his arms. She lay still as she listened to the soothing patter of the rain hitting the window as she closed her eyes again.

Grudgingly, after a few minutes of more snoozing she awoke and pulled on one of his hoodies, snuggling into his scent. She made her way down the stairs, having to process why exactly she was here. It was all still so confusing, and it made it more puzzling when she realised she had no idea where her boyfriend even was.

"Morning Kuki." Abby greeted at the bottom of the stairs, her hands wrapped around a mug of brown liquid. Her long brown hair waved down to her elbows and she too was wearing an oversized hoodie-probably a few sizes too big but perfect for her stomach. "You seen Wally anywhere?"

"No..." Kuki frowned, tilting her head. "I was just wondering where he went...why? Do you know?"

Abby rolled her eyes, offering her mug to Kuki. She took it gratefully, and the aroma of fresh hot chocolate seemed to calm her as she followed Abby back into the kitchen.

"No, but I do know that Dingo's missing too." She snickered. "I can never keep track of that boy..."

"I hope everything's okay..." Kuki mumbled, her voice quivering. With everything that was going on- Hoagie missing, Wally drugged, apparent kidnappers... Kuki was jumpy and shaken, unsure of how to react. She was amazed that Abby, who above all was in her third trimester of pregnancy, was able to take it all on and still be relatively calm. "I gotta admit, I'm a bit freaked out about everything."

"Me too." Abby sighed, plonking down at the kitchen counter. Her dark eyes rolled over Kuki's frightened face. "I'm going to call Nigel later to get an update...I've got to go to the doctors anyway."

"Checkup?" Kuki asked. When Abby nodded, she added "Is Dingo going with you?"

"Doubt it." Abby shrugged. "Just regular stuff, he's never come to any. Allie said she'd drive me."

"Are you..." Kuki hesitated, worrying if she sounded stupid saying anything. "Scared?"

Abby gave her a kind smile. She didn't have to clarify. "A little." She admitted. "But...ya know...being a Mom...gotta put this stuff behind me."

"I guess." Kuki grinned at her just as Allie bustled in, her golden blonde hair damp from the rain outside. Joey, having missed the bus _yet again _(Allie guessed on purpose) she'd driven him to school. Abby poured her a cup of cocoa and slid it over to her. She grinned in thanks.

"Morning Kuki...how are you feeling this morning?" She asked the raven haired girl, her head tilting. Kuki shrugged, hoping she wasn't giving too much away. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she glanced at her phone before replying.

"I'm okay...I'm just a bit worried- I haven't heard from Wally in a while..." She mumbled sheepishly. Allie gave her a thoughtful look, her deep emerald eyes taking her in.

"I'm sure everything's okay..." She soothed her, patting her hand as she sipped her cocoa. "They should be back soon."

But something in her voice made Kuki think even she didn't believe what she was saying. She was fretting about _both _her sons- she was sure of it.

All three of the girls jumped when Kuki's phone rang shrilly, Kuki almost jumping out of her skin as she hurriedly checked the caller ID. Her heart sank in somewhat disappointment when she realised it was only her mother calling.

"Just my Mom..." She mumbled somewhat breathlessly, backing out of the room. "Sorry..."

Once she was in the hall she answered, sighing into the receiver. "Hello?"

"_Kuki!" _Her mother's familiar shriek rang through the phone, and Kuki actually had to wince and pull the phone from her ear to avoid permanent damage. _"Hello? Are you there!"_

"Yes, Mom." Kuki had to smirk at her mother's distrust in the service of her phone. "I hear you perfectly clear."

"_Oh. Good."_

Kuki waited patiently, frowning. It was strange, her parents never seemed to call her. She had kept up to date with everything by them emailing her about once a week. They had never been a very close knit family, her parents always worked so she was always closer to her younger sister. It seemed very out of character for them to call, and Kuki froze in alarm as she thought something must be wrong.

"Mom!" She gasped, her heart sinking. "Is something wrong? Why are you calling me? Has something happened? Is Dad-"

"_Calm down, Kuki." _Her mother scolded her. "_Why do you assume something's wrong? Can't a mother just call her child? You know how your mother worries..."_

"I...I know, Mom." Kuki let out a sigh of relief. "You just scared me, that's all. You never call, I thought something was wrong."

Her mother sniffed but didn't answer her. Kuki sat on the step in the hallway, frowning into the receiver.

"So...how is it all going in Japan, Mom? Are you all...okay?"

Her mother sighed into the phone, and Kuki grew nervous once more. Her mother never remained this quiet... Her stomach clenched as her mother dropped the news.

"_Well...no..."_ Her mother admitted bitterly. _"We...we just wanted you to know that...Mushi's missing."_

Kuki's heart leapt into her throat, and she felt for a moment she couldn't breathe.

"Wh-_WHAT?" _Kuki almost screamed, but it came out as a breathless cough. "F-for- since _when? _Have you checked all her friends and the school? Is she alri-"

"_Of course we've checked!_" Her mother snapped at her. "_What kind of mother do you think I am? She's been missing for a while, we thought she would come to her senses by now but clearly not, we thought she might come to you, so we're just_ _expecting she'll come home soon. We had a fight before she left and she's been infatuated with_ that boy-"

"But, Mom-" Kuki was on the verge of tears, the thought of her little sister out alone in the world made her panic, and she desperately wanted to be with her family, doing whatever she could to find her. "Have you checked with police? The hospitals? She could be _anywhere!"_

"_Yes, we're well aware of that, Kuki." _Her mother sounded snappy. _"The police and hospitals both have had no signs of her, but her friends say she wanted to travel to be with that Sandy boy, so we're sure that's where she went."_

"I...I'll check, Mom." Kuki sniffed, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe this was happening, she always thought her family was at least safe and sound, all of the drama that was happening around her was at least not affecting her family... "I'll see what I can find."

"_Arrigato, Kuki." _Her mother said to her. _"Just so you know what's going on. But I'm late for a meeting, so I will email you later. Sayonnara." _

"Bye..." Kuki whispered, but she could already hear the dial tone trill in her ear. She hung up, feeling numb. She couldn't believe it-her parents were playing this off like it was nothing! Like it didn't matter that her sister was missing, and for a while now too! She felt so alone and separated from her family, without her sister there was no link to her family...

She couldn't help but at that moment feel completely alone.

* * *

Maurice stared in relief at the sergeant before him, who was heaving a tired sigh as he shuffled the papers in front of him. But for the first time in what felt like forever, Maurice wasn't being glared at with judgmental eyes, he wasn't being regarded as a criminal. He was cleared.

"We've examined the evidence provided, and even though our Jane Doe was shot with a gun identical to all of ours, it was traced back to Brian's- whoever killed the girl killed him. They're experienced, I'll give 'em that. It's hard to track a police weapon..."

Maurice's face scrunched. Relief overcame him at the fact he was no longer regarded as a suspect. His life had been thrown into a state of confusion and panic as soon as he found his workmates arresting him under suspicion. But he still felt remaining guilt. He knew it was Bonnie who had been found dead, and even though he had no idea why or how it had happened, he felt partially responsible. It was partly his (and Chad's) actions that caused both girls to come into the country, and even though they had a faint story of why they came, they never thought they'd need to be _protected. _But whatever they were running from...it had caught up with them. It made him scared... he wasn't used to facing the unknown.

He ran a hand through his dirty dreadlocks, realising he was shaking. He was nervous as well as scared, he knew if Bonnie was a cause of investigation their Visas would come up, and he and Chad might be in more trouble than they could handle...

"But we're contacting the Australian police, and they were able to give us a hand. Apparently it can connect to a major case they're working on now. But this guy...or girl, we don't even know, is good- I can see that. No fingerprints, no DNA...not a trace. Nuthin'. Two crime scenes and nothin' to go off. But we just know it's not you... that Gilligan fella, though...that can be another figure altogether..."

"Have you found him yet?" Maurice suddenly asked his sergeant, his eyes wide. He knew how upset his friends and family were about the news, and he hoped that Hoagie would be found soon, he regarded the guy as a close friend, and knew he would never do something as heinous as murder... especially Bonnie.

His sergeant sighed, grimly shaking his head. "No trace."

Maurice sighed, thinking of Cree. She was now a few months pregnant and very fretful with her new husband in prison. He'd have to call her as soon as he got out, he knew that. At least that was sorted. But there was something else he needed to get off his chest...

"Those files I ordered from Australia." Maurice grumbled to his superior. "I think the guys in them had something to do with it, especially if a victim is Australian... some friends of mine tipped me off, and if it's alright with you...I'd like to talk to them again."

His sergeant ran a hand through his thinning hair, casting a thoughtful look at the young man in front of him. It probably wasn't wise, but a look into those dark eyes told him he was desperate to right a wrong.

"Look, you're not technically on this case..." He snarled at him. "But any information we get is important, even if its off the books." Maurice straightened at that, the corners of his lips twitching in the signs of a hopeful smile. It wasn't all bad, he could still hold his head high at work. "...But for now, I think your wife needs to know you're alright."

Maurice let out a breath of air, his lips stretching into a grin. He dreaded rushing home to face her, but he knew as soon as he wrapped his arms around his wife the world would seem like a much more forgiving place.

* * *

_Dodge pressed his nose up against the glass of the phone booth, one hand pushing against the clear barrier and the other gripping his mother's skirt- holding onto her tight to make sure she didn't leave him behind. He didn't know where they were- it was a quiet, dreary place that was nothing like home. There was too much grass and dirt, and not enough buildings. Everyone gave them strange looks, he didn't recognise anyone._

_Dread was squeezed in beside him too, but he looked sulky as he leaned his back against the glass- glaring both up at his mother on the phone and down at his brother hanging onto her. He gave another audible growl, which Leyla again ignored as she held the phone up to her ear- her icy blue eyes wide and anxious as she held more coins at the ready. Both boys already noticed the fresh purple bruising that covered the right side of her face, and the blue and black lines that stained her bare, cold arms. _

"_I know, Ma." Leyla sighed softly into the phone, looking down every minute or so to check on her boys. "It's not the best solution, but it's the best I can do right now...it's too much...I-I know. I know. I...I can't say..." She quickly glanced around again- making sure the coast was clear. "The boys are with me. I don't know how long...I only have my savings..."_

_She waited at her mother's lengthy, cross response- holding the phone to her ear and patiently waiting for her to finish. She slipped in another coin, giving another tired sigh._

_Dodge looked up sadly. At four, he already recognised and hated the look his mother had. She wasn't smiling, she had a huge 'owie', she didn't want to go home and she was very quiet. He looked up to his brother instead, who at six had a better understanding of what was going on. Using the hand that was pressed against the glass he instead tugged on his brother's shirt, and was immediately shoved away, Dread giving him a snarl as he swatted his hand off. _

"_Screw off..." Dread hissed at him quietly, giving a cautionary glance upward before turning back to glare at him. "Get off me!"_

"_Mama's sad, Dread..." Dodge whispered to him, his glassy eyes wide. Dread growled. His little brother had that look- that pathetic whimper with the shaking bottom lip he got when he was about to cry. He hated that look. "Why's she sad?"_

_Dread rolled his eyes, glaring at him before staring back at his mother. He eyed that angry bruise on her face, and he knew who did it. He saw what happened, but of course his little brother didn't. His little brother never understood what happened, what feelings he felt. He had no idea- everyone wanted to protect him. _

_Dread's hands curled into tight little fists, and bitterly he turned back to his brother and leaned in down and close- pushing his face against Dodge's. Dodge stared back, wide teary eyes staring into darkening brown. _

"_Dad wants to kill Mummy." He hissed in his little brother's ear. "He's gonna try and kill her."_

_A harsh gasp rose in Dodge's throat, and he began to shake as tears pooled in his eyes. Fear overcame him, and he began to feel cold as he gripped his mother even closer, stepping as far away from his brother as he could. _

"_It's because of you!" He added quietly, his black eyes glancing upwards cautiously before narrowing them once more. "Daddy hates you, you're why he hates Mummy now. It's all your fault!"_

_Before he could hold it back Dodge let out a pitiful wail as the tears rolled down his cheeks. He grabbed a fistful of his mother's skirt and buried his face in it, stifling his loud sobs. Leyla had to groan, pulling the phone from her ear to snarl at her oldest son. _

"_Dread..." Her voice was clear with exasperation. "Please just-"_

"_I'm not doing anything!" Dread mumbled back, his face scrunching defensively. Leyla could quickly hear the quiver in his voice, and she knew at any moment she'd have to handle two sobbing boys, a feat she could never master. "He always gets me in tr-trouble..." His black eyes rippled, becoming softer as he looked away, his bottom lip trembling weakly. _

_Dodge continued to cry. Seeing this, Dread snarled and he shoved his brother roughly- sending him flying into the glass door. Crumpling against the glass Dodge began to wail, __squeezing __his eyes closed as he kicked back, the cramped environment working in his favour. Without thinking he balled his fist and let fly against his brother's skull, slamming him right in the eye just like his brother had many times before. Dread gasped as pain exploded in his face, and he started screaming, loudly._

"_MAAAAAAMMMAAAAAA!" _

"_Ma, I have to go." Leyla muttered into the receiver, already moving to hang up. "Yes, I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Okay- yes. Alright. Yeah. Okay, thanks- I think. Bye."_

_As quick as lightning Leyla swooped down to yank a shrieking Dread back from attacking his little brother, still sprawled against the door. He kicked and flailed in protest, creating havoc in the cramped booth. _

"_HE HIT M-M-ME!" Dread screamed at her. _

"_HE HIT ME FIRST!" Dodge hollered back. Leyla gripped his arm and pullied him out of the way, Dread tucked under her arm. _

_Leyla heaved a sigh, struggling to keep both of her screaming boys apart. It was hard, she knew it would be, to leave her new husband...but it seemed like she was fighting more than one war. _

* * *

Holly awoke a few hours after Leyla had left with a heavy pounding in her head, probably from all the hours of jetlag that were catching up to her. She grabbed a fistful of hair and groaned as she glared around the gloomy motel room, looking for any signs of life.

She frowned.

"_Leyla?" _She asked. When no reply came, she asked louder. "Leyla!"

Rolling over to grab her shoes she froze at a scrap piece of paper on the end table. She narrowed her eyes in the dim light.

_Holly,_

_Couldn't sleep. Went out for a walk. Be back soon. _

_Ley x_

Holly couldn't resist a scoff, throwing the blankets off and stuffing her feet into her shoes. A _walk? Yeah right. _Holly knew that Leyla wasn't the random-walking type, no matter how 'kickass' she'd gotten over the last year. She was the type to take matters into her own hands without thinking about the consequences, that was for certain.

The redhead twisted her lips in thought as she rose to button her shirt. She still had no idea where her best friend was, and that was her greatest concern. She had no idea where to start. Should she go to the police? Where were the guys, should she tell them? If Dread was with them...if they were a team, she knew everyone could be in danger. Making up her mind, she grabbed her jacket and the hotel keys and set off to the police station.

For once, she wanted to do the right thing.

* * *

Jake stared, gaping uncouthly at the sight in his doorway. His usually quick, logical thoughts (albeit slowed by alcohol) had completely frozen in time as he stared into those wide, icy blue eyes- looking all-too familiar from the pair he used to gaze into when he was only a teenager.

"_Buh." _Was all he could spit out, his lips moving of their own accord. His heart hammered harshly in his ears, and he could feel the back of his neck burn as the room went deathly silent. All he could see was those eyes- and a slow, steady smile creeping up on the sweet, innocent face gazing up at him. It was like she was fourteen again, and the same gorgeous smile was sending him weak in the knees. "Buh- neh- wha-"

His eyes scanned her quickly, and it was almost too much for him to take in. She hadn't changed- she still looked the same. Cinnamon coloured skin, flushed, pink cheeks, bright eyes, slender build, sweet, curved chest hidden beneath tiny white straps of a short dress-

Leyla had to smile. Seeing the infamous Jake Beatles knocked from his cocky perch was something only the gifted could achieve, and from the look he was giving her she could see she still possessed this rare skill.

She tilted her head to match his baffled stance. His usually dark, demanding eyes were glazed and wide- staring at her as though he'd seen a ghost. His eyes were that soft deep brown she loved so much. She had to admit, he hadn't changed much since she last took a good look at him. His skin was still kissed by the sun in a light tan, his black hair still looked permanently windswept and hung in his face, he still possessed the light sprinkling of black stubble and even the alcoholic beverage dangling in his hand was a familiar sight. Her eyebrows raised at the gun barrel still pointed at her, she reached over to gently tap down the outstretched arm.

"Are you going to be a gentleman and invite me in?" She queried casually, blinking those crystal blue eyes. "Or are we going to do this out in the hallway?"

With memories of the phrase '_do this' _echoing in his mind, Jake was dazed and stiff as he numbly shuffled aside, trying to push those dirty thoughts aside as he attempted to get over his original shock. As he closed the door behind her, he literally squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head- looking like a dog trying to rid his ears of water. But when he opened his eyes she was still there- those icy blue eyes studying him. He felt naked, like he couldn't hide anything from her. Sheepishly he clicked the safety back on his gun and shoved it back in his pocket.

"You cannot be serious." He finally scoffed, stepping out of his funk and instead narrowing his eyes at her. After the shock had slipped to the back of his mind, and the original passion-crazed teenage dirty thoughts phase had passed- he was determined to gain back his guarded role. After all, they were in the middle of a _War _here! "You cannot be here."

"Why not?" Leyla asked, turning around to stare pointedly at him. "I got on a plane, and I arrived here. What's the problem?"

"That's not the _issue..." _Jake quipped back, trying his best not to get distracted. He had to admit, his knees were shaking as he felt those icy eyes x-raying him...and that wasn't a feeling he had felt in a long time. He held his ground stubbornly, and allowed his defensive streak to flow freely, letting his blood boil as he gave the girl a suspicious glare. "Ley, is it a coincidence that as soon as your eff-ed up older son arrives you quickly follow? What are you up to?"

Leyla's eyes flashed at that, and a protective glare overcame her- a dark look even Jake had to wince at. He'd forgotten how shielding she was with her boys_. _Jake ran a hand through his hair in frustration, whirling around to stalk to the fridge for a beer. He was already getting a headache- it was too much to take in..._already. _

"I know Dread's here, Jake." Leyla muttered darkly, her motherly tone already coming in strong. "I know what he's up to. I'm not clueless at my kid's activities- and I also know Dodge is here. And you've been taking care of him-"

"Yeah well, that's nothing _new." _Jake hissed under his breath. He gripped the bottle in his hand tighter. Maybe it was his security blanket, but at that moment he preferred a vomiting drunk stupor rather than this conversation with his ex-lover...in a low cut dress.

Leyla heaved a sigh, following him. She never wanted a fight, despite the fact the pent-up anger of 20 years was still buried within her, she always convinced herself to let it go. It angered her to think that after all the years of them avoiding each other _he _held a grudge against _her. _She twisted her lips in frustration, thinking of all that had happened between them.

"The past is the past, Jake." She snapped in warning. "I didn't come here to fight with you, I came to make it right."

"Oh Jeez, what is this?" Jake scoffed, whirling around with his hand tightening on the bottle. He gave her an incredulous look- his dark eyes wide. "This a family vacation, or sumthin'? You gotta warn me if I'm suddenly gonna see your husband running around, cause I dunno if I-"

Leyla's own scoff interrupted his rant, and he turned to see her icy blue eyes gazing at him blankly- slightly narrowed.

"Chris isn't allowed to leave the country, but that's beside the point. He is no longer my husband."

There was a moment of silence, where Jake's dark eyes seemed to widen in surprise, now looking sheepish in the middle of the room. He moved to the couch, gnawing awkwardly on his bottom lip. He hated staring into that knowing icy gaze.

"Since when?"

She hesitated, sighing. "Since a few months ago."

"Is it for good this time?"

Leyla raised an eyebrow. "Yes. It's for good this time."

"That's new." Jake blurted out, unable to keep it in. He faltered. What did he care if she was single, divorced? He hadn't had a girlfriend in 20 years, what made him want to grab her now, his past best friend? There was no room for her here... "Good...for you, I guess."

"Thanks." Leyla scoffed, but still held a brilliant smile. If only he knew how her marriage had ended... "Took me a while, but I finally got there."

"Good." Jake mumbled, still as stubborn as ever. He took a gulp of beer. "Good for you." He repeated once again.

Leyla cocked an eyebrow, folding her arms over her slim chest. Jake was acting distant towards her...which was strange. She didn't know what to expect after 20 years of awkward glances and avoiding each other with their kids, but he seemed especially awkward considering the circumstances.

She looked around the apartment, taking it all in.

"So..." She sighed wistfully, lowering onto the couch. "This is where Dodge's been hiding for all these months?"

"I guess." Jake shrugged. "I only got here a couple of months ago."

"I know..." Leyla looked away awkwardly. "I...went looking for you, after the thing with Chris."

The quiver in her voice caused Jake to tense, and he turned on her with a fierce look. "The breakup, huh? I take it that it wasn't too friendly." He scoffed into his drink, trying not to let his protective streak get the better of him. She never wanted it, anyway.

But to his amazement, she gave him a small smile.

"I hurt him, actually. Pretty bad. But ironic, considering he's the one locked up."

Jake cocked an eyebrow. It had been a long time since he'd seen the brunette look so cocky, but here was Leyla giving him a sly grin as she looked around the room again, colour rising in her cheeks. There was another long moment of silence before she turned to him again, heaving a sigh.

"I'm sorry I left, Jake. I came back, but you'd already left."

Jake scoffed, drowning the rest of his beer in one gulp. A conversation that had been stewing for 20 years was not something he wanted to get into sober. He got to his feet to head to the fridge again, Leyla's ice blue eyes widening as he brought back three bottles.

"...I don't drink."

"Who said they're for you?" Jake smirked, ripping the top off the closest one. Leyla growled at him, folding her arms and watching him drink deeply.

"I see some things haven't changed..." She mumbled under her breath. Jake's hard glare snapped to her, and he could feel his emotions heightening, something that was supposed to be suppressed with alcohol. He could never hide anything from her, and he hated that nothing had changed in the last two decades. "Can you talk to me...without getting drunk?"

"No." He grinned simply, but his eyes flashed in warning. "I can't."

She twisted her lips. Sure, she knew she'd gotten on Jake's nerves...but to hold a grudge for that long?

"I didn't _want _to run off and get married to Chris." Leyla growled at him. "That's just how it happened. I could see you had no interest in me-"

Jake snorted into his beer at that one. Leyla closed her eyes for a few seconds, but otherwise ignored it.

"I...I was pregnant, and I was scared...I was barely fifteen, Jake. And I w-was going to have a baby...I wanted to talk to you about it-"

"There's nothing to talk about." Jake snapped at her, his eyes narrowed. The clawing in his chest was getting worse, and the last thing he wanted was to rip open old wounds. He was over it. Done. He took another gulp of beer, hoping his heartbeat would steady.

Leyla rolled her eyes. "When I came back for you, you'd gone to the US after your brother, I didn't know what to do-"

"There was nuthin' left for me there." Jake grumbled, staring straight ahead. Leyla flinched at that, remembering back to a scared fourteen year old girl with a swelling pregnant stomach crying at her best friend's house after seeing his empty room, wondering what the Hell she was supposed to do. Jake gave a careless shrug, knocking her back into the present. "Just packed up. Thought nobody would care. Well, I thought Derek would care." His eyebrows rose. "Got a rude shock there."

Leyla swallowed as she shakily found her voice. "W-well..._I _missed you. _I _cared. I really needed you, Jake-"

"Sorry, Ley." He mumbled darkly. "But you made ya choice."

Leyla winced at that. "I was fourteen!" She growled at him. "You're going to let something I did fourteen years ago affect us now? I was scared! Derek told me-"

Jake stiffened, his back straightening, and immediately Leyla swallowed everything she was about to say, her eyes wide.

"_Derek?" _Jake snarled, rounding on her. His fingers had tightened against the glass of the bottle, and she could see his eyes darkening dangerously. No longer a coffee-brown, they had hardened into a murky black, and she knew that look oh-too-well. "What'd Derek have to do with this? What does he have to do with _anything?"_

"Nothing." Leyla pushed herself from the couch, throwing her hands up in surrender. _I've probably made things worse, that's what I'm_ _good at._ "Just forget it, okay? I shouldn't have come here, you didn't care then and you clearly don't care now. I'm sorry. I'll just-"

"_Who says I don't care?" _Jake demanded, getting to his feet too. He dropped his empty beer bottle and it clattered to the floor as he stalked over to her, looking angry. "You think I don't care about you? Is that it?"

"Why would you?" Leyla snarled back at him, and numbly she realised they were getting into a fight, they were readying themselves for a battle. Just like a couple, just like close friends. "I'm just some nobody you screwed and then dumped! I don't mean anything to you!"

"You mean everything to me!" Jake blurted out, unable to stop the flow of words that seemed to cascade out of his mouth. "Ya fucking insane if you think I didn't fucking care! Why do you think I left? I couldn't stand to see you with an asshole that hit you! What made you think I could just stand by and accept you chose someone who hurts you over me? You think I _liked_ that? You think I _enjoyed _knowing you'd rather him over me? I must have been pretty bad in your eyes- to make _that _choice!"

Both of their eyes widened at that outburst, Jake panting and colour rising to his cheeks. He'd never put forth that much emotion before, and frankly he didn't know where it came from. Leyla looked down in shame, guilt filling her.

"It was never like that, Jake." She admitted quietly, her lips quivering. "You were always my choice, you were always my best friend and..._dammit." _She raised her head, and Jake could see her crystal blue eyes spark with tears. "Dammit I wanted you, I never thought you'd want me. Stupid, poor, bookworm, weakling me...I thought I'd never be good enough for a playboy like you. Everyone wanted you." Her voice was growing quieter and quieter as more truth spilled, and Jake felt his heart pounding so hard it echoed in his ears.

"Don't cry, Ley." He mumbled to her sheepishly. "I still hate seeing you cry."

He shuffled further towards her, his shoulders sinking as he let his guard down. He bit his lip awkwardly, his eyes rolling to the ceiling as he tried to take it all in. Alcohol still buzzed through his system, and he breathed heavy before gripping her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I don't hate ya..." He admitted. "You...You hurt me, yeah...an' I guess it hurts- knowing the girl I thought I fell for left me chose the jerk, and the girl I wanted to try again with chose my asshole of a brother." He sneered at that, wincing. "But you were pregnant, and...I dunno what that feels like. Guess you got one good thing out of it."

Leyla's damp eyes met his, and the corner of Jake's mouth curled up into a hopeful smirk.

"Ya got Dodge, I mean...he's a great kid. I wouldn't take him back for anything."

Leyla burst into a tearful smile. It was probably the most beautiful thing she could hear, that someone actually appreciated what she'd gone through- something wonderful had come out of something so horrible. It wasn't all a mistake, and it wasn't all a waste. She hated to admit that she made a mistake, but without that mistake she wouldn't have Dodge...and that made it all worth it. But her face fell as she took it all in, and she heaved a sigh.

"Oh, Jake..." She mumbled. "If you only _knew..." _

* * *

_Leyla was worried. Her eyes were wide and she continuously nibbled on her fingernails. But she knew she had to do it. She reached out for the phone and dialed the number, immediately passing the phone to her son, who looked up happily. _

"_Remember, baby..." She pleaded with him, her eyes wide. "No saying where we are, or what we've been doing. It's Mummy's secret- okay?"_

"_Okay." Dread nodded, holding the phone up to his ear. He hated seeing his Mum look so sad, he'd never go against her for that. He waited, kicking his feet. He looked over to see his mother was now pacing nervously, winding her hair around her finger. Dread looked over to see his little brother was still sleeping on the hotel bed._

"What." _A grunt came through the phone. Dread brightened._

"_Hi Daddy!"_

_Shuffling, a cough, and Dread heard his father reply, sounding much nicer than he did before._

"Hey, Dreadster..." _His father's rough voice cooed through the phone. _"How you doing Kiddo? Where's your Mum?"

"_I'm okay...kinda hungry though...Mummy's here." Dread heard him chuckle, it sounded like he was walking around the house._

"Can you put her on for me, dude? I miss you guys."

"_I miss you too, Daddy." Dread happily chirped through the phone. He moved it slightly from his ear as he turned to his mother. "Daddy wants to talk to you."_

_Leyla twisted her lips in anger. Fucking typical. She grabbed the phone and held it to her ear._

"_Stop playing around and talk to your sons, Chris." Leyla snapped at him. "They want to talk to you- not me."_

_She gave the phone back to Dread, who took it eagerly, but as he held it up to his ear, he froze as his dad's voice changed completely. _

"You fucking little slut, you come back to me with my kids this second or I'll slit your fucking throat!"

_Dread's eyes widened, his heart beating hard in his chest. He seemed to sink, the phone gripped tightly in his hand as he gave a little whimper, his eyes squeezing shut as he began to cry. _

"Aw shit. Dreadster, that wasn't meant at you. Daddy just misses you, Kiddo. I didn't mean that-"

_Leyla squeezed the bridge of her nose as Dread began to bawl, dropping the phone and bursting into sobs, shaking and whimpering. He buried both fists into his eyes, shaking at what he'd just heard. Leyla grabbed him, pulling him into her lap. He wailed into her chest, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. Leyla heaved a sigh, reaching over to hang up the abandoned phone. She couldn't help but feel guilty. It was her fault her babies felt like this- ripping them away from their dad, their dad being a jerk, her unable to find anywhere better... it was all too much, and Leyla could feel herself falling apart._

"_Daddy's mean!" Dread wailed, all ferocity lost. Usually such a cocky, confident kid- he seemed to crumble at the first sign of parental harshness. He really looked up to his dad, he hadn't seen the side everyone else had. Now he'd just caught a glimpse, and Leyla cringed at knowing that was only the beginning. Here she thought Chris would only keep that side of him reserved for her..._

_Wrong again. _

"_It's okay, Bub..." Leyla stroked his hair as he cried into her shoulder. "I'm sure Daddy didn't mean it-"_

"_I don't wanna g-g home! Daddy hates us!" Dread sobbed into her jacket, gripping her tightly. Leyla could only hug him close, rubbing his back and nuzzling into him. The weight of the world seemed to sit hard on her shoulders, and the worst sound she could possibly hear resonated in her ears. Dread sniffed, growling as he pushed away from her, his dark, bloodshot eyes staring up at her. He thought hard about it, why his Mum was so sad, why they had to run away all the time... He looked away, sniffing up his tears. His harsh glare fell on the sleeping figure of his little brother on the opposite hotel bed, and his anger flared up all over again. _

"_Daddy never hit you until __**he **__came along... Dread snarled. "Maybe Daddy hates us because you tried to replace him..." Dread finally grumbled shyly, looking down at the bedspread. Leyla looked up, her eyes wide. _

"_Bubba, I never replaced your Daddy..." Leyla choked up, reaching out to him. Dread looked stiff, and he couldn't look her in the eye. But Leyla knew all those signs- and she was well aware of the tears gathering in his dark irises. _

"_You replaced me..." Dread finally said, but it was in a voice so croaky and broken Leyla wasn't surprised when tears soon skidded down his cheeks- his lips trembling as his shoulders began to shake with harsh, heartbreaking sobs. He pushed his fists into his face as he tried to suck up his wails, but his mother's arms soon wrapped around him and scooped him up closer so he was buried in her neck again- crying and wailing like every kid knows how to do. Leyla attempted to sniff back her own tears as she felt her son hold onto her and cry, tears and snot staining her shirt. Her hand held his head, her fingers tickling his thick hair. The other rubbed at his back, pushing him closer to her heartbeat. _

"_I would never replace you, baby..." She told him, her chin against his forehead. "Mummy'd never do that. Mummy loves you too much..."_

* * *

Nigel and Rachel sat side by side in the hospital, their eyes wide and eager as they saw Patton's mother emerge from the ward. Her tired eyes searched around the room briefly before landing on them, and the couple stood quickly and made their way over.

"He-he's alright..." She said breathlessly, sniffling. Nigel heaved a sigh of relief, whereas Rachel just gazed at the woman pitifully. She looked tense and worried, her eyes bloodshot and swollen probably from worried crying. They only heard a few hours before, but he'd been brought in around midnight, in intensive care for nine hours now. She'd been there the entire time. "Y-you can go see him. Luckily th-the bullet didn't hit any vital organs...police will talk to him later..." She heaved a shaky sigh, clearly stirred by the entire event. "I...I better go call his father, the hospital said it was okay to go home and-"

"It's okay..." Rachel nodded soothingly, her hand on the woman's arm. "Go and sleep, you've been through a lot tonight."

Mrs Drilovsky gave her a small smile before bustling off, her head lowered. It had been years but Rachel still remembered the woman fondly, always home when the friends visited, always sweet and always smiling...it was strange to think after all these years this was how they were meeting- not at school, or parties...but hospital. She never thought it would be like this.

Nigel tugged gently on her arm, nodding to the door. "You want to see him?"

"Yeah..." Rachel sighed, giving him a small smile. "I hope he's alright."

* * *

When Holly entered the police station all she could do was shiver. It was hard for her to maintain her composure when she knew she was there to discuss her past wrongdoings, and who was after them. It made it so much more real. She hated to think about it.

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind as she made her way up to the front counter. Before she could reach it, a voice made her freeze in her tracks.

"_Holly!"_

She turned in alarm, and only frowned when she saw a familiar looking guy making his way towards her. He was dark skinned with dark hair in short dreadlocks, and was dressed in a police uniform. His dark eyes were wide, and when he reached her he hissed in a hushed voice _"What are you doing here?"_

"Do I know you?" She snapped at him, frowning. He bit his lip, looking cautiously at the front desk before replying.

"My name's Maurice. I met you at my..." He sighed. "...Bachelor party."

"Oh yeah." She gave a feeble smile. "Your Bonnie's friend."

"Yeah..." He mumbled, feeling awkward. It felt great to be back on a team again, working on solving a case- but it was stressful enough knowing the victim, now it looked suspicious that her best friend walked in through the door. Maurice was expecting a whole lot of yelling and screaming, but Holly looked calm. He frowned. Maybe this could work in his favour... "Are you here about Bonnie?"

"Ah...kinda..." Holly muttered. "I haven't had a chance to catch her yet, I needed to warn you about-" She broke off, her heart freezing in her chest. Suddenly the room felt painfully cold to Holly, and her mind was wiped blank. Something was wrong. "What...what about Bonnie?" Her voice had lowered, rasping painfully as she looked into his eyes. Maurice couldn't meet her gaze.

"She...she was brought in a few days ago..." he admitted, and his hand found her shoulder as he swallowed hard. "Someone...someone shot her, Holly. I'm so sorry."

Holly just stared at him, her hazel eyes wide. He swallowed, and tried to shake himself from that pained stare. He felt that she was shaking.

"I'm...I'll ask you to come with me, to make a statement-"

Before he could even finish, Holly had exploded.

"_Are. You. SERIOUS?" _She hissed angrily at Maurice, her hands curling into fists as she beared her teeth at him. "I just found out my best friend is DEAD! And you want to bring me into the questioning box?"

"You're the only person who knows who she is!" Maurice pleaded with her, his eyes wide. "Nobody knows her, we're waiting for the results from the Australian police! But if I can provide a witness, you can-"

"You mean a _suspect." _Holly hissed, stabbing him in the chest with her finger. "You just want to get back into the good books with your cop friends! Nobody else knows what's going on but you do! More than you're letting on I bet! You told them that _you're _the reason she's in this country?"

Maurice narrowed his eyes, his lips a thin line as Holly's wild eyes glared into his. He took a deep breath.

"If you give a testimony, we can help find the killer." He hissed to her lowly. "We're trying to help-"

"I know who the killer is! And I know I can get a sentence just by being _in _this country! All of us can!" She glared, and she could feel the sadness quickly overtaking the anger. Grief seeped into her- memories of Bonnie's face and Bonnie's grin and Bonnie promising everything will be okay... She pushed them aside for now, wiping at her eyes quickly before returning to growl at him. "I'll be the one doing the justice here! We all will!"

"You don't know what you're doing!"Maurice hissed at her. "We're cops, we won't stop until we find her killer. There'll be more evidence coming and your police back home want this solved too. We're not giving up that easily."

"How can you make a conviction when the perp's _dead?" _She snarled, her head tilting as her eyes narrowed. "I'll make sure of that."

Maurice groaned, and with growing resentment he realised he was going to have to go about this the hard way.

"Look." He snarled. "You worked with her. Her body's been identified. You've got no way out of this. You _have _to give a statement."

"I don't have to give you anything." Holly sneered, folding her arms. "I'm not a suspect. I have an alibi."

"It'll be ruled as suspicious behaviour if you don't comply with police procedure." Maurice reminded her angrily. "It'll be enough grounds to make you a suspect."

Holly's lips trembled. Her eyes were still angry. But Maurice could see despite the girl's fearless stance, the girl that remained angry and tough as nails throughout all her life, she was failing. She was becoming weaker as the situation finally hit her, and the tears crept back into her eyes and this time she didn't have the strength to wipe them away. The terrible, blunt truth she'd been denying finally sunk in painfully, and Maurice watched as despair took over.

The redhead sunk delicately to the chair behind her, and she buried her face in her hands to hide. Her shoulders shook, tears leaked from her fingers, and her hair hung limp as she began to cry. All the grief, the loss and the horror had hit her like an oncoming truck, and she wished for her best friend more than ever.

"_Oh God..." _She choked out, finally feeling completely and utterly alone in the world. She began to cry harder and louder, sobbing and choking into her hands as she completely let go, unable to deny the truth anymore.

Maurice sunk down beside her and wrapped an arm around her. He didn't know her, but he still felt the grief radiating from her, and he too felt the pain. He couldn't stand her looking so alone.

"It'll be okay..." He promised her, his voice low and gentle. "Holly, don't worry. It will be alright."

Holly collapsed into him, crying and sobbing until her throat ached and her head pounded. But she still didn't stop. The pair didn't know how long they were sitting there, but Maurice held her close and silently listened to her weep over her best friend.

* * *

Fanny could feel her throat contract painfully as she saw the eager, sick look on the stranger's face as he abandoned the young girl on the floor to leer over her. She stared up at those cold grey eyes, giving him the meanest sneer she could muster. She couldn't believe she was pressed against the cold brick wall, her lower body numb and frozen. She clenched her fists in frustration as she painfully thought of Dodge, and how it felt to be pressed against him and secure in his arms- like it was the safest haven in the world. Like nothing could ever happen to her, she was safe. She'd gotten used to that, being protected.

She wanted that feeling back. Staring up at Jayden's cruel, empty storm grey eyes, all she could feel was cold and empty.

"_Well..." _Jayden growled at the figure, nudging her with his sneaker as he twirled his switchblade in his fingers. Fanny grimaced as the blade caught the light, the metal shimmering menacingly. Her back ached from being pressed against the concrete. "You gonna talk or what? We haven't got all day."

The fierce redhead twisted her lips angrily and squeezed her eyes closed. A flow of self-hatred ebbed through her, and she cringed as she swallowed hard. She didn't want to give up on protecting Dodge, even if he'd given up on protecting her. She still could smell him on her, his scent. She could remember his eyes, his smile. She couldn't push him into enemies' hands...

But she could also see those icy blue eyes cold and hardening, those soft hands curling into brutal fists, that sweet smile curled into a snarl.

_Dodge is a fighter. _She told herself firmly, and his reassuring voice seemed to echo through her mind. Her eyes opened.

She felt helpless, and at that moment Mushi's frightened gaze was the only in view.

"Dodge...lives Downtown." She looked up into Jayden's face, curled into a malicious smirk.

By looking down at the redhead, he knew she had given in-the once bright defiant flame in her eyes had been extinguished. And it was _so easy. _He gripped his knife tightly, his heart drumming excitedly in his ears.

"In an apartment complex..." She sighed, looking towards the grime covered floor as tears filled her eyes. Memories of his bedroom flashed in her eyes, the happiness draining from her as she felt nothing but betrayal and defeat. It weighed on her shoulders heavily. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. "On Nepean Street, the big apartment building...it's a brick building...and it's on the fifth floor- apartment B." Her stomach and heart clenched painfully within her chest, and she felt numb as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

There was a thick silence as Jayden let out a surprised scoff, dropping down to her level. Fanny's eyes jumped to the blade held close to her face.

"_If you're lying to us, bitch..." _He cooed, low and rough. "You'll regret it."

She flinched as the tip of the blade jabbed near her skin, and she was positive she was pricked. She didn't care. The door slammed behind Jayden and locked automatically as he left. Fanny winced as she felt warm, salty tears roll down her cheeks, Mushi and Hoagie's murmurs of comfort barely met her ears. The grief seemed to consume her, and all she could feel was pain- inside and out.

She _missed _him. And that was the harshest pain of all.

Mushi sniffed as she pushed herself off the ground, rolling onto her back and wincing as she was still bound. She stared up at the ceiling. That was twice now she'd escaped narrowly. She felt worthless, positive she'd never see the light of day again. Her despair showed on her face, and her throat constricted painfully as she tried to cry, but no tears came.

A murmur cut through the grim silence of the room, and Hoagie found the strength to look at his shrunken friend, a girl he still looked at with admiration-she still looked so beautiful. But her fire was gone, she slumped weakly. So unlike her.

"W...what'd you say, Fan?" He whispered to her. She sniffed again, raising her head to shower wet, blotched face. She was crying, and it cut into him to see his friend in such a way. Fanny Fullbright never _ever _cried.

"_I miss him." _She choked out raggedly, her dark eyes wide at her friend. Her voice was tight, pleading. A tone she'd never taken before. _"I miss him so much, Hoags..." _Tears flooded from her eyes again, but she didn't stop. She couldn't wipe them away. _"I just want him back. I-I just love him. So much. I need him so badly right now..."_

Hoagie looked on with despair, knowing he couldn't help. He wanted to know how any of them got into this, what they did to deserve this. He felt his own tears burst behind his eyes and he looked away hopefully to the door-hoping there was some way -any way- that he could get out of this alive.

Fanny's head dropped to her knees, and she broke down into huge sobs, every emotion escaping from her in those desperate pleas. She sniffed, closing her eyes against her legs as she gave one final whimper.

"_D-Dodge..."_

* * *

Dodge was torn the second he saw the hospital approach, and walking inside all he could feel was a tangle of emotions knotting within him. He not only felt unbelievable fury at both letting Fanny out of his sight and Dread getting his hands on her, but frantic worrying and sadness at not knowing what could happen next. His brother was never predictable when it came to violence, and he doubted he was feeling merciful after their little stint back home landed his ass in jail, so Dodge didn't know what to think, or what to do. All he knew was he wasn't in control anymore...and he would do anything for that control back.

He needed his girl back.

Wallabee charged forward the second the room was in view, and as soon as they entered he let out a sigh of relief. Nigel and Rachel were still there, by the bedside. And they didn't look too grim or shocked, in fact they were actually talking to the bed's occupant. He made his way over, trying to avoid looking too suspicious with three strangers following close behind, Dodge especially looking particularly deadly. Dingo even grabbed the back of his shirt as they got closer- he wasn't sure if it was above him to grab a pillow and start asphyxiating the bedridden Patton

"Hey guys..." he greeted lowly as he made his way into the room. Nigel looked up, his dark eyes softening. A small smile crossed Rachel's face, and she moved over closer to her boyfriend so Wallabee could approach the bed.

Wallabee couldn't hold back a wince as he lay eyes on one of his good friends. Patton's bed was slightly risen, so his glassy, dark eyes were gazing around at his friends lazily as they surrounded his hospital bed, but other than that he looked virtually dead. His bed was in the corner of the intensive ward, and the anaesthetic was wearing off, but a few drips were still attached to his arm and he felt numb. He couldn't remember much from what happened between the sound of gunshots and the wail of ambulance sirens, but he was gradually filling in the blanks.

Nigel was by his head, watching over him and getting gentle, quiet responses. All of them were anxious to find out what happened to Fanny, and who the Hell shot the gun in the first place, but Patton could barely manage to sit up, let alone give any prominent details. He'd given a short statement to police, but other than that had been left to rest.

Wally's sharp emerald eyes softened immediately when he saw him. Strong, stubborn, fighting Patton looked so weak and sedated, he was a pale figure with a mess of black hair on hospital sheets. Anger soared through him to think that somebody could do this to him- just fire a gun with an attempt to kill such an innocent person, his _friend. _It made his lips curl into a sneer.

Dodge, however, was less sympathetic. His dark eyes only narrowed upon seeing him as he began to wistfully wish that it was his girl in here with him- he'd rather her be temporarily wounded than out of his sight with his psychotic brother.

"What _happened, _Man?" Wally had to ask in a small voice, his eyes wide as he took him in. Patton weakly managed a smile, the drugs causing his mind to swim with dizziness. His smile faded however, as he let out a small sigh, wincing. No matter how many numbing agents they gave him, he could still feel his insides tightening in pain.

"I…I dunno…" Patton weakly mumbled, frowning as he struggled to shift his numb body. He hated hospitals. "I was out with Fan, and these guys just shot at us…they took her…" His heart tightened in his chest as he hissed in pain, swallowing hard. He felt guilty enough without all these eyes on him. He froze, shifting his gaze further.

_Shit._

Dodge glared back, his arms folded. His fingers twitched as he felt Dingo tug him back, restraining him. But both of them knew what he was thinking, what was behind those darkening blue orbs.

Patton frowned in memory, rolling his eyes back to Wallabee before momentarily going back to the trio standing back.

"N' yeah… I met your brother."

Dodge's eyes flashed darkly. A small twitch-

"_Son of a-" _

Both Dingo and Trent rushed forward to grab Dodge back from launching himself onto the patient, Dingo grabbing at his shoulders and Trent wrapping his arms around his waist as the pair dragged him back, Dodge lashing out like a rabid dog.

"My brother might not have killed you, asshole!" Dodge snarled at him, kicking out any way he could, his glare murderous. "But I will! I TOLD YOU to stay away from her!"

"I didn't know, okay!" Patton couldn't help but snap back, his torso actually rising from the bed. But at a strangled gasp, Nigel forcefully pushed him back, giving both the boys a lecturing glare. Patton winced at the sting in his chest, his skin prickling unpleasantly but his glassy glare still focused on Dodge. "They tricked me! I didn't mean to send her there!"

"_Send _her there?" Wally asked, frowning. Dingo and Trent forcefully tried to subdue Dodge, who was still ranting threats behind the curtain. There was no way he could contain his frustration at the guy who single-handedly gave his girlfriend to the wolves. "What are you talking about?"

Patton hesitated, but he swallowed deeply as he looked up at his friend, his lips twisting in thought.

"My friend Aaron was there…" he mumbled quietly. "he said there were these guys buying drugs, and they were after _them." _He nodded at Dingo, who had reappeared beside his brother. His head tilted curiously. Patton cleared his throat, wincing at the action. He flexed his fingers, the numb needles moving with him. It was enough to make him feel sick. "They told me they were criminals, which I already knew…" he added lowly, looking away. "So I thought it was for her own good they see her, but they took her and…" He broke off, looking down at his drip again. "They didn't really give me a good chance to stop them."

"Don't blame yourself, Pat." Rachel put in from the side, her hazel eyes gazing at him warmly. "It wasn't your fault, I'm sure she'll be okay.."

"Both Fanny _and _Hoagie will be okay." Nigel assured her, his arm going around her shoulders. The leader could see just how much this was affecting Rachel, and her hazel eyes gazed up at him with worry. He gave her a light peck on the cheek, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "They'll be just fine."

Wallabee looked over to see Dodge was frowning in the corner, his eyes darkening in apparent thought. Without a word he turned on his heel and stomped out of the room. He hesitated, but quickly jogged after him.

Trent, however, only frowned in thought, looking towards Nigel with his grey eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Hoagie?" He repeated, cocking his head. "I think I saw his picture at the police station…any trace yet?"

Nigel shook his head. "None we've heard of…" he pulled out his phone. "Been trying to call him though, it's like he left without a trace."

Trent and Dingo exchanged glances.

"Try again." Trent suggested, before Dingo roughly elbowed him. Trent threw him a glare but nodded again to Nigel. The Brit swiftly switched his gaze between the two, now completely confused…it wasn't an emotion that sat well with him. But he redialled Hoagie's number anyway, and both he and Rachel jumped when Hoagie's familiar ringtone rang through the room shrilly.

Dingo glared guiltily before pulling it out of his pocket.

"_Guess we know whose this is, now…"_ He grumbled under his breath.

"How'd you get that?" Rachel scowled, her frown deepening. "Where is he?"

"We found it at the garage…" Dingo sighed. "Right when…we think our mate bandit went missing."

"They must have taken Hoagie too." Trent bit his lip, attempting to think back to his brother. He could come up with no reason as to why their previous employee could have been abducted along with bandit…unless they didn't want any witnesses, or they needed bait against Bandit-

"_Shit." _He hissed, grabbing Dingo's jacket and yanking him down so they were face to face. "They must have Mushi too, she's missing as well."

"Are they building an army or something?" Dingo asked, now thoroughly confused. "Why else-"

"We gotta go." Trent dismissed, letting go and stomping off without another word. Dingo was left blinking in alarm, frowning as he tried to process this new information. He gave another awkward look to the trio before following his friend, quickly jogging out of the doors to keep up. Nigel and Rachel gaped after them, the two completely dumbfounded.

Trent glared around the empty hallway, his brow furrowed as Dingo almost ran into him.

"Where the fuck did they go?" Dingo demanded, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the rom for the rest of the quartet. Trent frowned.

"Did they-"

"_Fuck!" _Dingo suddenly hissed, slamming his foot angrily against the hospital tile as the dreaded thought entered his mind. "_My CAR!"_

* * *

_Bandit shook in the tiny booth he was crammed in- staring at the screen before him with wide, fearful blue eyes. His fingers shook and his teeth clamped down at his chapped lips as he stared at the many buttons before him- twitching as his mind ticked away in a panic. _

"_Bandit, just relax..." He heard a familiar voice behind him, and he spun around in alarm- so fast the wire hanging from his headset wrapped around his torso and he stumbled to the ground, entangled in wire. Emma bit back a laugh, reaching down instead to pull her friend to his feet. "...It's just drive-thru."_

"_B-but I'll stuff this up!" Bandit yelped at her, gripping her arm as he scrambled to his feet. He adjusted the cap on his head, identical to the one she was wearing. The two were cramped in the small booth. It was 1AM so it was relatively safe to talk, the windows showed a pitch black sky and a clear road, with nobody approaching the speaker box. "I...I kept stuffing up in the kitchen an-an I kept forgetting how to make burgers and then I screwed up the coffee and I didn't even know how to MOP, Belle-"_

_Emma heaved a sigh, pinching her nose. Admittedly, her manager had exploded at her the day before as to why she recommended this bumbling klutz that was her best friend to be in a job with her, but at 17 they were cheap workers, and she knew Bandit needed the money more than anyone. _

"_Just relax, Bandit!" She hissed over his whines- giving him a determined glare with her dark brown eyes. "It's drive-thru, and barely anyone comes through at this time. You just take the order, push the button, and do a cash transaction. It's easy!"_

_Bandit's bottom lip trembled, and he gave the cash register a look as though it was about to sprout fangs and bite him. "B...B...But- can you show me how to put money through again?"_

"_Bandit..." Emma tried again, her patience wearing thin. "We've gone through it nine times now..."_

"_I...I know!" He whimpered, reaching up and tugging at his hair. It was a nervous habit she knew all too well, and his black hair was so wild and shaggy it stuck out randomly under his cap. "I just...I don't wanna stuff up again-"_

"_You'll be FINE!" Emma insisted, giving him one of her brightest smiles. Bandit gave her a sheepish look, looking down at her brilliant pearly whites. That smile was so contagious. She nudged him, causing him to give a scoff. "Bambi! You'll do great!"_

"_Thanks, Belle." He mumbled at her, his pale cheeks flushing a light pink. A small 'ding' went through the booth and he jumped in alarm, Emma looking up at the camera to see there was a car approaching the speaker. _

"_You know what to do..." She grinned at him. "Just calm down..."_

"_C-can't I just get the food instead?" He gave a final plea. She nudged him, and he shakily cleared his throat._

"_H-Hi. I-I mean- W-welcome to-"_

"_Three large cheeseburger meals please. And yes, all with coke."_

_Bandit jumped, immediately flustered. Emma sighed, stepping forward and pressing some buttons, nudging her best friend once again to unfreeze him. _

"_Um...that's...um- $14.85...please drive through."_

_The car drove towards the window and Emma gave him a look, rolling her eyes before returning to her duties. He'll be just fine._

_..._

"_BRANDON!"_

_Bandit yelped, the kids meal toys he'd been playing with scattering to the floor as he whirled around to face his boss- who was giving him a strange look. Nobody really wanted anybody to see a name tag of 'Bandit' in his workplace, so he'd been branded with the mainstream 'Brandon' instead. His workmates still took pity on him and addressed him by his actual name- but his manager David took it upon himself to rename him entirely. _

"_Are you being diligent?" _

"_Uh...yeah!" Bandit winced, straightening awkwardly as he forced himself look into his boss' eyes. "I...um, have never taken a test or anything- but I bet my IQ level is pretty high-"_

_A frown darkened his features, and a lump formed in Bandit's throat, causing the rest of his sentence to end in a squeak. David only rolled his eyes, nodding to the screen as he turned on his heel._

"_You have a customer."_

_Bandit jolted as he too saw a car approach, and hastily straightened his headset as he prepared for humiliation. Already a few guys from school had rolled through to poke fun at him (Dingo and Dodge had playfully driven through at least six times demanding food and trying to sneak him drinks) but he didn't recognise the car this time, and he braced himself for the worst. _

"_Oi!"_

_He jumped at the snap that blared through the headphones, beginning to shake as he gaped into the tiny microphone. _

"_Um- s-s-sorry- h-hi I mean! I...welcome to-"_

"_I want a burger!" The gruff voice demanded impatiently. "No...wait- ten." A huge chorus of laughter followed the snigger, and Bandit's heart sank as he recognised the voice anywhere. His friend- well, EX friend's older brother- Jayden. His throat tightened as memories of Trent surfaced in his mind and he tried desperately to shove them aside as he focused on the task at hand...mainly, the daunting reality that Jayden and co had cruised up to his work at 3AM to make his shift a personal Hell. _

"_What type of burger?" Bandit sighed resentfully. _

"_I don't know..." Jayden snarled back through the speaker. "I'm not the burger expert here, I just want ten fucking burgers and I want them now!"_

"_Do you want different burgers, or all the same?" Bandit asked timidly, already feeling his cheeks burning at promising conflict. His hands shook as he attempted to carry out the task. _

"_Different, DUH!" Jayden spat back impatiently. "Now!"_

"_Uh...did you want them with fries and-" Bandit broke off as he realised the car was already rolling past the speaker and towards him, and he swallowed with difficulty. "-drink?"_

_Before he could properly gather his courage the car screeched to a halt outside of his window and all four occupants lurched forward and were thrown back at Jayden's braking skills. Jayden smoked playfully on a cigarette in the drivers seat, grinning cheekily as a collective groan went through the car. _

"_Watch it, Jay!" Shane snarled in the backseat, holding the liquor bottle in his hand delicately. "You almost made me spill the JD!" _

"_Are we gonna eat or what?" A blonde Bandit only knew as Lucas whined from the backseat. He was rolling joints in his lap- a fairly difficult task with who was at the wheel. "I'm starving!"_

_But Bandit was frozen in place for a completely different reason. He could see- passed Jayden's rummaging around for loose notes and change- a figure in the front passenger seat that was stiff and alert as well. Dread, previously sulky, had perked up at hearing a familiar voice come through the shaky static of the speaker box, and was now leaning across the console with his dark, dangerous eyes firmly locked in on Bandit- his pale face and harsh eyes illuminated by the fluorescent lighting of the fast food joint. _

_Jayden scoffed in annoyance as he gathered up enough crumpled notes in his fist to shove at Bandit through the window, who feebly scooped them up to count- anything to break that sickening eye contact. His heart was pounding in his ears and his skin prickled as he felt himself being watched._

"_Oh fuck..." Jayden snarled, eyeing Bandit with his own stark grey eyes. "Not __**you." **_

"_Did you want fries and a drink or not?" Bandit hissed to them, anxious to get this conversation over with. Dread's eyes were burning holes in his skin and he couldn't stand that hungry glare- it almost made him feel guilty, and if Belle walked in-_

"_Yeah, four- the rest whatever. Make sure there're cheeseburgers!" Jayden grumbled, now equally in a rush to get this over with. He too was aware of his friend's sudden panther-like stance, and it was undeniably awkward, and it annoyed him to no end. Suddenly, Bandit's shaky fingers were confident as they danced across the pad, entering the order and putting through the money. He could still feel those eyes. _

"Bandit."

_He winced, nibbling on his bottom lip as he felt his cheeks flush warmly. He tried to concentrate._

"Bandit."

_He put through the money, his shaky fingers counting the change. _

"Bandy Baby...Bambi..."

_The change clattered back onto the counter, and Bandit swore under his breath. _

"Fucking look at me, Bambi!"

_He whirled around, his face now a hot pink and Dread now leaning out of the car, lifting himself up to the window so they were eye-to-eye. He could hear Jayden swearing fluently in the background, but Dread's fierce and dangerous glare was centre stage as he was almost joining Bandit in the window, and the teenager had to step back in alarm as he was face to face once again with someone who got him into this mess in the first place. _

_Dread blinked, and Bandit could see that behind those coal eyes of fury he was mellowing, softening as he took in his (resentfully) ex boyfriend. _

"_Why won't you pick up your phone?" Dread whined at him, his black eyes wide. "I've been calling you all day, and texting. You never answer-"_

"_I got a new phone." Bandit snarled under his breath, gripping the change in his hand but too scared to move. Dread's eyes narrowed, and his hands gripped tighter on the counter._

"_What's the number? Why are you here? When do you finish?" _

"_Just go away." Bandit pleaded with him in a whisper, his eyes wide. "Leave me alone..."_

"_I'm not leaving until you talk to me!" Dread snarled at him, and Bandit could see the change in his face. "Stop being a fucking bitch about it! Come home with me. Get in the car."_

"_Excuse me- my car!" Jayden pointed out in the front seat. Dread paid no attention, he only tensed further. Before Bandit could jump Dread gripped him hard, dragging him forward so their noses were almost touching. Bandit whimpered, feeling close to wetting his pants. His heart was hammering in his ears and he felt that familiar feeling of hopelessness creep over him. It was cold. _

"_Don't fucking run away from me, Bambi." Dread hissed at him, his grip like a vice. "You'll regret it."_

"_Let m-me go-" Bandit began to panic, yanking backwards and stumbling. He gasped for breath as his heart hammered hard in his throat. "Lemme go, Dread! I mean it! LET ME GO!"_

"_I SAID I WAS SORRY!" Dread shouted back, pulling back hard. He wasn't about to give up that easily, and Bandit went skidding forward. "GET IN THE FUCKING CAR! COME WITH ME!"_

"_GET OFF ME!"_

"_I. Won't. Tell. You. Again." Dread snarled through gritted teeth, his grip now so tight he could feel the skin bruising. Bandit stared, his ocean blue eyes wide and panicky. He couldn't hold back, and he felt himself slam painfully into the counter as Dread grabbed him and pulled him completely off the floor, sliding across and out of the window. Bandit kicked and pleaded, grabbing whatever he could as he felt Dread hang onto him, pulling him into his chest. _

"_What the HELL!" Emma came running in from the cash registers, her eyes wide. Bandit yelped at her, more hands grabbing at him as he was dragged into the car. _

"_I DON'T WANNA GO, BELLE!" Bandit screamed at her, thrashing. "LEMME GO!"_

"_LET GO OF HIM!" She shouted out, charging forward to grab him. But Dread slammed his fist into her, Pulling Bandit closer into the vehicle as he gave her a hateful glare._

"_Fuck off, Girlie!"_

_The second he heard her yelp that was it for Bandit, and even though he was halfway in the car he threw his fist at anything he could reach- and unfortunately for Jayden it was his right eye. _

"_MOTHERFUCKING...OW!"_

"_LEMME GO!"_

"_DROP HIM DUDE!" Lucas grabbed him from the backseat as Bandit threw a kick at him, scrambling across the leather seats to jump out of the other side. _

"_GET BACK HERE BANDIT!" Dread snarled at him, quickly snatching at him as well as climbing back into the car. It was a tangle of bodies, and amongst it all Belle had recovered from the strong hit, and through her daze she gave a small growl, launching across and aiming a punch right into Dread's temple. There was a thud as his skull hit the car roof, and the passenger door opened as Bandit tumbled out, panting and gasping for air as he fell into the shrubs. He stumbled back onto his feet, staring up at the car as he fell back into the dirt. _

"_NO!" He heard his ex scream, charging after him. Jayden grabbed him back, already fully aware of how much of a scene they'd caused. _

"_Drive!" Shane snarled at him, slamming the passenger door closed. Jayden sped off, quickly slamming to a stop to grab their food at the next window, before accelerating quickly again, the car disappearing into the night. _

_Without wasting any time Emma slid out of the window out onto the driveway, panting as she approached her frightened friend in the bushes. Bandit noticed a cut above her eye- which was sending a small trickle of blood down her pale face. _

"_Are you okay?" She asked breathlessly, her caring eyes wide. _

_Bandit only shook his head, and even though he tried so hard to keep it in the tightening in his chest suddenly burst, and his shoulders shook as he burst into uncontrollable sobs, falling back into the dirt and plants as he completely let go. Belle dropped down next to him, wrapping an arm around her crying friend. Bandit collapsed into her, feeling completely pathetic. He could never do anything right. _

"_I-I c-can't even have a j-job! I f-find a way to f-fuck that up!" He wailed pitifully. "I'm fucking useless!"_

"_It's not your fault, Bambi!" Belle sighed at him, stroking his hair. "It's __**his **__fault, not yours! Come on, you were going so good-"_

"_It's useless, Belle!" Bandit sniffed, and pushed himself off her. She got a good look at his face- blotchy and covered with tears, his lips were trembling as he attempted to wipe away most of the mess, sniffling. "I can't do anything. He won't let me. I'm so fucking stupid...I keep twitching and shit...I fuck everything up-"_

"_You can get past this." Belle told him sternly, her hand finding his. "I promise, Bandit. You'll be okay. You just fought him off! He didn't get you this time..."_

"_But he will, Belle..." Bandit whimpered, and he stared down at the dirt rather than meet her gaze. He felt horrible enough. "I...I need him..."_

Bandit jolted awake, his eyes wide and his lungs screaming for pair. He gulped in deep breaths, his dark eyes jolting around the room in a panic, staring in alarm as Belle's voice echoed in his ears.

Another dream.

Groaning he attempted to rise off the rough, scratchy mattress, but was immediately shoved back against the surface, his head pounding. Dread's arm weighed against him heavily, draped across his torso and his face pressed against his back. Deep snores vibrated against his spine, and Bandit shivered as he felt chills speed down his body with heavy breath Dread took.

He froze, quietly panicking. He couldn't remember anything, why he felt so sore, why his head was pounding, why Dread was cuddling him...all he could remember was being pressed against the ground, a foot digging into his shoulder blades. He remembered crying, not...this.

_This is too familiar. _

An eerie feeling overcame him, and all he wanted to do was shuffle away from Dread's hard body, which was holding him too close for comfort. It was too much, like they used to be...

"_Mmm..." _Dread growled into his back in half-conscious warning, snuggling his nose into his skin. Bandit swallowed hard, his fingers flexing as he tried again to wriggle away. Teeth scraped against the soft flesh against his spine, and Bandit held in a yelp as he felt a wet substance slick against his flesh.

_Oh yeah... _He cursed at himself. _Dread's a biter._

He lay completely still, closing his eyes and concentrating on breathing. His thoughts were still fuzzy and disconnected, and he had a hard time remembering where he was, why he was here. He was twitching, his mind swimming and he felt eerily numb. The only thing that held him to reality were those damned snores against his back.

A loud thump against their door knocked him out of their thoughts, and Dread dangerously bared his teeth again. Bandit held in a gasp.

"_Oi!" _Jayden screamed through the door. _"DREAD! Put some fucking clothes on or wake up- one or the other! We got INFO!"_

Without waiting for an answer Jayden burst into the room, the door slamming back off the wall. Dread jolted awake with an angry snort and immediately slammed his fist against Bandit's shoulder, earning a loud yelp.

"_OW!" _Bandit cried out in pain, squeezing his eyes closed with a hiss. He only just realised how dry his throat was, how croaky his voice sounded. "What was that for!"

"Sorry..." Dread grumbled at him, blinking and rubbing at his eyes. "Natural reflex..." As a way of apology he slumped back down again over Bandit's body, closing his eyes again and gently kissing the now red mark.

"_Wake the fuck up!"_Jayden hissed, slapping him with a pillow. "The chick blabbed! We got where they are! We gotta go!"

Dread mumbled angrily before pushing himself back up, shaking himself from his drug induced state. He still felt drowsy, but he was buzzing and he was perking up as he processed the news. He gave a small smirk, tumbling off the bed. They were getting closer..he could almost _taste it. _

Bandit, however, jumped up with alarm, his head pounding. He tried to push the pain aside, looking at the pair with wide, concerned ocean blue eyes. _They found them? The guys? No...not Dodge, not Dingo... _His heart sank. _Not Trent..._

"Wh..." Bandit glared, determined not to let his anxieties show. He couldn't let them have the power. He glared as Dread threw a shirt over his head and slid on a pair of jeans. "What are you...talking about?" he sneered at Jayden, his glare guarded. "Nobody knows where we live. We live separately. You'll never-"

"That's what you think, brat." Jayden scoffed at him, his grey eyes flashing with triumph. "You just fucking see what we bring back."

Bandit tore his gaze away, instead glaring at Dread. He was tousling his hair, searching around for his heavy black boots he loved. He stomped them on. Bandit bit his lip, refusing to believe it. He had to remain calm, he couldn't let them think they had the better of him, he couldn't let the enemy think they won. Nobody would sell them out like that, especially not to _them. _They were safe, Dingo always made sure they were. His friends were safe-

"Nepean Street." Jayden gave him a smug grin, folding his arms across his chest. He didn't miss the flash of fear in Bandit's ocean blue eyes."We're heading there now."

Bandit held strong, looking emotionless as he watched Dread fasten his belt and grab a pistol, shoving it in the belt near his hip. He was determined not to let them see his fear. His teeth scraped across his lips, his mind ticking and heart thumping. Dread watched him closely as he grabbed his switchblade, slamming his heavy boot hard against the bed as he slipped the blade into his shoe. He'd turned and made it halfway to the door before Bandit finally broke, scrambling off the bed and grabbing onto him.

"_Please _don't go, Dread! Don't hurt them!" He begged in that pathetic squeak, tears trickling down his cheeks. "P-please, I-I'll do anything! Just don't go!"

Dread had to smirk but he shoved him off, Bandit dropping to the ground with a thud. Jayden cocked an eyebrow in amusement as the raven haired teenager jumped back onto his knees, grabbing at Dread's leg before he could leave. His black eyes met Bandit's.

"_Please..." _Bandit begged on the floor, his eyes as wide as saucers as his knuckles went white against Dread's jeans. It was a last effort, and Bandit was desperate to make it right, desperate to protect them. He pleaded into Dread's cruel face, one hand fisting his pants at the knees and the other creeping up, rising as Bandit did into a higher position.

Dread's black eyes watched those long pale fingers as they crept closer to him, delicately coming to rest at his hips, the fingers hooking into his belt.

"_Please, Dread..." _Bandit pleaded, those big blue eyes blinking up at him pathetically. Those pouty, chapped lips quivering at him._"Don't go..." _

Even though he felt like his mouth had gone dry, Dread still felt a pool of saliva rise in his mouth at that look, that voice, those hands. His mind went pleasantly fuzzy and he felt his body sink into the touch, his senses prickling as he felt the hand lower again, and Bandit's finger ran along the length of his zipper, his fingernail scraping against the metal. He hissed back a moan, heat rising and his fingers twitching-

"_**Dread!"**_Jayden shoved him roughly, and he blinked back, dazed at that furious grey glare. He shook himself, attempting to concentrate.

"Which head are you thinking with?" Jayden demanded with narrowed eyes.

"Uh- Nn..." Dread swallowed hard, turning back to look at his begging pet- still on the floor with those wide eyes, pouting at him...begging. "Aw, B-"

Jayden rolled his eyes, grabbing his friend by the shirt and throwing him out the door and slamming it behind him- but not before throwing Bandit a filthy glare.

Dread growled at him, his head still pleasantly buzzing. Jayden shoved him forward, patience reaching the breaking point. They were _so close _to getting the rest of the money, and getting their hands on their runaway family members, that they couldn't afford to be put off by his best friend's libido.. which Bandit _knew _was a weakness.

"But I'm _hard!" _Dread growled at him, already pouting. Jayden shoved harder.

"You're more than _hard." _He hissed, shoving him against the car. "You're fucking impossible!"

Dread couldn't hold back an angry groan, stomping up to sit in the passenger seat with a sulky expression in place.

* * *

Kuki was still shaking at the news as she sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Usually she wasn't impulsive, but she couldn't stand sitting back and doing nothing while her sister was out there somewhere. She had to keep up and _do something. _She didn't know what, she just had to jump into action.

She felt guilty as well. All these months she'd been so concerned with Wally, and the drama with friends and college-, that she'd neglected to keep in contact with her sister…her best friend, her closest companion. Kuki loved Mushi, and being in Japan had only increased the bond. How could she not be there for her, contact her, reach out to her?

_What if I never see her again?_

She cringed as she felt the tears return, and she clenched her hands as she struggled ot remain focused. She couldn't think like that, there were other things to worry about.

"Kuki..." She heard Abby's voice beside her, gentle and soothing. Her hand reached out to her arm. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah...just a little tense." Kuki choked out, unable to look at her. Abby insisted she come along to her appointment as Allie refused she skip it. So here she was, in a doctor's office surrounded brother children and mothers, clenching a magazine she was pretending to read. But Abby could see past her fake calm...she knew her better than that.

Abby had seen that lost look in Kuki's eyes, and she hated the fact she hadn't been there for her in the past- but she was going to be there for her now. She cupped her stomach as she watched her friend closely, her heart sinking as she realised how lost and upset she truly was. She couldn't imagine being separated from her family- it was hard enough her mother and sister couldn't be there for her today. She appreciated Allie there for her, though, and she knew Allie appreciated to be involved in her future grandson's life in return.

"It'll be okay, Kooks." Abby soothed her. "Mushi will be okay. I'm sure your parents just want to keep you informed. Everyone will look out for her."

All Kuki could do was give her a smile and nod. She knew in her heart she shouldn't worry the way she was, but she couldn't help it.

It seemed like her world was collapsing around her.

"_Abigail Lincoln?"_

Abby stood, and immediately turned around when she realised the rest of her party hadn't stood with her.

"You guys coming or what?" She smirked, tilting her head. "I'm not going in alone."

Allie couldn't hold back the giant smile that almost split her face, and stood eagerly. Kuki hesitated, but couldn't resist a small smile too. It was hard to believe that just a week ago her boyfriend was ready to spill blood over this baby, and now he was with his brother helping him, and she was with Abby at her appointment. If there ever was a time for healing, now was the time. Kuki stood and followed her into the doctor's office.

"So, Abby..." Her doctor greeted her as she sat up in the reclined chair. "How have you been feeling lately?"

"I'm just fine." Abby gave him a tired smile. "Just waiting, I guess. I feel really heavy..."

"You're putting on a healthy amount of weight." He assured her, spreading the sticky substance on her stomach. "How long do you have left now?"

"Um...I think four or five weeks now." She sighed, leaning back in the seat. The doctor stuck the wand on her stomach and Allie gripped her seat hard as a baby-size blob appeared on the screen ahead of her, a tiny baby kicking and rolling in Abby's stomach. Abby had to smile seeing the image. Every ultrasound she went to she loved seeing her baby, knowing it was inside her and growing was magical. It gave her a warm, fuzzy sensation and only excited her to meet him when he was finally born.

Allie had to sniff as she saw her grandchild on the screen. Kuki had to smile. It was sweet, and so cute to see. She couldn't wait for her own time to have children. She imagined Wally in the room with her...

"So...you say you have five weeks left now?" The doctor frowned at her, moving the wand around her stomach and checking the baby out from all angles. Snapping pictures, checking measurements.

"Yeah, I think." Abby muttered. "I wasn't sure when my last period was, so the dates were kinda sketchy..."

"Hm..." The doctor frowned at her. "The baby seems a little bigger than to be expected..."

Abby's face fell, and she sat up higher as she felt her heart thump hard in her chest. "What?" Panic soared through her body, and she struggled to keep calm. _Something was wrong? With her baby? Her baby was in trouble? _"What does that mean? What do you mean?"

"It's alright, nothing to be concerned about..." He assured her in a low, caring voice. "Babies grow at different times...but it just means you might be close to your due date than we first thought..."

"Bu..." Abby's mind scrambled for an answer, but all logical thoughts seemed to leave her. All she could do was gaze at the baby on the screen in front of her, and wonder what the Hell that meant when it came to her precious baby. Allie frowned at this too, and spoke up when Abby couldn't find the words.

"Does this mean...the baby could have been conceived earlier than we first thought?"

Kuki stiffened, her own eyes widening as she felt the blood drain from her face. Abby's knuckles went white as she gripped the edges of the chair.

The doctor shrugged, taking more pictures and measurements. "It could be a possibility."

* * *

Wallabee had to admit, he admired Dodge for the way he looked so infuriated but yet drove so calmly- much calmer than his brother. He sat in the passenger seat and actually felt a lot safer with the guy whose icy blue eyes had darkened dangerously and was scanning the roads looking like he was looking to run over someone.

They were speeding (clearly) down one of the main streets in Dingo's car, and Wally knew they were close to where most of the clubs lay in a cluster towards the city.

He cleared his throat, anxious to cut through the tense silence that had filled the car since they left. Dodge didn't even bother to dismiss him as he followed him to the carpark, and Wallabee was feeling grateful for that. He didn't want Dodge to go alone, especially when he was unnaturally angrily.

"So...um..." He felt stupid then, staring a conversation with a complete stranger. He mentally fished for something they had in common...but all that popped up was his stupid brother, and he cringed as he blurted out the first question that came to mind. "How long have you known Dingo for?"

Dodge had to break his murderous gaze to ponder this. "Uh...I was five when I met him. Yeah- in Kindergarten." His lips suddenly stretched into a grin. "He came over and pretty much declared I was his friend."

"Really?" Wally scoffed. He didn't mind hearing stuff about his brother, it made it seem like he knew him better, like he could actually understand him. _Plus, I bet Dodge has some good dirt on him..._He added mentally, smirking. "So...I guess he was always a leader."

"Yep- always mine anyway." Dodge scoffed. "I don't mind, leaders always take the fall. I'm the voice of reason. I'm always there to be like '_I told you so'." _He stopped, frowning. "But...usually it's in the jail cell next to him."

Wallabee smirked. Dodge eyed the road up ahead suspiciously, his familiar snarl returning. Wallabee took a long look at him. It was strange, the angry look didn't really suit him too much. His brother, yes. This guy- no.

His phone buzzed again and he looked down to see Kuki was calling him again. Guilt overwhelmed him, but he put the phone back. He really didn't want to busy himself with his girlfriend, he'd rather be focused with the upcoming task ahead. He subtly switched his phone to silent. He had no idea what to expect with this guy.

"I don't like doing this..." Dodge finally mumbled in a low voice. "But this...this is different."

He heaved a sigh and turned into what Wally recognised as the club carpark, and he followed suit when Dodge threw his seatbelt off, issuing the building a dark look.

"So...how do you exactly plan to get info out of this guy?" Wally asked him, following close as Dodge made his way to the building. Throwing a look over his shoulder he startled, as if just realising he was there.

"Look, you don't have to come..." Dodge muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He began to feel guilty, a familiar emotion when he knew he was going over the edge. It didn't happen often. "I know I shouldn't have left the guys like that, but I don't want them to see me like this. I dunno if you even wanna know-"

"No way, I'm with ya." Wallabee continued past him. "Fanny's my friend too, you know. As well as Patton. This is my fight too."

Dodge scowled, feeling sheepish. He really didn't want to push this on any of his girl's friends, it was like admitting to the world he'd let her down.

"Well...it's like I said..." He grunted. "I don't usually like doing this...It's…more than what you think-"

"If anyone understands the fury of having a psycho for a brother…" Wallabee told him firmly, his dark eyes sincere. "It's me. I don't exactly _need _the full story, man." He shrugged. "I didn't need it when I followed my brother into this so-called 'war', and I don't need it when I'm with you. I'm just here. Trust me."

Dodge had to smirk. The blonde kid reminded him so much of Dingo. They had the same stubbornness, the same headstrong, impulsive yet loyal nature. He bet he was a great fighter too- a Beatles through and through.

"I'm with ya, Kid." Dodge scoffed, shoving through the doors.

...

"_I'm not like you Dread..." Dodge snapped at him, his teeth biting fiercely down on his bottom lip as he faced off with his brother. "I won't do it."_

_Dread's eyes darkened dangerously, and his hands became fists as he grabbed his brother's arm forcefully, dragging him towards the house. Dingo watched, his own eyes narrowed. _

"_You need the money don't you?" He hissed darkly. "Just come. It's Fight Night. You don't even have to if you don't want to. I'm just asking you to come in."_

_Dodge glared up at the house hatefully. It was a miserable abandoned shack on the other side of town, and it was dead at night. He was supposed to be grounded, his dad would slaughter them both if he found them out here. This was the shack chosen for the night's 'Fight Night' where all the fighters from the area flock to one day a month. It wasn't well known, you had to know a friend who knows a friend. But stupid games like King of the Hill were played at these nights, and Dodge despised the fact his brother played a part in it...and was actually good at it. He'd pulled almost ten grand for fights and bets. _

_But he wasn't his brother. He refused to be. _

"_Let's just try..." Dingo looked eager behind him, his eyes wide. Dodge glared. They were only fourteen- they didn't need to be bothering with this crap. He hated the fact he was anywhere near his brother, nevertheless hanging out with him. "I mean- how bad could it be?"_

_Dodge trudged angrily behind Dingo and Dread as they made their way into the house, already crowded with people. Dodge swallowed hard, watching the amount of people already placing bets and gearing up for a fight. It was pathetic, in his opinion...all these people that come to a random house just to fight. _

_Music was pumping in the background and already Dread was screaming at someone and pointing. They were almost nose to nose, yelling and shouting. _

"_Fucking five hundred mate, I'll kick his ass!"_

"_You're on, cunt! My brother will kick your scrawny ass for five hundred no worries!"_

_Dodge smirked- then pausing. Wait- what?_

_A random fighter charged out of the crowds and aimed a punch at him, which he quickly ducked- his icy eyes widening in alarm. He jumped back into his brother, who quickly shoved him back. Panic raced through his skull, mixing with anger and fear, and he threw every hit he could, skin on skin and grabbing and thrashing- he didn't stop until he was motionless. Dingo tugged him back, smirking. _

"_Yeah..." He heard Dread smirk behind him as he gasped for breath, panting. The other guys laughed. "Five hundred up!"_

_Dodge panted, his eyes wide amongst the crowd of strangers. Hands were touching him, shoulders were brushing him, and his vision gradually began to clear. He began to shake, staring down at his hands. His knuckles were smeared with blood, and he wasn't sure whose it was. His heart was hammering so hard it felt like it was about to leap out of his throat, and al of a sudden he felt numb, with a light throb of pain in his hands. It only just hit him, what he had to do. What he'd unleashed. _

_That's what he felt like. A monster._

"_No idea you had it in ya, dude!" Dingo's happy face lingered in front of his, his deep dark green eyes dancing with excitement. "The adrenaline gets ya, hey?"_

"_I…" Dodge kept shaking, trying to stand straight. He was numb, his knuckles throbbed with the aftermath. Dingo's hand gripped his arm, and he was dragged through the house. His head spun._

"_Let's find another fight!"_

_..._

Dodge shook those memories from his mind. This wasn't the same, he tried to tell himself that over and over. This was his _girlfriend. _He had to protect her. No matter what.

As he swerved into the parking lot he looked down at his hand, clamped to the steering wheel. Across his wrist in neat, loopy script was a reminder of exactly why he was so crazy about this girl. He knew no matter what happened he always wanted to remember her, his Cherry. She wasn't like any other girl he'd ever known- she was sweet and caring, but fiery and a fighter. He knew she could hold strong, but he still wanted to protect her, make sure she was safe everyday.

He owed it to her, someone so beautiful in his life.

And he was ready to punish whoever took that away.

Throwing the handbrake in place he practically threw himself out of the car, slamming the door behind him. Wallabee scrambled to keep up, trotting to follow the stiff, solid guy he was trying to calm. Honestly, Wallabee frowned to himself as he processed this. He had no idea who this guy was, only his brother's best friend. But he still felt like Dodge needed someone there, he still felt like he had to have his back.

_It's what a team does... _Wallabee thought to himself.

The club was closed, as it was still early in the morning, but Dodge shoved through a side door regardless, Wallabee following wordlessly. It looked like Dodge knew where he was going, that, and he didn't want to get in his way.

Dodge stormed through the club, his fists balled at the ready. Anger was still ripe in his veins, and his heart was palpitating so hard he could almost _taste _it. The adrenaline was like a heating system, making his blood boil over. He turned a corner to head into the bar, where already Aaron was cleaning down the bar.

Aaron was still shaken over last night's events. He was the one that had to call an ambulance for his friend, but thankfully he'd avoided police's questions. Vince, his boss, had told him over and over that he was to never talk about the 'clients' that frequented the club. That was certain.

But he couldn't stop shaking. He'd never seen so much blood before. And he had no _idea _where they went, or the girl. His job was to just sell the junk, not to be involved in this bloodshed and what felt like human trafficking. It wasn't supposed to be like that.

"_Aaron."_

He looked up in alarm, right into a pair of ice blue eyes looming over him, narrowing threateningly.

_Big mistake._

Dodge threw his fist into the kid's face before he could even open his mouth, his fury building with the force of the hit. Aaron yelped in alarm, pain throbbing through his skull as he fell back into the bar, his hip painfully digging into the wood.

"_Mother-" _Aaron hissed through the pain, sucking in his bottom lip as his hand jumped to his face. Dodge stood at the ready, his stomach tightening. At just a small taste of suffering, he was already hooked- and he wanted to see the bastard _bleed. _"The HELL was that FOR?"

Dodge jabbed forward, grabbing a handful of material. Dragging him forward, he sneered into the kid's face before slamming him back into the woodwork. Aaron stared back in alarm. Dodge's eyes were darkening every second, blackening into a thick, deadly navy. His chestnut hair fell into his face, his forbidding gaze washing over him like an icy bucket of water.

"Remember a redhead girl last night?" Dodge snarled through gritted teeth. "You and _Patton? _Handed her over to my fucking _brother?"_

Aaron's pale eyes widened, one scraming in pain. His stomach dropped as he took in the face, the stance- it was all too familiar... His skin crawled in panic. His eyes jumped over to Wallabee who was standing off to the side, watching with guarded eyes. He was ready to leap into action if Dodge got too rough, but at that moment he was tense , watching Dodge cautiously.

"I...I dunno what you mean..." Aaron squeaked. "I wasn't even- I couldn't- I didn't-Look please, I don't even-"

Dodge glared hatefully at the pale, cowardly face before him. He could feel him tremble beneath his iron-like grip, practically hearing his heart race. The more the guy babbled on to save his own skin, the more pissed off Dodge got. _This fuckwit dragged my Cherry into danger, and he thinks he can fucking get pity from me? _His patience was ticking away fast, and he could feel that he was about to snap. It only took one thing to set him off, and the heat was rising in his veins, his pulse was quickening, his vision was blurring-

"Look..." Aaron's pale eyes gazed at Wally sincerely. "They _said _she was just bait-"

"THAT'S FUCKING IT!" Dodge roared, slamming his fist into the guy's nose without another thought. Aaron tumbled backwards, his face exploding with pain and blood soaring down his chin. He slammed onto the ground, seeing stars. But before he could even see straight Dodge's fist was flying again, this time directly into his face- hanging over him spewing insults.

"TELL ME EVERYTHING, YOU PATHETIC FUCK!" Dodge screamed at him, his dark eyes narrowing into a deep navy. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! WHERE'D THEY TAKE HER?"

Aaron attempted to fight back, but Dodge wasn't a force to be reckoned with. His face was twisting with fury as he slammed his closed fist into the kid's flesh, wanting nothing more than to feel bone crack.

"I-I told you I don't know!" Aaron squeaked back as Dodge's fist painfully smacked into his cheek. He felt cartilage snap, and he knew his assailant wouldn't stop until he got the information he wanted... or he smashed his face open. "Wa-STOP!"

Amongst the ringing in his hands that desperate scream shattered Dodge's guard, and with his fist aimed near his ear he glared down at the bloodied mess below him, his eyes narrowed and demanding.

Aaron gasped for breath, his chest stretching painfully under Dodge's legs. He didn't letup, if anything- he applied more pressure.

"Al...All I know is that they w-wanted Heroin..." he gasped, swallowing the blood spilling in his throat. "And-And I gave it to them, okay!"

Dodge snarled, his fist tightening. His knuckles cracked menacingly. Aaron swallowed hard as those eyes flashed maliciously.

"An...And they asked about y-you...P-Pat filled in the rest." He blurted out. "I don't know where they're staying, they got the money from these guys, they wa-wanted you! They're hunting you! That's what they're paid for."

"Who's the guy?" Dodge released his fist, but his hands snapped straight to his neck, squeezing the blonde's airways so there'd be no choice in choking out the truth. "Who got them here?"

"I..." Aaron's eyes widened, black spots filled his vision, and even Wally looked worried. Dodge tightened his grip, his face still and merciless. "Jeez!" He choked out, gasping for air. His skin pinched painfully and his chest felt like exploding. "I think-"He coughed roughly, but Dodge's heavy hand refused to budge. He pushed the thick neck to the carpet, refusing to budge. "I think th-the name was...S-Sandy!"

_Sandy. _

As quick as he snapped he released, his hand jumping back as he scrambled to his feet. His head ticked away, his mind swimming. He could hear him gasping for air on the ground like a fish.

_Sandy._

His hand curled into a fist again as he slammed it into the bar, the rest of the glasses skidding off the counter and smashing onto the floor. _That fucking. No good. Lying. Scamming. Faggot._

"_Fuck!" _Dodge hissed angrily, stomping away before he could cause anymore damage. His teeth were welded together in anger, his skin felt as though it was on fire. The rage coursing through his veins was enough to send him explosive, and he was almost blind as he stomped back out into the cool air- aiming for his friend's car.

Wallabee ran up behind him, his deep emerald eyes cautious. Dodge's figure was stiff and silent, two warning signs he wasn't sure how to handle.

"_Dodge..." _He muttered behind him. Dodge didn't answer, he only stomped faster towards the car. "Dodge. We gotta find the guys, they're probably-"

"I know." Dodge growled shortly. He didn't even bother to turn around until he'd unlocked the car and threw open the door. His icy blue eyes cut into him as he turned to him, giving him an expectant look. "Get in."

* * *

Instead of sitting in awkward silence Jake and Leyla had taken up to drinking, Leyla happily taking Jake's mixed drinks and chat away comfortably rather than avoid each other's gaze. After what she thought was the eighth vodka orange the vodka bottle was getting dangerously low and her and Jake were getting thoroughly giggly, catching up on random stuff involving family and their childhood. Leyla's cheeks were flushed and Jake's eyes were a warm chestnut, sparkling at her with the same spark he had when he was fifteen. It was never her attention to see Jake again just so she can drink with him- especially after she scolded him for it- but it was always her policy with Jake that 'if you can't beat him, join him.'

"It is really good to see you, though." Jake slurred at her, and Leyla was positive he was very inebriated. Otherwise he would be his regular smooth self, and wouldn't be gazing at her like a lost puppy. It made her blush all over again, and the vodka was making her do that enough. "I...I missed ya, I guess. I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"I never stopped thinkin' 'bout you..." She sniggered, rolling her eyes awkwardly. "But I got a bit busy, I guess...kids can do that."

Jake let out a bark of laughter, his tongue between his teeth.

"Yeah, bet you didn't imagine me with a kid, huh?"

He carried on snickering but all Leyla could do was nibble on her lip, looking away. "You'd be surprised..."

"I love D, though. I never thought I'd be able to handle him- and 'lemme tell 'ya he pushed me- but it's all worth it, 'ya know?"

"Yeah...it is." She smiled at her lap. "I...I really missed you too, Jake."

He smirked at her proudly, grinning widely. His eyes were still glimmering.

"Really..." She sighed, her chest painfully tight as she gripped her glass, only just realising how true her words were. _I guess vodka can do that._ "Some of the best memories...they're all with you."

"Same with you, Ley." He smirked shamelessly. "Didn't wanna admit it, but you had my heart. You were pretty cute back then."

She scoffed, her eyes rising to his face with her eyebrows high. "I _was_ cute?"

"Well..." He tilted his head in thought, that sly smirk in place. His dark hair hung in his face, shaggy and sexy, just as she remembered it. His shirt was tight against his broad chest, his jeans hung low on his hips and Leyla could see he'd built muscle over the years, a few tattoos visible- including '_Dingo'_ scrawled across his wrist. "You're still cute... _I guess..."_

Leyla growled at him, her cheeks feeling as though they were on fire.

"But you're much more of a sexy now." His face split into a wide smirk as he leaned back in the chair, sniggering as he took another sip of juice. Leyla just shook her head, rolling her eyes again. He was still the cocky playboy...and he still made her feel more beautiful than anybody ever had.

_I guess you never forget your best friend. _

"You're pretty sexy too, Jake..." She mumbled back, her voice low and sheepish. She set down her drink, and leaned more forward in her chair. Jake couldn't help but stare at the delicate shape of her collarbone, and lower to how her dress hugged at her well-shaped chest. "Moments with you...like _that..." _She smirked, her blush darkening in a tell-tale way. "I'll remember forever...I guess the...best I've had." She broke off with a guilty h grin, her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip.

"The best, huh?" Jake asked. But his voice seemed to have lost its cockiness- his mouth had gone dry and his usually sly smirk had been replaced with a husky voice. He licked his lips, unable to look away as she turned back to watch him, her icy blue eyes staring greedily into his.

"Yeah..." She whispered back. The previous joking atmosphere was gone. The two friends gazed at each other for what felt like the longest time before Leyla's lips stretched into a sly smirk, a look she had picked up from Jake when they were kids. "...The best."

Jake stared, his brown eyes darkening as he scanned her body hungrily. Leyla gave a shy smile as she slid the lacy white straps of her dress down her slim shoulders, and Jake found his mouth watering as he took in more of her bare tanned skin. Her curvy chest, cleavage made perfect with a pink lace bra, to her slim waist and prominent hipbones- every inch of her was so delectably familiar- and she gave a small laugh as she turned around to pull her dress over her hips. His dark eyes found the delicate black scrawl in the middle of her back, surrounded by small, red inked roses.

_**Your tears don't fall,  
They crash around me  
Her conscience calls  
The guilty to come home**_

She turned back around to cock her hip, an evil smirk crossing her face. Just above her black panties- across each curve of her hipbone- was more ink, across the left hip, along the natural curve of her body. _Dread _on the left and _Dodge _on the right, with matching small sparrows underneath, facing in.

"N...Nice tats." Jake eventually choked out when he found his voice- being faced with the beautiful body of his childhood best friend somehow caused all of the blood to rush from his head to his midsection, and suddenly he was restless. He cocked an eager eyebrow. "Not Little Miss Innocent anymore, are we?"

Leyla felt a hot blush crawl up her cheeks as she felt Jake's eyes scanning her. Somehow, she never felt so beautiful before...but at the same time the lingering knowledge in her heart that it was so, _so_ wrong made her heart race with excitement. She'd missed that adrenaline rush. Her tongue swiped at her lips as she smirked, creeping closer. Jake continued to stare, mesmerised.

"I was never innocent, Jakey." She sniggered. "Not since you came along."

Her hands curled around the fabric of his shirt and he didn't resist as she pulled him to her lips, her soft tongue tracing his as their mouths clashed- hasty and passionate. Teeth clicked and tongues lashed as both adults moaned into the kiss, the warm spicy taste of alcohol mixing between them.

Jake's hands quickly gripped her labelled hips and dragged her closer greedily. His mind was rushing with what he wanted to do, and the soft feel of her skin grinding against his was sending sparks throughout his body. Usually he wasn't so impulsive, but _damn, _he wasn't sure how many years he'd waited for this, but he wanted it _now. _

Leyla slammed into him, the warmth radiating from his body almost too much to handle. The kiss was giving her tingling, familiar sensations throughout her system, and her skin felt as if it was on fire. His hands grabbed her hips, pushing her into him, and she only pushed harder- pressing her body against his as she straddled him, his jeans creating undeniably delicious friction as she grinded against him.

A moan sounded low in Jake's throat as the curves of her body pressed against him, and he slid his hands up the silk-like skin of her back, his fingers pressing into those tight spots and rubbing down, his muscular arms wrapping around her.

Her lips parted and a gasp escaped her, coming up for air and giving an airy moan. Fingers met lace, and rather than worrying about the stupid clasp his hands slid to her shoulders and dragged the straps down her arms, his lips going to her collarbone.

"_Jake..." _She hissed, her teeth digging into her lip as his hands roamed her body, slipping from her back to the front. Her face flushed with excitement, her senses in overdrive. "We...we should-"

"Go to my bed?" He growled against her neck, his lips rising to her ear.

Despite the warm, fuzzy sensations clouding her mind, Leyla still managed to scoff and slap him on the arm. "No!" She grumbled, but her knees parted further on the couch as she lowered further onto him, her fingers gripping the muscular curves of his shoulder blades. "We...We shouldn't be..._ah..._doing this-" She sucked in another gasp as teeth nipped at her ear.

"_Yeah..." _Jake growled huskily in her ear, warm breath coating her skin. Leyla tilted her head back, closing her eyes as his lips ghosted her neck. "Wanna stop?"

"...No..." She growled back, diving in for another kiss as her arms tightened around his neck. His fingers found her legs, fingers giving a light squeeze as he picked her up, rising off the couch. Leyla's tanned legs latched around him as he crossed the living room to his own bedroom, kicking their empty beer and vodka bottles out of the way.

* * *

Hoagie stared determinedly at the door before him. His head pounded in pain, his heart was beating through his chest and he felt dizzy, numb and sick…but he pushed it all aside. His mind ticking away on pure determination, he pushed through every weakness he had to try and think clearly…bring back his scientific logic.

For what felt like hours but could have only been a few moments, nobody in the room spoke. Mushi merely panted through her panic, trying to relax on the rough, stone ground. Her skin burned where he had touched her, and she felt dirty, tainted…disgusting. Her eyes stung from the crying and dirt.

Fanny just slumped against the wall, utterly exhausted and numb. She too dismissed the pain she was feeling, but it was nothing when paired to the guilt that weighed down on her like a two tonne truck. She hated feeling like her words were the end of it all…the end of the magic she felt with Dodge, the end of the gang and the end of life as she knew it. She felt so numb and alone…the world was hopeless in her eyes.

"I think I have an idea."

It took a moment for the words to process but the girls looked up, their tired eyes landing on Hoagie. His brilliantly bright eyes burned back- a flicker of hope lodged in those dark irises.

"H…how?" Mushi sniffed, attempting to rise. Her pale face illuminated in the dark shadows "They l-locked the door-"

"The locks the easy part." Hoagie said, determination ringing clear through his voice. "If I can get a wire, and get these cuffs off, we might just be able to get out of here."

Those words rang through the girls' minds clear as a chiming bell. A saviour, a flicker of hope… Mushi's face lit up with anticipation and Fanny's glare hardened as she bit her lip, optimism lifting her slightly. Her eyes narrowed with her own push of confidence.

"I feel loose stone here." She mumbled croakily, her hands brushing against the jagged rock that was stabbing into her spine. "Maybe if we grind it against the chain, it'll wear through."

There was a stiff silence between the trio, broken only by their uneven breathing.

"Does this mean…" Mushi swallowed hard, her indigo eyes glistening brightly in the dim room. "We're actually trying to…break out of here?"

Fanny and Hoagie met each other's gaze, both their stares determined and focused, burning bright despite their limp bodies.

Both knew they weren't ready to go down without a fight.

* * *

"_I can't believe they took my fucking car…Fucking idiots…Never should have fucking introduced them…I ought'a fucking crack skulls, I tell ya-"_

Trent only rolled his eyes for what felt like the fiftieth time since they left the hospital, the two of them making their way to the apartment- both of their hoods up and their heads down, of course. It wasn't a long walk- as their apartment building was the closest thing to the hospital- But that didn't stop Dingo bitching about it the whole way there.

"Stupid…idiots!" he snarled angrily, kicking a pebble that was unfortunate enough to be in his path on the sidewalk.

"Calm down, D." Trent attempted to soothe, but it came out as an annoyed moan. "You know how single minded Dodge can be when he's pissed. I'm angrier that he left us behind! I wanted to knock that bastard's teeth out too!"

"Yeah, yeah." Dingo sulked, looking moody. "The whole situation is fucked. It should be just a showdown like old times."

Trent shoved him, giving him a smirk. "You're just saying that 'cause they'd be outnumbered."

"True." Dingo shrugged. "But it'd be better than this hide and seek shit"

Trent shifted his shoulders awkwardly as he followed his friend along the sidewalk. He couldn't help but feel the guilt on his shoulders at the whole escapade, and the fear still hadn't escaped him. What if Dread told Bandit the reason he shot Belle, the reason he went after Bandit that night in the first place? Bandit would hate him, he would know he was the one to blame...

"I'm fuckin' losing it, Dingo." Trent finally blurted out, unable to take it anymore. He frowned angrily at the cracked cement beneath him, and even Dingo did a double take at how quickly Trent's emotions could flip. He followed numbly, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "This is all my fuckin' fault."

Dingo couldn't help but bark out a laugh, despite everything he scoffed with doubt. "Dude, lots of things are your fault." He smirked. "But this isn't."

"It _is _though..." Trent snarled angrily, hating the fact he couldn't deny it. "That...that day Dread went after Bando...that was my fault."

Dingo frowned, trying to keep up with him. Trent's head was down, his sheepish grey eyes avoiding his. He truly looked...guilty. Dingo began wondering how long he'd kept this in.

"That...That day..." Trent mumbled under his breath, his voice dark and low. "Dodge and I picked you up from that stupid party, and you were so drunk when we stopped for fuel you stumbled out to get red frogs..."

"It's the Southern Comfort..."Dingo muttered sheepishly.

"But...while you were gone I got Dread's fucking number from Dodge's phone." Trent hissed, his eyes closing. "I fucking regret it every day, but I just wanted to show him! Wanted to tell him the truth. Bandit'd finally broken it off and was back home, I wanted to make sure he stayed away, ya know? He was always going on about how he was Bandit's first, and they had a relationship nobody else could have..." His eyes narrowed. "I knew that wasn't true, I wanted to show that prick...just once...But he got so pissed, and he took it out on her...that's why he hunted them down, because of me..."

Dingo swallowed, realising his mouth had gone dry. They were only a block away from their apartment.

"Dude, it's not your fault." He insisted, his own cheeks flushing hotly as he saw the sad look on Trent's face. He was facing away, his shoulders hunched and his hands deep in his pockets. He could see it had been eating away at him, and he groaned at the thought. He was supposed to be a leader, guiding and protecting his friends no matter what. "It's not, Dude. Dread is completely wacko. No normal person would react that way..."

"I should have known though..." Trent grumbled, his throat tightening. He felt like his stomach was about to crawl up his throat. "I pushed it. All for what? To claim him as mine?"

"People do stupid things when they're in love." Dingo shrugged moodily. Trent choked on air at that point, his eyes wide as dinner plates as he whirled around to gape at him.

"I...I nev- I didn't-"

Dingo scoffed, sniggering. "Pul-lease, Dude. You really starting this again?"

Trent hesitated, turning away. Bandit's last words ran through his head once more. Before he could think this through, Dingo's arm flew out in front of him, and he doubled over as the wind was knocked from his lungs and he was left in a coughing fit.

"_The...fuck!" _He wheezed, glaring at him through narrowed slits. But Dingo hardly paid attention, he only glared ahead at their apartment, his eyes narrowed. A big black hummer was resting at the front of the main driveway- the windows tinted and the car's front tyre perched on the kerb haphazardly. It wasn't right. It didn't feel right.

Something was wrong.

Without another thought he shoved his hand into his pocket, dialling his father's number. His mind blank of thought, he listened anxiously as it began to ring. A few slow seconds passed, Trent still angrily spluttering beside him, as Dingo dug his teeth angrily into the flesh of his bottom lip, almost ripping it open with the amount of panic coursing through him.

"_The person you are trying to call is currently unavailable-"_

"Shit!" He hissed, hanging up and without another thought he stomped forward, his heart racing as he prepared for the worst.

* * *

Dodge cradled his head against the window, one arm outstretched on the steering wheel and the other holding up his head, his fingers rubbing against his aching head. It was too much. He couldn't take it. The reason his brother was on his tail was because of some failed deal with some kid? The whole thing was just insane, and he was ready to blow up at any second, he was only just keeping it in.

Wallabee sat silent as well in the passenger seat as they made their way down the main road, his own head swimming with confusion. He _remembered _Sandy- he was sure he knew him from somewhere. But where? And _Sandy _was the reason that Fanny was taken? He felt like his world was spinning out of control, and he couldn't gain his footing.

"Don't let D ever tell you you're a shit brother."

With the sudden break in silence, Wallabee whirled around in alarm, frowning in confusion.

"What?"

Dodge had to smirk, turning down another road that lead to the hospital. Dingo and Trent were probably majorly pissed at them leaving, but at least they had information to pass on.

"Don't let Dingo ever tell you you're a shit brother." He muttered again, his eyes scanning the road. "You watched my back even though you hardly know me. That's pretty loyal shit right there..." He frowned, twisting his lips in thought. "Fuck, wish my brother was like you. Would've killed for that when I wasyounger."

"Yeah, well..." Wallabee couldn't resist a sheepish grin as he looked out of the window. "Dingo and I do have unfinished business...we didn't really grow up together, bet I would've wanted to kill him if we had-"

"Dude!" Dodge snickered. "He's my best mate and I wanna kill him at least once a day!"

They both broke into knowing laughter at that, and for the first time Wally was sure he actually belonged in the group- the blood bond he and his brother had actually existed. If he could get along with Dodge, he was positive he and Dingo would fix out their issues... And that was only _one _drama that could be solved in their lives.

"What the _fuck?" _Dodge suddenly hissed, and this time Wally braced himself as he slammed on the brakes. He fell back against the seat hard, rolling his eyes. _What is it with these guys and driving?_

Dodge, however, glared hard at the scene that grabbed his attention, and without another thought he switched off the car and bailed out, his heart leaping into his throat. He looked up to see their apartment leering over him, and he focused again on the two figures that caught his eye, running over without another thought.

"Oi!"

Dingo jumped in alarm, spinning around to glare at him. Dodge and Wally were running over from the other side of the street, having saw them on their way back to the hospital. Despite the previous anger he felt at them stealing his car, his anger turned to relief as he brandished his phone at them.

"I thought-"

"Dad's not answering his phone." Dingo swiftly talked over him, his gaze troubled, but darkening with anger. The worry had fuelled into adrenaline, and was pumping clearly in his system now, his body gearing up for a chase. "I think something's up."

Dodge's own eyes narrowed with suspicion, and his cobalt eyes scanned the block before shaking his head. "Wait..." He muttered, before running back to the car. He returned a moment later, two pistols in hand. Without another word, he threw one to Dingo. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

Dread was never good at directions, but Jayden had found the place easily regardless of Dread's confusion, which was easily exacerbated by his sulkiness at not being able to get laid before leaving. He parked hastily on the sidewalk and wasted no time forcing himself through the door, Dread following him with the same death glare he'd been giving him the whole way.

"The fuck's your hurry?" Dread hissed to him under his breath. His fingers grazed lightly against the smooth metal of his trusted gun as the two began to climb the stairs to the fifth floor. "It's not like they're going anywhere."

"I'm done fucking around." Jayden snarled at him, turning around to issue him with his own hard glare. Dread scoffed, passing him on the stairs as he stomped ahead. Jayden continued, growling as he went. "I'm done with these stupid assholes taking up our time, I don't trust them. I just want this _done. _Deliver the goods, get the cash and _go."_

"Yeah, dude I know." Dread grumbled at him, rolling his eyes as they continued to climb. "Jeez, I set this up." He threw a look over his shoulder. "_Remember?"_

"You sabotage yourself." Jayden scoffed, cocking an eyebrow as he stomped after him. They'd reached the second landing, and probably weren't being as inconspicuous as they should have been, but both were heated. "You're stupid enough to weaken yourself."

"I am not _weak!" _Dread turned around to hiss dangerously, his eyes narrowing. Jayden had to scoff. It was so easy to tease him, and despite his evil glare he wasn't affected. He just pushed him on, rolling his eyes to the old ceiling above them. He jumped up the next two steps.

"You are at times." He snickered. "You have weaknesses, just like everyone."

"Like _what?" _Dread frowned. As far as he was concerned, he could be virtually unstoppable. They were on the third landing now, and they continued up the next flight.

"Well your bratty boyfriend, for one." Jayden muttered in annoyance. "You get emotionally tied to him and would sooner fuck around with him than do your job."

"That doesn't count-" Dread pouted in annoyance. "I-"

"It does, he landed your ass in jail." Jayden easily bulldozed his argument. "You're also a Mama's boy."

"WHAT!" Dread yelled so loudly at this Jayden whirled around and smacked his fist into his chest, sending him backwards. He coughed roughly, but shut up, settling on giving him a furious glare. "I am not, you're thinking of my wuss of a brother."

"I saw you in the joint, you _needed _her. You were sooking." Jayden rolled his eyes, snickering. "I don't mind dude, but really, I saw you. You can't deny it. You need your Mummy's love, I understand-"

"_Shut the fuck up." _Dread hissed dangerously, eyeing the back of his friend's head like he was tempted to put a bullet through it. "I was not."

At the last flight of stairs the two silenced, the air thick with tension. Both reached for their weapons as they stepped up the last few steps with their eyes wide, ready for anything. Dread still wasn't convinced this was legit, and Jayden suspected a trap. It was too easy. They checked the hall swiftly. Clear.

Dread stepped forward first, holding his pistol at his hip as he made a beeline for the door. Jayden followed close behind, still watching over his shoulder suspiciously. Dread tried the door and, to his surprise, it was open. He turned the knob.

"Don't _do that!" _Jayden hissed at him. "It's too easy! It could be a trap-"

Dread rolled his black eyes and pushed open the door. It soared open to reveal an empty living room. Dread turned, his head tilted and his eyebrow cocked.

"Look like a trap to you?"

Jayden scowled as Dread stepped in, looking around. His heart was hammering with excitement and adrenaline, his fingers twitching at the thick tension that filled the room. His hands were clammy and gripped his gun in preparation.

"It doesn't look like anyone's here..." Jayden grumbled in a low voice, his grey eyes darkening with disappointment.

"Then just grab anything..." Dread muttered, his eyes rolling over the beer and tequila bottles that littered the floor. "I'm gonna check it out."

Jayden's shoulders dropped, a scowl sullying his face. He breathed a sigh of relief but looked around grudgingly. He didn't want another battle, but he was looking forward to taking them by surprise...it looked like they already bailed. He hated not being a step ahead.

Dread wandered around the apartment, his black eyes roaming the place suspiciously. It seemed too easy, the door unlocked, the place abandoned, he couldn't understand if-

He froze, his heart rising in his throat. His eyes narrowed suspiciously and his fingers tightened on his gun.

A noise. It sounded like a muffled male voice.

His frown deepened.

And...a _girl's? _

He stepped forward into the narrow hallway, his ears pricking as his lips twitched into a shadow of a smile. It was definitely a voice he could hear, and a girl- it sounded almost like a groan. He crept forward, his boots moving soundlessly along the carpet. His heart hammered in his ears as the voices grew slightly louder, stifled slightly by the thin walls, but Dread could still make them out. He reached the door, his fingers tightened on his gun as he held it to his chest. He twitched, and swallowed hard before forcing the bedroom door open.

Leyla gasped, her body overcome with heat. It was so easy to get caught up in it, the alcohol, the sensation of Jake's lips on hers, all over her skin, holding her close as they gasped for air, the friction- that it sent the pair into their own private nirvana- ignoring everything else around them.

Until the moment the door opened.

"_Omigod!" _Leyla gasped, whirling around in alarm as the door bounced off its hinges. Her light brown hair was sprawled over her bare back, and her wide icy blue eyes gazed over her shoulder at who had just caught them. Her heart thudded hard in her chest as she took in a harsh gasp, the last of her breath leaving her. A very familiar pair of black eyes fell on the pair.

Jake's eyes found the intruder too, and through the thoughts that were sluggish from both Leyla and the amount of booze they'd consumed, the moment he took in those dark eyes- and the extended gun- standing in his bedroom door, he knew they were both utterly, completely screwed.

"_Aw, shit..." _Jake groaned lowly, his eyes quickly flashing to Leyla on top of him. Her own body had stilled with shock, her knuckles whitening as she took in her oldest son.

Dread froze, his head tilting as his eyes fell on hers- those loving icy blue eyes he'd seen many times before...but not for a long time. They widened fearfully, and his bottom lip dropped with his stomach as he stared in total horror.

"_Mum?"_

His gaze flickered dumbly onto the other person in the room. He blinked, staring at what he'd just walked into. His mind ticked away, putting the pieces together. He blinked again, only numbly realising his heart was thumping hard and fast in his ears, and he lowered his gun, the weapon slipping through his fingers as he focused in on the other person in the bed, and again what he'd just walked into. He was deathly still, his head tilting and his black eyes taking it all in.

Jake's own eyes widened in shock, his fingers tightening on the bed sheets as he prepared for battle. He saw those black eyes narrow in on him- solid and daring. The black hair hung limp in his face, and the weapon clattered to the floor, cutting into the thick silence. Dread's breaths came in harsh, panting gasps before he finally stepped forward into the room, ready to charge forward. His voice came as a harsh growl as he snarled out every word with deadly promise, aimed directly at Jake.

"_I. Will. Kill. You."_

* * *

_Yeah I had to cut it off there- just to be mean, and all XD_

_I'm still not 100% on my writing, there were some scenes I just fumbled through because I dunno, guess I lost my mojo along the way. I'm addicted to writing my flashbacks, they come so easily... and my other stories, I'm working on 2 other KND ones :D but I want to finish before publishing, that's for sure!_

_I gotta say I love Leyla, she's so dynamic with all the characters XD holds a lotta hearts, she does! Her tattoo's pretty cool, you'll learn about it later ;)_

_I hope you all enjoyed it! Found this chapter up to standard!_

_PLEAAAAASEEEE let me know if you're still out there! I need some of your lovely, lovely opinions! :'( I've missed you all!_

_Much love,_

_Dino xox_


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